The PCTA recognized two of its outstanding trail maintainers during the July 22 Trail Dirt Live event at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel. About 85 people attended to hear about the work you are doing to maintain and protect the trail.
The Regional Maintainer of the Year award went to Ed Willson. He and his group, the Waldo Runners, maintain more than 16 miles of the PCT and 30 miles of feeder trails in central Oregon. In 2015, Ed volunteered 174 hours on the PCT. As a leader, Ed goes above and beyond, for example by taking charge of planning a PCT reroute that will take mountain bikes off the trail. Dana Hendricks, PCTA’s regional representative for the Columbia Cascades, called Ed “one of our most enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.”

Liz Bergeron, left, and Regional Representative Dana Hendricks, right, congratulate Ed Willson on being named Trail Maintainer of the Year for the Columbia Cascades region. Photo by Frank Gorshe.
Dana also announced that Tyler Marriott will be presented with the Above and Beyond award for his passion and dedication for trail maintenance over the last five years. As a caretaker for the PCTA’s Mount Hood Chapter, Tyler has dedicated hundreds of hours to the cause. He is managing work on a PCT section south of Washington’s Mount Adams and also makes beautiful wooden directional signs for the trail. Tyler was not present at the event. He was out on the trail.
“It’s always wonderful to be able to recognize people for some of the special work that has taken place,” said Liz Bergeron, PCTA executive director and CEO.
She also gave a quick recap of the organization’s 2015 finances, telling the crowd that the PCTA raised $2.3 million in private donations.
“That’s huge,” she said. “The majority of that comes from people like you – individual supporters.”
All this private support carries a lot of weight when PCTA staff and volunteers speak to members of Congress or to officials in the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, Liz said.

PCTA Executive Director and CEO Liz Bergeron addresses PCTA members and friends during Trail Dirt Live on July 22. Photo by Frank Gorshe.
“The trail is becoming more popular,” she said. “We’re working on steps to manage the trail for the increase. But it’s really positive because more people are experiencing the PCT and we need people who love the trail to support if for future generations.”
PCTA’s Trail Operations Director Mike Dawson reported on the state of trail maintenance and protection programs. Our volunteers gave more than 96,000 hours of their time last year, he said. Land Protection Director Megan Wargo spoke about the work being done to secure private parcels for the trail, including the ongoing campaign to buy Landers Meadow.
PCTA Board Chair John Crawford spoke about the impact the trail has on the small communities through which it passes. On a recent hike, he stopped in Trout Lake, Washington, population 557, to pick up a resupply package at the general store. He met a man at the store who was giving PCT hikers rides back to the trail, 11 miles away.

PCTA Board Chair John Crawford talks about his recent experience on the PCT. Photo by Frank Gorshe.
“He was very, very proud of the fact that he is the most active of the 19 volunteers listed in the store window who will give hikers rides,” John said. “That’s the impact we don’t measure in volunteer hours or in dollars. There are hundreds of transformational stories.”
If you missed the event in Portland, don’t fret. There’s another scheduled for October in Truckee, California. We’ll keep you posted on the details.

PCTA Director of Philanthropy Angie Williamson, right, hands out raffle prizes courtesy of our corporate sponsors. Photo by Frank Gorshe.