Every summer, a group of friends from the Single Malt Whisky Society of the Palouse spend an 8-day hitch volunteering with SBFC. Some of their group members offer their perspectives and advice to other volunteers:
Jim Heidelberger | SBFC Board president
What motivates you to spend eight days working on Wilderness trails with SBFC each year?
Fun! By fun, I mean I get to spend a week in the beautiful and tranquil Wilderness - with a small group of great people - and we do hard physical work that makes a difference to the Wilderness.
What advice do you give people who have not volunteered for Wilderness trail work before?
Try it. When you sign up for your first volunteer trip, there will be many unknowns. But you will be with a well-trained staff member. The teamwork has been terrific on every trip I have been on (over 20). Everyone has your back. If you are too tired, stay in camp for a day, or work a half day. We all have different levels of work to contribute. Success comes from everyone doing what they can.
Casey Johnson
What motivates you to spend eight days working on Wilderness trails with SBFC each year?
I feel really lucky to work hard in a beautiful setting. The physical labor and the beauty of the place soothe and ground me. SBFC makes it easy for me to access these.
What advice do you give people who have not volunteered for Wilderness trail work before?
I'd advise newbies to go with one friend who makes you laugh. Even when things go wrong (as something always will in this kind of activity), a friend who helps you laugh and see it as an adventure can make all the difference.
Karl Englund
What motivates you to spend eight days working on Wilderness trails with SBFC each year?
I love being in the woods to begin with, but to be there with some great friends is a true bonus. But what motivates me the most is giving back to something I love by clearing trails and gaining access to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Having a crappy or hard-to-navigate trail does not make for a good day in the woods, and you are more focused on that aspect than enjoying what is around you. Oh, the food and whisky aren't too shabby either.
What advice do you give people who have not volunteered for Wilderness trail work before?
You have to have some passion for making the backcountry more accessible and are not afraid of hard but very rewarding work. Also, don't be intimidated by a "group" mentality that you may think you are not part of; the fact that you want to be out there makes you part of the group anyway.
Bert Baumgaertner
What motivates you to spend eight days working on Wilderness trails with SBFC each year?
For one week, only one thing matters: getting trees off the trail. There are no advertisements, no politics, no social posturing, no other challenges that come with living in a society. That brief period of simplicity, where your primary concerns are about getting enough water, calories (I won’t say from which sources!), staying warm/cool, and getting to know your trail mates, is a welcome temporary escape.
What advice do you give people who have not volunteered for Wilderness trail work before?
Don’t overthink it. And also, pooping in the wilderness is amazing, especially when it comes with a view.
Do you have a group of friends, business colleagues, club members, etc. who would like to charter your own volunteer trip with SBFC? Reach out to us today and we will collaborate on dates, projects, and opportunities that might be right for your crew!