Spokane, WA: Trails and Ales with the WTA

Looking to give back to the trails you love? Want to learn more about how local trails are managed? Interested in getting to know other like-minded hikers in the Inland Northwest?

The Washington Trails Association (WTA) is holding its annual Trails and Ales event on Thursday, April 23rd at 5:30PM at the Black Diamond in Spokane.

Attendees will have the chance to meet and mingle with local WTA members as they munch on complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Alcoholic drinks will also be available for purchase.

WTA representatives will present plans for the upcoming trailwork season and provide ways for new members to get involved in a local project—some of which have already begun.

“We’re already in full swing,” explains Holly Weiler, Eastern Region Coordinator for the WTA.

Current projects are focusing on popular areas such as the Knothead Trail, Iller Creek Conservation Area, and Liberty Lake Regional Park. As the snow melts, work will move into Mount Spokane State Park and the Colville National Forest.

Participating in a WTA trail crew is as fun as it is rewarding, insists Weiler. “We call them ‘work parties’—it’s a nice mix of those two activities. They’re not as hard as people think they might be… You get satisfaction from working on the trail, but you also get satisfaction from the benefit you’re giving to the hiking community and future users of the trail.”

The WTA is a grassroots organization utilizing a wide network of volunteers to conduct trail maintenance throughout the state of Washington. Recent years have seen the organization expand considerably in the Inland Northwest.

“We’re a statewide organization, but we’re really growing our presence in the Spokane area,” says Weiler.

Click here to see more information and RSVP to the event. Hope to see you there!