Help Us Reach Our Year-End Goal

The PCT is more than a track on the ground. The scenic, biological and cultural resources that surround the Trail are as much a part of the experience as the Trail itself. We see our protection role as helping to preserve and manage the land around the Trail. We continue to advocate for the establishment of a special management corridor on public lands that will protect the Trail experience, including the view.

Our Trail Operations staff is spread along the Trail in all three states. Our Trail Operations Director and five regional representatives are the eyes and ears for the Trail, working with land managers to build relationships so when development challenges arise we are relied upon as trusted, knowledgeable and measured advocates. As such, the PCTA is your voice for protecting the Trail. We strive to provide the best possible experience for trail users, whether they are taking a long backpacking trip or an evening stroll, by keeping the Trail a place of quiet respite.

Your funds at work

In 2009, the White Pass Ski Company planned to build new chairlifts next to the PCT in Washington's Wenatchee National Forest that would have loomed over the Trail. Had we taken an aggressive approach, this could have gone badly for the Trail. Drawing lines in the sand rarely works. Instead PCTA representatives approached the company with the idea of working together as partners rather than adversaries. With funding from the company, support of the U.S. Forest Service and hundreds of hours of work by PCTA volunteers, the PCT was relocated. Construction of the lifts proceeded. "People at ski areas really care about the environment and utilize the environment," said White Pass general Manager Kevin McCarthy. "We're not just skiers, we're hikers and climbers, too."

Our Trail Operations staff is responsible for keeping the Trail open. Each year, we work with hundreds of volunteers and other wilderness preservation groups, tackling everything from clearing brush and downed trees to rebuilding log bridges over streams and rock buttresses in the high country. We have volunteers who are experts in everything from trail building to tool maintenance. Some of our most dedicated team members are the horse packers who haul gear and food for miles to supply backcountry crews working remote sections of trail.

Not only do we gather together our volunteers, we train them in specialized "Trail Skills Colleges" on tool use, trail building and safety. We are building expertise among our crew members and ensuring future leaders.

In 2010, 1,433 PCTA volunteers gave more than 132,000 hours to the Trail, a record for the organization. With the help of federal stimulus funding, the PCTA maintained 914 miles of the Trail in 2010. Using federal benchmarks, those volunteer hours are valued at more than $2.7 million.

Through our printed and electronic publications and personal outreach, we promote the PCT, marshal volunteers and keep our members and elected leaders informed of programs and issues facing the Trail.