annual report 2008 - Washington Trails Association

Washington Trails Association 

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 8 

PHOTO: Sunrise in The Enchantments by Jonathan Brenner

“I enjoyed everything about the work party. Crew leaders were humble and supportive. They were very 

encouraging. I enjoyed being in nature, working in a team, and the feeling of accomplishment. WTA is 

one of the best man-made things.” 

~Shubhangi Falnikar, Work Party Location: Mount Rainier 

Accomplishments: Trail Maintenance 

WTA completed 81,163 hours of volunteer trail 

maintenance in 2008. That’s the equivalent of a 

year-round, full-time trail crew of 40 people tending 

to trails on Washington’s public lands. 

Access was restored to the Barnes Creek Trail in the 

Olympic National Park through the replacement of 

two foot-logs that had been washed out by floods. 

At Mount Rainier National Park, volunteers began 

construction on a major relocation of the Glacier 

Basin Trail away from the river in order to protect 

the trail from future flood damage. 

Trail volunteers removed hundreds of downed 

logs from the Suiattle River Trail in anticipation 

of restored access to the Pacific Crest National 

Scenic Trail through Glacier Peak Wilderness. 

In the Iller Creek Conservation Area near 

Spokane, WTA protected water quality in an 

ecologically sensitive riparian corridor by 

relocating sections of steep, eroding trail. 

PHOTO: Kendall Katwalk north of Snoqualmie Pass 

Letter from the 

President and Executive Director 

Hiking is about the exhilaration that happens when you come face to face with wild, untamed 

beauty. It can happen on top of a snow-capped ridgeline in the heart of the North 

Cascades. It can happen when you catch a ray of sunlight through the trees in your local 

nature preserve. 

Hiking is about what we discover about ourselves along the way. It is the sense of accomplishment 

that comes from getting there yourself, no matter how steep the climb, no matter 

how long the trail, no matter how many mundane distractions you had to tear yourself away 

from before you even got out the door. 

Most of all, hiking is about giving back. It is about what each of us has to give as individuals, 

and what we can accomplish as a community. It’s the power of that community that 

makes Washington Trails Association a strong and effective advocate for trails. Our 7,800 

members and 2,000 volunteers make a difference for trails every day, whether they’re picking 

up a tool on trail or giving voice to their favorite places in Olympia and Washington, DC. 

Thanks to WTA members, volunteers and supporters like you, hiking is about passing on 

a legacy. It’s about a child watching a creek ripple at her feet. It’s about a teenager who 

returns from a week in the woods with a newfound sense of meaning and purpose. 

This is the spirit in which we present WTA’s 2008 Annual Report. We are truly grateful to 

each of you whose contributions, large and small, will benefit hikers today, tomorrow and 

fifty years from now. 

See you on trail! 

Elizabeth Lunney, Executive Director Craig McKibben, President 

Washington Trails Association 

Board of Directors 

Officers 

Craig McKibben - President 

David Schoenborn -VP Advocacy 

Michele Coad - VP Board Development 

Melissa Strauch - VP 

Fundraising & Membership 

Doug Breckel - Treasurer 

Rob Shurtleff - Secretary, 

President-Elect 

At-Large Directors 

Carole Bianquis* 

Lisa Black* 

Jeff Chapman* 

Kirk Clothier 

Langdon Cook 

Todd Dunfield* 

Dave Egan 

Tim Gould 

Wendy Wheeler Jacobs* 

Richard Johnson 

Kathleen Learned 

Chad Lewis 

Ken Mondal 

Damien Murphy 

Christine Peterson 

Kate Rogers 

Stephen Tan 

Rick Watson 

John Woolley 

* Joined Board in 2009 

Advisory Board 

Ron Barensten 

Mark Boyar 

Bill Chapman 

Karl Forsgaard 

Kevin Hall 

Ken Konigsmark 

Tom Lucas 

Margaret Macleod 

Susan Saul 

John Spring 

Key Partners 

American Hiking Society 

Backcountry Horseman of Washington 

Bellingham City Parks 

EarthShare Washington 

Cascade Land Conservancy 

King County Parks 

Mount St. Helens Institute 

Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust 

National Park Service 

National Parks Conservation Association 

Sehome Arboretum Foundation 

Spokane County Parks 

Student Conservation Association 

The Wilderness Society 

Urban Wilderness Project 

USDA Forest Service 

Washington Department 

of Natural Resources 

Washington State Parks 

Photo: Washington Trails Association /Ann Rhodes

Accomplishments: Hiking 

Information and Education 

Washington Trails magazine 

launched a full-scale redesign with 

bigger photos, more maps, bolder 

fonts and reorganization of content 

in March 2008. 

The June 2008 issue featured our 

first 8-page full color insert, high- 

lighting mountain wildflowers, 

thanks in part to the Stusser 

Endowment. 

“The trail to Stuart Lake has just been refurbished 

by a WTA work crew and it is fabulous. Brush 

has been cut back, drainage ditches have cleared, 

and some pretty impressive rocks have been 

moved. The trail is in very good shape. The 

scenery, especially from the big meadow up 

to Stuart peak, is breathtaking.” 

– trip report filed online at www.wta.org 

PHOTO: Looking down at Colchuck Lake from 

Asgaard Pass by Wade Trenbeath 

PHOTO: Redstone Mountain Grand Park by David Basinge 

Trail Maintenance 

Impact: The Enchantments 

The Icicle Creek Valley outside Leavenworth must be among the most inviting places 

for hikers anywhere in the world. Found on the sunny side of the Cascade Crest, it warms 

up in early May and stays warm well into October. Icicle Creek cascades down the valley, 

a churning rush of white water, and the hillsides boast a dramatic array of wildflowers 

interspersed beneath the pine trees. In this valley, hikers can choose from a full range of 

trails - from short, sweet loops to challenging mountain climbs. During the summer of 2008, 

thanks in part to a grant from the Spring Trust for Trails, WTA took on several trail restoration 

projects in partnership with the Wenatchee National Forest in the Icicle Creek Valley, 

all of which proved to be quite challenging, but ultimately satisfying, for both the volunteers 

and the hikers who benefited from their work. 

Snow Lake Trail: With an amazing influx of volunteer effort from the BoeAlps 

climbing class, WTA coordinated nearly 1,000 hours of volunteer work over just two 

weekends in May. Volunteers worked the first two miles of the scenic and high-use 

Snow Lake Trail. Crews built and maintained close to 80 large drain dips, and took 

care of brushing the trail and reestablishing tread as needed. The crews also removed 

rock berms and fixed a seriously eroded section of the trail. After two weekends of 

dedicated attention, these trails looked great and allowed for a safer and more enjoyable 

hiking experience. 

Stuart Lake: In July, WTA led a Volunteer Vacation at Stuart Lake. The crew brushed 

the trail, maintained drainages, and cleaned culverts from the trailhead to 2.5 miles in. 

A quarter mile from Stuart Lake, the crew found a section of trail that was muddy and 

rocky with water running right down the tread. To improve this situation, the crew built 

a retaining wall, improved drainage and moved the trail upslope to allow for a drier, more 

stable trail. In other places, they added rock steps to address the deeply eroded drainage. 

Colchuck Lake Trail: On the first day of August, a Backcountry Response Team 

headed up Colchuck Lake Trail, one of the most heavily-used trails in the Stuart 

Range for hikers and climbers. Colchuck Lake, part of the Enchantment Lakes Basin, 

is a stunning high alpine lake set in a fragile ecosystem. 

Our volunteers’ main charge involved building short switchbacks through a steep 100-foot 

section of the trail which had eroded down to the bedrock. With the brains and brawn of this 

crew—and the help of three rock bars—we accomplished our mission. The crew constructed 

and reconstructed five turns in all and the many hikers traveling the trail that weekend were 

duly impressed. Every one of them gave a heartfelt thank you for the crew’s work. 

For each of these projects in the Icicle Creek valley, our volunteers braved hot, dry weather 

and challenging terrain. Their dedication to the work is a testament to the sheer beauty of 

this region. As the many hikers and climbers headed up and down these trails, each of them 

was thankful of the maintenance and repair work accomplished. 

Partnerships 

Impact: Mount Rainier 

PHOTO: Washington Trails Association 

Mount Rainier is the quintessential Northwest icon. More than 1.3 million people visit Mount 

Rainier National Park annually to get up close and personal with this majestic natural wonder. 

Global climate change and a growing population are hurting Mount Rainier’s ecological 

health and our ability to experience its treasures. If that weren’t enough, in November 2006, 

record-setting storms battered the mountain with 18 inches of rain in a 36-hour period. Subsequent 

storms, though not as severe, have continued to damage roads and trails and reduce 

public access. It was clear from the start that Washington Trails Association could play a 

leading role in restoring and protecting hiking, backpacking and climbing opportunities on 

the mountain. 

In 2008, thanks in part to major grants from The Boeing Company and REI, 600 volunteers 

joined WTA for 49 days of trail repair and maintenance work in the national park. All told, 

they contributed 4,757 of volunteer service on eight different trails, including the legendary 

Wonderland Trail. WTA volunteer crews worked in partnership with the National Park Service, 

National Parks Conservation Association, Student Conservation Association, and others. 

The recovery effort has attracted hundreds of new volunteers to WTA, and participation from 

Pierce County and other South Sound communities has increased by 40 percent. Returning 

volunteers are forming a skilled and experienced volunteer base who will continue taking 

care of trails on the mountain into the future. 

After two summers on Mount Rainier, a significant portion of storm damage has been repaired. 

Projects have ranged from restoring washed out sections of trail and repairing bridges 

to clearing avalanche debris. One of the most ambitious projects, which is continuing through 

the 2009 season, is a two-mile re-route of the Glacier Basin trail—a key access route for climbers 

traveling via the Emmons Glacier—away from the White River to reduce the likelihood 

of future flooding. Every project, no matter the size or scope, is critical to the national park’s 

longevity, and the mountain’s power to inspire future generations. 


Impact: Barnes Creek Bridge, 

Olympic National Park 

During the winter months, the Olympic Mountains can be a forbidding place. Storms march 

down from the Gulf of Alaska and unleash rain, snow and high winds. So it was with some trepidation 

that WTA asked for volunteers to work on a new bridge construction project over Barnes 

Creek near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park in February. 

Worries about a shortage of volunteers were quickly dispelled. Twenty hardy and enthusiastic 

souls signed up for the project within days. These folks were led by two amazing WTA volunteer 

crew leaders on the Olympic Peninsula, Don Stoneman and Rich Tipps. They made a great 

team, with Don concentrating on the technical aspects of the project and Rich handling the 

logistics. Olympic National Park trail foreman Larry Lack coordinated with the crew. 

The old Barnes Creek Bridge had broken several years ago, and a Park Service maintenance 

backlog meant the bridge sat unrepaired. The WTA crew began by flattening a large log that 

spanned much of the creek near the old bridge. Volunteers constructed a new approach trail 

down a very steep hillside, then hauled a 25-foot log across the creek and winched it into place, 

spanning the gap between the existing log and the stream bank. Bridge projects are hard work, 

so during the evenings the crew relaxed in housing provided by the Park Service and whipped 

up some outstanding meals. 

The project kicked off with more log flattening, trail construction and hand-milling. Volunteers 

installed cedar posts and rails for the bridge, pictures were snapped, and the project wrapped. 

The Barnes Creek Bridge was replaced, restoring access to this trail in advance of the spring 

hiking season just around the corner. 

Throughout 2008, WTA trails crews spent a total of 95 days repairing and maintaining hiking 

trails on the Olympic Peninsula, on national park lands, national forest trails and state parks. 

PHOTO: Barnes Creek Bridge by Washington Trails Association

“I especially enjoyed the camaraderie! People worked together and had 

fun doing it. This was my first WTA work party, but not the last. I had a 

great time - learned a lot and enjoyed the experience.” 

~Chris Baldini, Work Party Location: Iller Creek Trail 

PHOTO: Sahale Arm by Scott Means 

Accomplishments: Youth 

The Youth Volunteer Vacation program 

increased the number of advanced backcountry 

trips we offer for returning volunteers, and 

added two distinct trips for all girls and families 

with kids ages 10-14. 

WTA partnered with schools to allow teachers 

an opportunity to integrate a day of service 

into the curriculum while students learned 

through hands-on experiential education. 

WTA was able to reach more youth by connecting 

them with knowledgeable crew leaders who 

shared their passions for the outdoors through 

partnerships with community youth programs 

like Big Brother Big Sisters, Urban Wilderness 

Project and Boy Scouts of America. WTA’s youth 

program introduced over 500 young volunteers 

to hiking and trail maintenance. 

WTA’s Families Go Hiking program reached 

families new to hiking with the basics of 

getting kids outdoors and on trail through 

workshops and seasonal guided hikes. 

WTA produced a short documentary on our 

youth trail maintenance program to reach an online 

audience of young volunteer prospects. The 

video was viewed hundreds of times on You Tube. 

Grassroots Advocacy 

Profile: Mike Monahan 

Mike Monahan is a longtime member of WTA from Tacoma. An avid hiker, Mike regularly read 

WTA’s online trip reports, submitted pics to our annual photo contest, and had even penned a 

cover story to Washington Trails magazine on hiking the Wonderland Trail with his brother. 

But he’d never been an activist for a hiking issue before. He just hadn’t felt compelled to do so. 

Then, in August of 2008, hiker Pamela Almli was killed when she was mistaken for a bear 

by a 14-year old bear hunter on the Sauk Mountain Trail. The boy was with his 16-year old 

brother when he fired the rifle. Mike, also a hunter, felt that this was the time to lend his 

unique experience as both a hiker and hunter to an issue he cared about. 

“I decided to become involved after Pam Almli was killed, and give my point of view to my 

legislators for once,” Mike said. 

In Washington state it is legal for 14-year-olds to hunt without adult supervision. After the 

shooting, WTA began working with state legislators right away on legislation that would 

raise the minimum age to hunt unsupervised to at least 16. 

Knowing grassroots activism would be key to the legislation’s success, WTA mounted a 

grassroots effort to involve hikers in the issue, including a Hiker Lobby Day in Olympia. Mike 

attended Hiker Lobby Day in Olympia to advocate on behalf of the legislation, and for the first 

time came face to face with the people who represent his district in our state capital. 

Mike had good meetings with his legislators about the hunting age legislation. “I can’t 

believe it took me until I was 39 years old to do this,” he said. “I met with my senator, and 

assistants who work in the offices of both my representatives. I thought that all the people 

I met with were genuinely interested in hearing what I had to say. No one acted as if they 

were too busy for me - I appreciated that.” 

Mike felt his first experience as an activist was so good, in part, because he felt so wellsupported. 

“The WTA staff were great, and the preparation that they put in to the day was 

much appreciated.” 

Will his activism for trails continue? Mike says probably, especially if an issue “really hits 

me in a soft spot.” He stays in touch with what’s happening with the hunting age legislation 

and many other hiking issues through WTA’s Trail Action Network. 

PHOTOS: Washington Trails Association 

Youth 

Profile: Kelsey Walker 

Kelsey, age 16, goes to Roosevelt High School and aspires 

to attend college upon graduation. She participated in two 

Youth Volunteer Vacations in the summer of 2008, one 

coed, the other an all girls trip. 

Kelsey caught wind of Youth Volunteer Vacations from her 

parents who are WTA members. Since she likes to hike and 

enjoys the feeling that volunteering brings she decided to 

sign up. The amount of fun she had was more than she 

expected. 

When talking to Kelsey she explains that she did not expect 

to receive so much direct positive feedback on trail. “It 

was great to see hikers while working on the trail because 

they were so nice and friendly to us. It really made us feel 

appreciated.” 

Since her trips with WTA Kelsey explains how she has 

“learned more about how good it feels to do community 

service” and how while on trail she noticed how the people 

working there “had the best attitudes which encouraged me 

to get more involved.” Since Kelsey’s Volunteer Vacations in 

2008 she has been more involved in the community and had 

more desire to get out hiking. When asked what she thinks 

of now when looking back she explains “how amazing all 

of the people were. It was a great setting because I became 

friends with people I would not have ever gotten to know – 

and only within a week!”

Photo courtesy of Ken Mondal 

Support 

Profile: Ken Mondal 

Ken Mondal moved to Spokane in 1992 from Ohio, 

and quickly became an avid outdoor explorer. 

He found hiking to be the perfect outlet for the 

daily stress of his ophthalmology practice. Over a 

seven-year period, he completed every hike in Rich 

Lander’s 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest, 

the first person to do so. 

Eventually, Ken says, “It was time to start giving something back for all of 

this fun that I was having. I benefited from other peoples’ hard work and 

I felt it was my turn.” By the late 1990s, he was volunteering with several 

conservation groups in Spokane and was a regular contributor to WTA’s 

Signpost magazine. Ken and his wife Juliet became members of WTA’s 

Fireside Circle in 2003. 

The following year, while hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, a chance 

encounter with then-WTA board member Susan Saul led to Ken’s eventual 

nomination to the WTA board of directors. During his three years as a board 

member, Ken spearheaded WTA’s efforts to do more to improve hiking opportunities 

in eastern Washington. 

Ken also encouraged WTA to do more across the state to introduce kids 

to the outdoors. Concerned that young people today are more connected 

with their electronic devices than with nature, he argued that getting kids 

outside, on the trails, and exploring our wilderness could inspire them to become 

life-long stewards of the natural world. His ideas grew out of personal 

experience and a growing body of research that acknowledges the role of 

nature in childhood development. 

In 2008, Ken made a $70,000 gift to seed the Mondal Youth Endowment, a 

fund that will support WTA’s youth program. Through the endowment, Ken 

is helping WTA to introduce future generations to the outdoors through hiking, 

educational programs and trail maintenance. 

Even though he’s no longer a board member, Ken is still an active Fireside 

Circle member and volunteer. “I feel so blessed to be living in a part of the 

country where we have wonderful parks and national forests and a wonderful 

trail system, but I also realize that this just doesn’t happen by chance,” 

says Ken. “There’s a lot of sweat equity that goes into it. Leaving something 

of an environmental legacy is important to me and I am glad that I found 

just the right organization to help me accomplish that.” 

PHOTO: Christopher Cole 

“I especially enjoyed the opportunity to be part of a group that is doing positive, 

constructive work, preserving the environment. The chance to work on something 

that will be around long after I am gone.” 

~Greg Hope, Work Party Location: Larrabee State Park 

Many Thanks to Our Members & Supporters 

Washington Trails Association gratefully acknowledges all of you whose financial contributions in 2008 helped to protect trails and wildlands. 

Fireside Circle 

Members of WTA’s Fireside Circle 

are recognized for their direct gifts, 

workplace contributions, and 

corporate matching gifts. 

$5,000 and up 

Jim and Marie Borgman 

Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust 

Mary L. Masterson 

Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner 

Ken and Juliet Mondal 

Eric and Sandee Noreen 

Suri and Mala Raman 

Doug and Maggie Walker 

Anonymous (2) 

$2,500-4,999 

David and Karen Aoyama 

Susan Ball 

Kirk Clothier and Deborah Boylston 

Debbie DeSantis 

John and Elaine French 

Family Foundation 

Eric and Cara Godwin 

Paul and Laura Kennedy Gould 

Anonymous (2) 

$1,000-2,499 

Ellen Ann Aagard and Matt Corwin 

Steve Babbitt 

Peter and Jane Barrett 

Steve Bernheim and Susan Bauer 

Philip and Sandy Black 

Bruce Blauman 

Ross Bleakney and Hillary Lipe 

Elisabeth and Edgar Bottler 

Paul and Debbi Brainerd 

Daniel H. Brown 

Lynn Caton and Kate Yturri 

Bill Chapman 

Carrie Crotts 

Helen Marie Cunningham 

Winston DeForest 

Dave Egan 

Jacob Engelstein 

Charles Erwin 

Kathryn Gardow and David Bradlee 

Jennifer German and Bruce Polnicky 

Janaka Goonaserka 

Andrew Gove 

Martsi Halloran 

Robert and Phyllis Henigson 

Richard Hoadley 

John and Molly Howell 

Ann Ramsay Jenkins 

Sally and Warren Jewell 

Penny Lynn Jones 

Margot Kenly 

Russ Levy 

Thomas Lindmark 

Peter N. Lombard 

Jeffrey Loth 

Mr. Bill McJohn 

David and Jacqueline Messner 

Karen I. Millward 

Dan F. Nelson 

Whitney and Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser 

Brian O’Dell 

Jim Oker and Yanna Colombotos 

Donald Omeg 

Dave Presley 

Terri Raymond 

Rao and Satya Remala 

Bob and Lisa Rivers 

Christopher Robinson 

Adam and Jannel Rynd 

Robert and Joan Sample 

Patty Sauer 

Richard and Kristy Schaaf 

Gary Scholes and Pamela Skene 

Peter Schutt 

Lawrence Shaw 

Charlie Sheldon 

Rob and Cindy Shurtleff 

Patricia Siggs 

Jon F. Stanley 

Kim Stocking 

Melissa and Steve Strauch 

Erica Tiedemann and Bill Way 

Chris Troth 

Joseph A. Vance 

Rich and Leslie Wallis 

The Adam J. Weissman 

Foundation 

Clay and Hap Wertheimer 

Mason White 

Steven D. White 

Robert and Lindie Wightman 

Colin Wilson 

Jill Wilson 

Gerald Wiseman 

Andrey and Irina Yatsenko 

Karol Zadora-Przlecki 

Anonymous (2) 

$500-999 

Steven Abel 

Shane Abreu and Tracey Lovejoy 

Keumars and Theresa Ahdieh 

Rose Alfred 

William and Beverly Allen 

Anne Appleby 

David and Laurie Austin 

Robert and Chau Axelrod 

Nicole Bahr 

Emery Bayley 

Hyer and Mari Bercaw 

Paul and Victoria Bestock 

Richard Bevan and 

Lesley Burvill-Holmes 

Donna Bevan-Lee PhD 

Doug and Joan Beyerlein 

Carole Bianquis 

Lisa Black 

Connie McLaughlin Bowser 

Mark Boyar and 

Gretchen Weitkamp 

Douglas and Leslie Breckel 

John Bremer 

Rodney L. Brown and 

Catherine Conolly 

Scott and Lisa Burbage 

Bruce Burger and Cheri Cornell 

Perry and Sharon Burkhart 

Leo Butzel and Roberta Reaber 

Ryan Byington 

Bruce Callow 

Sara and Ralph Carlberg 

Jennifer Cast and 

Elizabeth Franklin 

Diana and David Chin 

Stuart A. Clarke 

John Clarkson and 

Elizabeth Gilchrist 

Michele Coad 

Langdon Cook 

Stephen Cooper 

Lezlie Cox 

Chad Creamer and 

Marcie Zettler 

Ralph E. Cromwell Jr. 

Robert B. Davis 

Eric de Place and Jill Simmons 

Sidney Delong and 

Jeanne Matthews 

William J. and Barbara DePaso 

Julian and Alice Dewell 

Mark Dexter and Deborah Cowley 

Jim Dobrick 

Kathleen Dowd-Gailey 

Ethan Evans 

Cynthia Fenwick 

Bradley and Linda Fowler 

Caryn and Lon Frey 

Raymond and Barbara Frye 

Tim R. Gould 

Laura Graybeal 

Chris and Carol Guthrie 

James Hansen and Diana Hansen 

Marcia Harper 

Kriss E. Hart 

Laurie and Warren Hartshorn 

William Hodge 

Julia Holden and Clark Bodyfelt 

Dennis Hopkins 

Abigail Howell and Mike Barnett 

Paula and Rick Huls 

Daniel Humphrey 

Julie Jensen and Robert Pedraza 

Aimee Jones 

F. David Jones 

Richard Jones 

Phillip Journey 

Judy Kalb 

Jerry and Ann Keppler 

Jeff Kidwell 

Jacob and Angela Kirkman 

Sharon Klippert 

Dale Koetke 

Anita Kortbawi 

Mark G. Kraus 

Mikael Kvart and Sascha Dublin 

Rebecca Lavigne and Dan Kapner 

Janie Layman 

Elizabeth Leaf 

Nelson L. and Louisa S. Levy 

Scott Levy 

Maxine Linial 

J. P. Lynch MD 

Ryan and Kim Mankoski 

Robert Marsh 

R. Bryant Mason and 

Stephanie Muth 

Rick and Anne Matsen 

Barbara Metch 

Timothy Moran and 

Marjorie Walter 

Alan Carter Mortimer 

Kathi Murata 

Douglas A. Murdock 

Damien Murphy 

Jeff Newman 

Dennis Newton 

Curtis and Marion Northrop 

Robert E. Ordal 

Judy Pauwels 

Steven and Rhea Payne 

Cheryl A. Peach 

Vanessa Pegueros and 

Deborah Warren 

Christine Peterson 

John Platt and Lisa Heilbron 

Bogdan Popp 

Jessica Powers 

Gene and Mindy 

Printz-Kopelson 

Dave Purdon 

Douglas D. Quail 

Brian Railing 

Mike and Sandi Reeves 

Steve Rice 

John Rizzardini 

Chris and Kathy Robertson 

Charles Rosenberry and 

Robin Appleford 

Alan Rosenthal 

Theodore Roth 

Stuart Rowe 

Pamela Roy 

Andy Salter and 

Michele Gammer 

Susan M. Saul 

Marcus J. and 

Katherine K. Schmidt 

Tom Schroeder 

Marc Shea 

Bud Silliman and Judy Atkins 

Brad and Jan Silverberg 

Goldie and Don Silverman 

Wayne and Peggy Siscoe 

Arlo and Elsie Smith 

Curtis D. Smith 

Julie Solon and Kent Sullivan 

Tom and Rozaine Sparacio 

Ramanujan Kutta Srinivasan 

Kirk and Janie Starr 

Martin H. Stieglitz 

Peter Strohm 

Bill and Deborah Swigart 

Stephen Tan 

Michael Temcov 

Steve Tischler 

Alfred Valvano 

Janice M. Van Cleve 

Kenneth and Bonnie Vandver 

Erik Viafore and Julie Keeler 

Marie Villa and Thomas Reynolds 

Reed and Tina Waite 

Catherine Walker 

David Warth MD 

Rick Watson 

Sarah and Manny Weiser 

Rick and Jayne Weiss 

Chris Wendt 

Margaret Willson 

Daniel and Joann Wilson 

Jeffrey F. and Tracy Wilson 

Anne Winkes 

Anonymous (7) 

Corporations, Foundations 

& Other Support 

American Hiking Society 

Bay Street Communications 

The Boeing Company 

CCS Printing 

Clif Bar 

Deupree Family Foundation 

Edwards Mother 

Earth Foundation 

Gregory Mountain Products 

Helac Corporation 

Helly Hansen 

Hilleberg the Tentmaker 

Islands Fund 

McKinstry Co. Charitable 

Foundation 

The Mountaineers Books 

MSR 

National Forest Foundation 

National Recreational 

Trails Program 

Outdoor Research 

Puget Sound Energy Foundation 

REI 

The Seattle Foundation 

SmartWool Corporation 

Spokane Mountaineers 

Spring Trust for Trails 

Therm-a-Rest 

Zetron 

Matching Gift Companies 

Amgen 

Bank of America 

The Boeing Company 

BSNF Railway 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 

Google 

Microsoft 

Portland General Electric 

RealNetworks 

REI 

We have made every effort to ensure that donors are properly recognized. If we have omitted or incorrectly listed your name, please accept our apology and contact us at 206.625.1367.

“Everyone was really upbeat and friendly. You 

wouldn’t think brushing could be fun, but it 

really is! You feel so accomplished at the end 

of the day, like you really made a difference. 

It’s great being able to directly see the 

amount you’ve accomplished.” 

~Kayla Wright, Work Party 

Location: Cold Creek Trail 

Accomplishments: Advocacy 

WTA lobbied for and obtained an increase of 

$20 million for Forest Service Recreation and 

Trails Programs in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget. 

We successfully advocated against an increase 

of ORV trail miles on National Forests 

through the Travel Management process. 

Hiker Lobby Day brought together a 

coalition of outdoor enthusiasts in Olympia 

in support of increased funding for the 

Department of Natural Resources. 

WTA’s grassroots organizing efforts persuaded 

the Bureau of Land Management to turn 

back General Moly’s application for a mine 

at Goat Mountain just outside of Mount St. 

Helens National Volcanic Monument. 

PHOTO: Red Mountain Lookout by Andrew Repcik 

Washington Trails Association Financial Information 

Condensed Statement of Financial Position 

ASSETS 

Current Assets 

Investments 

Fixed Assets 

(less accumulated 

depreciation) 

Prepaid Rent and 

Security Deposits 

Total Assets 

LIABILITIES 

and NET ASSETS 

Current Liabilities 

Net Assets 

Unrestricted 

Temporarily Restricted 

Permanently Restricted 

Total Net Assets 

Total Liabilities 

and Net Assets 

12% 

Crants 

17% 

Contracts & Fees 

9% 

Corporations 

1% Special 

Events 

Dec 31, 08 Dec 31, 07 

655,282 

713,610 

22,029 

6,082 

$1,397,003 

149,064 

579,973 

35,464 

632,502 

1,247,939 

$1,397,003 

Operating Income 

2% Other 

558,518 

793,385 

22,353 

6,082 

$1,380,338 

98,426 

630,761 

94,202 

556,949 

1,281,912 

$1,380,338 

60% Individual 

Membership & 

Donations 

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Activities 

SUPPORT and REVENUE: 

Support 

Membership 

Donations 

In Kind Contributions 

Revenue 


Special Events 

Interest and Dividends 

Change in Investments 

Other Income 

Total Support 

and Revenue 

EXPENSES: 

Program Services 

Publications and Outreach 

Trail Advocacy 


General and Administrative 

Fundraising 

Total Expenses 

Changes In Net Assets 

Net Assets, 

Beginning Of Year 

Net Assets, 

End Of Year 

8% 

General & 

Administrative 

7% 

Fundraising 

Year Ended 

Dec 31, 08 

240,461 

1,107,923 

4,168 

250,433 

21,355 

36,220 

(213,325) 

19,988 

$1,467,223 

524,801 

111,537 

632,989 

125,172 

106,697 

$1,501,196 

$(33,973) 

$1,281,912 

$1,247,939 

Operating Expenses 

85% 

Program Services 

Year Ended 

Dec 31, 07 

210,266 

834,845 

4,136 

243,948 

24,677 

91,216 

39,701 

$1,448,789 

453,222 

103,222 

547,577 

88,016 

99,904 

$1,291,941 

$156,848 

$1,125,064 

$1,281,912 

PHOTO: Ken Smith 

PHOTO: Alan Bauer 

PHOTO: Ingunn Markiewicz 

PHOTO: WTA 

2008 by the Numbers 

1,663 volunteers joined a WTA 

work party. 

Places you’d find a WTA 

crew on National Trails Day: 10 

2,488 trip reports filed 

online at www.wta.org. 

Hard hats awarded to volunteers 

on their 5th work party: 224 

1,031 hikers receive WTA’s 

‘Trail Action Network’ alerts related 

to protecting trails. 

Hike-a-Thon miles = 2,598 

497 youth volunteered this 

year on day trips and Volunteer 

Vacations. 

Youth who came out for a 2nd 

Volunteer Vacation this year: 29 

3,000+ people attended WTA’s 

15th annual TrailsFest in July. 

The financial information for the years 

ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 

have been derived from Washington 

Trails Association’s consolidated financial 

statements, audited by Morrow 

Kessler & Dowsing, PLLC. A complete 

set of 2008 audited financial statements 

are available upon request.

Design donated by Rhodes-D-Signs.com 

MAIN PHOTO: Summerland Trail (Lloyd Smith) SMALL PHOTOS (left to right): Ebey’s Landing (Shahid Durani), Gold Creek (mytho man), Green Mountain (Gail Blacker), Volunteer (WTA). 

Our Mission: 

Washington Trails Association’s mission is to preserve, enhance, and promote hiking opportunities in Washington state 

through collaboration, education, advocacy and volunteer trail maintenance. 

Thank you for your support. 

206-625-1367 • www.wta.org

annual report 2008 - Washington Trails Association

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