"Best TrailsFest Ever"

A whole lot of people were smiling on Saturday at Rattlesnake Lake.

If you missed us on Saturday, you missed out on a lot! We were so happy to see the 3,000 or so happy TrailsFesters that came out to paddle kayaks, brush up on their map and compass skills, learn some new bird songs, and take home some cool new outdoor gear. So many of the attendees were families, many eager to try their first outdoor adventure on a trail. Other were familiar faces, avid hikers and longtime WTA members who came to check out the latest gear and try a new s'mores recipe.

One TrailsFest feature we brought back this year was a hands-on WTA trail maintenance booth. We set up a backcountry camp, cooked up some cowboy coffee, and demonstrated for folks how we use a pulaski to even out new trail tread, a shovel to cut roots, and a crosscut saw to remove downed logs that have fallen across the trail. Youngsters grimaced at the bitterness of cowboy coffee, but lined up eagerly for the chance to take a turn practicing on the 2-person crosscut saw. If you missed your chance to try the tools, give the real thing a try by signing up for a work party this summer.

Many of the activities in this year's dynamite lineup were well-attended and well-received. One observation I made is that a lot of folks don't like to cook on the trail! Our most popular presentation was "No-Cook Outdoor Food" by the folks at Freezer Bag Cooking. Over 70 folks turned out for this talk! Also quite popular were Hilleberg the Tentmaker's "Create your own Backpacking System" with over 60 attendees, and "The Mystery of Sasquatch" with 50 folks at wrapped attention.

We'd like to extend a special thanks to all of the sponsors of TrailsFest 2008 for helping to make this day a reality and bring the great outdoors of Washington to so many people. TrailsFest 2008 sposnors were Hilleberg the Tentmaker, Green Trails Maps, KPLU, Marmot Mountain Works, REI, Chaco, Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods, Gregory, Teko, Freezer Bag Cooking, CLIF Nectar, Outdoor Research, and Helly Hansen.

We had a fantastic day and hope you did, too. We hope you'll join us again next July for another fabulous TrailsFest!