Washington Water Trails Association
More Gratitude
Sunset on 2024, Looking Forward to 2025
Fundraising Goals
Upcoming: Tides and Currents Class
Sunset Paddleboarding at Secret Beach, the link between the Lakes to Locks Trail and the Cascadia Marine Trail
Director’s Corner
We had a wonderful retirement party with Barbara and George Gronseth, followed by a get together with Nigel Foster and Kristin Nelson at Old Stove Brewery; many thanks to all of them for the donations of paddles and ceramic art! Here is a picture of our President, Tomas Tabisola, with his signature salmon!
We have had emails of appreciation for the two events; from Eric Bell: “I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces, and meeting new (to me) fellow paddlers.” Eric is an active volunteer and steward; he sends quite a few reports on Cascadia Marine Trail sites each year.
The brewery get togethers seem especially popular – harkening back to the one we held in Port Townsend a few years ago, for example. We’ll try to have more of them around the Sound in 2025, along with Paddles and Picnics. 
Many thanks to Paul La Pointe and Deb Lester for their help grant writing; we received our first reimbursement of $10,000 from Maritime Washington, a great present for the holidays! Paul and Deb came to the office so we could all synergize on the grant. The grant basically covered time and materials for the new guidebook, and will cover more time in creating a pilot Maritime Heritage Trail.
We have had more heartwarming donations for our year-end appeal and are on our way to our goal of $30,000. Much has come in by mail through investment accounts, through our donations page, and many other electronic avenues. One person donated through Fidelity’s electronic donation system, a new channel for us. These donations will go far in helping with the mission which includes negotiating new sites and keeping and maintaining existing sites.
We also appreciate all of you who have kept your memberships up to date! We rely on your memberships and appreciate receiving them from all-over, as well as in-state. As Governor Inslee said when he was a congressman: “It’s just like asking why you would care about Yellowstone or Yosemite, just because you’re not living nearby, it doesn’t mean it’s not a huge part of everybody’s lives.”
By the way, if you have donated $100 or more, you have probably received a thank you note – many thanks to board member, past president and Trail Chairman Don Crook for taking the time to send these out! Don is also a Vietnam Veteran; many thanks for his service. 😊
Best,
Andree Hurley
Executive Director
Thursday January 16th.
Tides and Currents with Andrée Hurley
The Secrets of Tides and Currents
Andree Hurley presents “The Secrets of Tides and Currents”, planning and navigating through Northwest waters. Powerpoint presentation followed by breakout groups, trip planning. This was originally developed for sea kayakers who travel at about three miles per hour, but could be applicable for others such as swimmers.
Planning a trip in the Northwest or any area that has extreme tides and currents can be difficult. Learn more about tides and currents and how to apply a system so you successfully use them to your advantage instead of the other way around.
We will start with an overview of tides and currents, how they affect us, how to calculate them. We will then do some hands-on trip planning in small groups.
With some feedback from the last session, this will be simplified a bit.
Andree taught kayaking for many years and has led or been on kayaking trips in various countries such as Baja, Mexico, Belize, Chile, Bolivia and Hong Kong. She worked in the Lakeside School Wilderness Leadership program leading seven-day sea kayaking trips around the San Juan Islands and Barkely Sound, and also taught kayaking at the Northwest Outdoor Center for during the eighties. She eventually retired as an ACA Level 4 Instructor Trainer Educator for Coastal Kayaking (thanks to the University of Minnesota at Diluth, Randy Carlson and Tim Bates), and an Instructor Trainer for Whitewater kayaking (through the Nantahala Outdoor Center with Wayne Dickert and Jimmy Holcomb).
She is the Executive Director of Washington Water Trails for which she was a board member on and off since 1996. She has been on the board of the WashingtonKayakClub, the Trade Association of Paddlesports and the American Canoe Association.
Suggested Donation is $30.00; sliding scale.
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm.
5:30pm – Pizza and potluck
6:00pm – Presentation begins
Sign-up Link to Follow.
Next course will be Learning, Leadership and Feedback styles.
Membership
We thank those who are keeping their membership current as it helps us to keep providing access to the water – and from the water to the land for human powered and non-motorized boats.
Many thanks to Bill Brackin, our membership manager, for his efforts!
Volunteering
Please sign-up online or email Volunteers@wwta.org.
Fundraising
We have made it easier to donate by creating various levels which can be found here.
* We have merchandise for sale!
We have opened a Cafe Press online shop!. Mix-and-match our graphics with a product of your choice.
We would like to bring back our t-shirts, however the old style has been discontinued. It might be time for a new style; ideas?
https://www.cafepress.com/washingtonwatertrails
One of our members said: “Everything WWTA has done and continues to do is a great success. It’s all important to me and to many others. I am truly grateful to have kayaked and camped at many of the WWTA campsites over the years. We have an amazing resource here in Washington state thanks to WWTA staff and volunteers.”
We appreciate and are grateful for every donation we receive. Your generosity supports the work of Tom Steinburn, Tom Deschner, Fran Troje and other founders to not only create access to the water but to build and maintain more trail sites for human powered craft.
Photo Gallery
Michael Silence led a work party to Vashon and installed new signage with Suzanne Tierney and Andy Dannenburg.
Volunteers heading to Blind Island
Mike, Jenny and Van installing the new sign made in Van’s garage at Meadowdale
Anita Johnson of Coupeville, WA helps install and update signage on Whidbey Island with Andree Hurley
A great crew at Blake Island; they helped move the logs placed by the King Tide, and removed noxious weeds.
Lummi Island is stewarded by the WAKE kayaking club and Ed Alm in Bellingham.
Thanks to the Hole in the Wall kayaking club
in Anacortes for stewarding Skagit Island. They recently pulled bags of thistle, a noxious weed, and then had some of them for dinner!
Anderson Island is one of our most popular sites for whichwe manage the reservations (seen here with Susan Conrad).
Meeting at the Port of Skamania with managers from Stevenson, WA and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Northwest Discovery Trail along the Columbia River.
Stevenson is a beautiful location with many access points for boating.