Louise Marshall, 90, "poured her life" into hiking and the outdoors

When Louise Marshall told someone to take a hike, she meant it. She claimed no credit for pioneering hiking in the Northwest, but local hiking enthusiasts consider her one of outdoor recreation's most ardent boosters.

Mrs. Marshall wrote the first Northwest hiking book, "100 Hikes in Western Washington," a forerunner for many of the "100 Hikes" books still in print. She started the first Northwest hiking magazine, "Signpost," which now is called "Washington Trails."

Mrs. Marshall, a founder of the Washington Trails Association (WTA), headquartered in Seattle, died Wednesday at her Lynnwood home. She was 90.

Washington Trails Association spokeswoman Lauren Braden credits her with pioneering hiking opportunities and trail preservation as a national leader in the hiking movement for four decades.

"Her contributions to trails were enormous," Braden said.

Besides the WTA, Mrs. Marshall was a co-founder of the American Hiking Society, and had served as its president in the late 1980s.

"She poured her life into creating opportunities for hikers," said Bernie Smith of Beaverton, Ore., a retired U.S. Forest Service district ranger who had become acquainted with her three decades ago when he was assigned to the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and she was publisher of Signpost.

The two collaborated on new trail projects, and Mrs. Marshall was a frequent volunteer in projects within Smith's district.

In 1966, Mrs. Marshall started the Washington Trails Association, which grew to become the largest state-based advocacy organization for hikers in the country and a model for volunteer trail maintenance.

According to Braden, the American Hiking Society played a critical role at the federal level as a national voice for hikers, fighting to protect and preserve footpaths and surrounding natural areas.

Mrs. Marshall was the first female board member of REI, the Seattle-based co-op, and served on the board for 18 years. She also was a member of The Mountaineers, a local hiking and climbing club.

Her daughter, Ann Marshall of Port Orchard, said she also was dedicated to parks and open-space preservation in Lynnwood, where she had lived for 53 years.

She had chaired the city Parks Commission, and sold family property, now named Spruce Neighborhood Park, to the city of Lynnwood as a public park.

Mrs. Marshall also had championed completion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which zigzags from Mexico through three Western states, including Washington, into Canada. She had served as director of the Pacific Crest Trail Association when she was in her 70s.

Born in Boston, she had lived in the Northwest since 1952. Also surviving are another daughter, Elizabeth Ferguson of East Boston, Mass.; five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She also is survived by a brother, Loring Burnett of Huntington, N.Y.

At her request, no funeral is planned.

"She said if people want to remember her, they should go take a hike," said daughter Ann Marshall.

Remembrances may be made to the Washington Trails Association, 2019 Third Ave., Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98101; or to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 1037, Lynnwood, WA 98046.