Signpost Blog
"This little newsletter has been an experiment so far, testing a hunch I've had that such a means of communication among walkers is needed." — Signpost magazine, 1966.
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Elusive Pine Marten Seeking Volunteers for Outdoor Adventures
Nov 21, 2013
Put your winter adventures to work for pine martens this winter. The Olympic Forest Service and Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (ASC), a non-profit organization that partners hikers with scientific projects, are looking for volunteer hikers to help monitor pine martens in Olympic National Forest this winter.
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Heavy Snows Close Mount Rainier Passes
Nov 18, 2013
About 20 inches of fresh snow fell on Mount Rainier passes over the weekend, increasing avalanche danger and prompting the Washington State Department of Transportation to close Cayuse (SR 123) and Chinook Passes (SR 410) to vehicles for the season, though they remain open to winter recreation.
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Can't Get Out? Read Up
Nov 15, 2013
This week, the National Outdoor Book Awards selected ten books that offer house-bound hikers a way to get outside, even if the elements have conspired to keep you in. From thru-hiking stories to snow skills, wolves to Everest, you're sure to find your next great read on the list.
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How Do You Hike on Mount-Baker Snoqualmie Lands?
Nov 12, 2013
Don't miss your opportunity to shape the future of roads in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Attend the last public meeting in Everett on Nov. 13 and fill out a short questionnaire before the Nov. 30 deadline.
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A Pack for Pups and Other Gifts for Great Dogs
Nov 11, 2013
Gift ideas for your best bud and most reliable hiking companion. Check out these three great gift ideas for hiking dogs and get our tips for choosing and acclimatizing your dog to a new pack.
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Veteran's Day Fee-Free Weekend Adventures
Nov 08, 2013
State and national parks are waiving entrance fees and pass requirements all weekend for Veteran's Day. From hikes through military history to camping in cabin ideas, here are some ideas for your outdoor adventures.
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Controversy to Collaboration: Cape Horn Trail Success Story
Nov 06, 2013
The Cape Horn Trail is one of the Columbia Gorge's newest trails and is quickly becoming one of its most beloved. Only minutes from Vancouver and with year-round views of the Columbia River Gorge, the Cape Horn Trail is an wild treasure for southern Washington. Its beginnings as an official trail were fraught with controversy and uncertainty.
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Jonathan Guzzo: A Dozen Years of Advocacy
Nov 04, 2013
After twelve years as advocacy director, WTA bids a fond farewll to Jonathan Guzzo. As he takes the next step in his career, he leaves hikers in a much better position than when he arrived in 2001. From trail funding to coalition-building around trails, Jonathan has delivered time and again for hikers.
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Season in Flux: One Weekend in Photos
Nov 04, 2013
Washington has entered a transition season, one where winter has come to the high country while fall still reigns supreme lower down. Sun, snow, sleet, wind, rain—you captured it all. Check out the trip reports, and get some tips on hiking safely during a shift in seasons.
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Three Last-Minute Costume Hacks for Hikers
Oct 31, 2013
If you are still scrambling for a Halloween costume, we put together a few last-minute costume ideas from the gear you probably already have. Find out how to transform into a trailhead, a cocooned butterfly, Cheryl Strayed, or the dudes who mapped Everest and the Grand Canyon for Google.
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Help Build a New Issaquah Trail System at Park Pointe
Oct 25, 2013
Join WTA to develop a trails system for the City of Issaquah on the Park Pointe property, located between the Issaquah High School and Tiger Mountain.
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Straight to their Source: Where Washington Waters Flow
Oct 24, 2013
Worth checking out: a new interactive mapping service from the USGS that lets hikers trace the flow of major rivers and streams to their source.
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Six Fall Hikes, One Weekend in Photos
Oct 21, 2013
A case of the Mondays? Not a chance, with so many incredible trip reports flowing in from a gorgeous weekend of hiking. Cozy up with a cup of coffee and trip reports from some awesome fall hikes.
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Hikers Rejoice! Funding Returns to Parks, Federal Lands
Oct 17, 2013
With the federal government shutdown officially over, we rounded up some key information to help you get out hiking Washington's federal lands in all their autumn glory.
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Teens Improve Trails Renamed for Jim Whittaker, Nawang Gombu
Oct 15, 2013
King County recently renamed two trails on Cougar Mountain in honor of Jim Whittaker and the late Nawang Gombu. Together, the newly named trails form a 3.2-mile loop. The very next day, WTA youth volunteer crews were working to improve the trails for hikers in years to come.
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Two Crazy Kids in Love Take a Hike, Get Married
Oct 14, 2013
Two hikers get hitched at a trailhead and spend the first few hours of their married life hiking to the lookout at Mount Pilchuck.
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Slideshow: Fungus Among Us
Oct 10, 2013
We've combed your trip reports and found a spectacular diversity of mushrooms you've spotted on trail. Get inspired to go outside and look ... down.
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Q&A: The Shutdown and Hikers
Oct 09, 2013
Questions and answers to common questions about the impact the federal government shutdown is having on hikers in Washington state.
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It's a Party! Celebrating WTA Volunteers
Oct 09, 2013
We couldn't do the trail maintenance that we're so well known for without volunteers like you! So we'd like to thank you in the sincerest way we know how -- with food! See when we're having a Volunteer Appreciation event near you.
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Photo Tips: Capturing a Trailscape
Oct 03, 2013
Last year, WTA introduced a brand-new category, Trailscapes, into our annual Northwest Exposure Photo Contest. Learn how to shoot a great trailscape and then enter the contest by Oct. 20.
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Gear Review: Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Vest
Oct 03, 2013
Dogs' biology makes them more susceptible to overheating and dehydration than human hikers, so even though things are cooling down across Washington, 70 degree weather with no shade can be plenty hot enough to put some dogs in the danger zone. John Soltys and his dog Treen put the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Cooling Vest to the test, to see how it performed cooling hot dogs on the trail.
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