Washington group marks half century of hiking, maintaining public routes

On a chilly September morning, a few hundred feet off the popular but deteriorating Talapus Lake Trail near Snoqualmie Pass, Jon Nishimura wielded his shovel and a smile. Few things make him as happy as building and repairing trails.

“I just love it,” the Mountlake Terrace resident said during one of his more than 500 outings as a Washington Trails Association volunteer. “I just feel good about myself when I’m able to do something for somebody else. It may not seem like a lot, but it makes a big difference.”

It is precisely this sentiment that has made the association one of the most important things to happen to Washington trails in the past half century. Powered by more than 4,400 volunteers, the organization advocates for trails and helps cash-strapped local, state and federal agencies maintain and build trails.

“People in our region and our state love the outdoors and want to give back,” said Rebecca Lavigne, the association’s interim executive director. “… Really, no other state has an organization like the WTA.”

This month, the group is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Whether they know it or not, most hikers have seen and benefited from the organization’s work.

The nonprofit contributes 140,000 hours of volunteer trail work each year. But as some are fond of saying, if they do their job right the trail will look like it’s been there for 100 years.

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