WTA Trailblazer App for Android and iPhone

You asked, and we heard you. With the help of some incredible volunteers, WTA's Trailblazer free mobile app is now available for your iPhones and Android devices. (WTA debuted the app on the Windows Phone early last year.)

Now, you can explore thousands of Washington's trails and the latest Trip Reports from your fellow hikers without being tethered to your computer.

Download the free app

Download the app from the links below, or search for "Trailblazer" in the Apple, Google or Windows app stores.

• For your iPhone
• For your Android phone
• For your Windows Phone

Features of the Trailblazer app

From searching for hikes to scrolling through the latest Trip Reports, here are some of what you'll find when you connect with the WTA community on your phone.

• Search for trails by name, location or relative difficulty (measured by length of trail and elevation gain), and for family- and dog friendly hikes.
• Check the conditions on the trail with the latest trip reports from fellow hikers.
• View trail photos uploaded by fellow hikers.
• Bookmark your favorite hikes for quick access.
• Get driving directions to the trailhead.
• Link to NOAA's website to easily get current weather conditions and forecasts at the trailhead.
• Purchase the excellent Mountaineers Books Day Hiking guidebooks that have more details on these hikes right from the app.

You can't file your Trip Reports from the app just yet, but we'll be working on it. If there are other things that you think might improve the experience of WTA Trailblazer, we want to hear about it. Email your feedback to iphone@wta.org or androidphone@wta.org. Be sure review or rate the app, too.

Meet your volunteer developers

When you think of WTA volunteers, pulaskis and green hats may come to mind. But as these volunteers prove, there are other ways to give back to the outdoor community and help hikers reach Washington's amazing wild places.

The app development team. From left: Jerry Wang, WTA's Susan Elderkin and Loren Drummond, Joe Kramer, Lev Novik, Bipin George Mathew and Jesse Snyder.

Putting in around 300 hours of work between them, Bipin George Mathew (mobile engineer, photographer, wannabe UX-er, traveler), Joe Kramer (software engineer  passionate about leaving the world a better place), and Mike Knecht (UX designer at Zillow whose past clients include Amazon, Comcast, Nordstrom, Starbucks, and Target) built on the work of Windows developers Omeed Chandra and Jerry Wang to bring the app to hikers before summer.

We chatted with them about volunteering with WTA and their own love of Washington's outdoors. Here's some of what they had to say.

Why did you get involved as a volunteer on this project?

Bipin: My wife and I hike a lot and use the WTA website quite a lot to plan our hikes. I was trying to figure out a way to give back to the community. While I could help in trail work, I figured a good way to volunteer would be to use my existing skills.

Joe: I was looking to gain more experience on iOS and I liked the idea of volunteering for an organization that does great things for our community.

Mike: One of the reasons I love Washington State is our amazing access to outdoor spaces. Anything I can do to help others explore and enjoy these resources is a win in my book.

Do you hike or do any other outdoor activities? Why do you value Washington's wild places?

Bipin: Yep! And I run, snowshoe and snowboard. There is always something to do every season in Washington 's wild places.

Joe: I wish I was able to get out and hike more, but most of my outdoor time in WA is spent sailing and snowboarding. I value the wild places here because being in nature reminds me how beautiful our world is and can be.

Mike: I hike, snowboard and try to enjoy every speck of sun we get each year. Working indoors on computers all day I really value our wild places as a place to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature.

A special thanks to developers Jesse Snyder and Lev Novik, who also contributed time, passion and hiking field experience to the project. And thanks to the amazing hikers who file Trip Reports every single day, helping out the hikers who follow in their footsteps.