Dear PNW canyon community,

It is with great excitement and honor that I get to introduce to you the inaugural board of the Washington Canyon Coalition (WCC). I look forward to working side by side with this amazing group of people who are all eager to make sure canyoning in Washington continues to be a world class experience.

As the board has taken shape over the last few months, a common theme has emerged as to what the driving force behind people wanting to take part in the WCC is and that’s community. Each of us has seen canyoning in Washington and the PNW at large has a special community ethic of inclusion, respect, and openness that drives the culture here. And we are committed to carrying that forward.

As the WCC and the board look to what the future holds for canyoning in Washington, I also want to acknowledge that we are not the first to engage in this work. It is no accident that the community here is what it is today. We are humbly standing on a solid foundation that has been built over the years, and I am incredibly grateful to all those that have gotten us to where we are and have put so much into creating the community we all love. People who put time, effort, and money into establishing canyons routes, working with land managers, building Ropewiki, creating training programs, pioneering the first PNW Rondy and setting the tone for what canyoning in Washington is today. I’d love to thank each of them by name, but I’ll refrain in order to keep things as brief as possible and also for fear I’d miss someone deserving of recognition.

It’s this foundation the WCC will spring from to work on issues of access, conservation and stewardship, training and safety and whatever may arise that affects the interests of Washington canyoners.

There is a great deal of work to be done on all these fronts and I look forward to working together to grow this sport and community. Hopefully I will see you out there in the canyons we share and love.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for further updates on what’s happening with the WCC, and ways to be get involved.

-Korey Peterson,

President of the Board,

Washington Canyon Coalition