Madison Murrill - Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Hitch #1 - Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

June 23-30

Bitterroot National Forest

The lowest howl was answered by a chorus of yips and calls. On the first day of our first hitch in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, a pack of wolves added enchantment to the already dramatic landscape.

Sharp granite cliffs rose on the northern side of the trail, while to the south rock formations that defied all reason peppered the seven-mile hike to our camp spot. These features seemed unreal as we followed the creek, sometimes a cascade and at other times just a solid mass of water, the rushing of which often drowned out all other sound.

It was when we moved away from the creek that Phoebe (SBFC Wilderness Fellow), Wilderness Ranger Jack Ader of the Bitterroot NF, and myself heard the wolves. We had been lumbering along, each quietly regretting that extra item we brought that surely made our packs so heavy. Amazement and silence found us as the one wolf called out, and then suddenly many voices were resounding off the canyon walls.

When we arrived, Phoebe and I were eager to begin the task we'd set out for. Jack Ader walked us through the process of inventorying and naturalizing several backcountry sites. It was an interesting and new concept for the two of us, and we were trying not to think about the mess of trees we'd passed on the way to camp. The process of documenting sites turned out to be the primary task for our first hitch.

The remainder of our time was spent tackling a pile-up of large trees in an area we fondly named "The Swamp". We also dug water bars and addressed some water damage along the trail while enjoying a few more performances by the local wolf pack. Although we were sad to leave the mosquitoes and mystique, the next portion of our hitch proved just as rewarding. As Wilderness Ranger Fellows, we became more efficient at campsite monitoring and clearing trail. We sat in awe on the shore of a nearby lake and marveled as an ominous sky slated to unleash snow gave way to a clear sunrise and beautiful day.

Our first hitch was challenging, rewarding, and left us excited for the hitches to come. The Bitterroot has shown us just a sliver of its grandeur, and in the next several weeks we hope to experience much more.