Hannah Richter

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

St. Mary Peak | Bitterroot National Forest

07/07-07/09/2023

For my blog post, I will write about my three favorite things that occurred on this mini-hitch, SBFC’s annual St. Mary Peak Trail volunteer project … so follow me along on this wild adventure, and here we go!

*The author (right) and Reyna (left), SBFC’s 2023 Wilderness Ranger Fellows for the Bitterroot National Forest on the St. Mary Peak Lookout*

Coming into this third hitch was much more luxurious than I ever thought possible. This time, instead of being greeted by rain or wind, we were welcomed by sunshine. This meant nice sunburns and more bugs, but hey, at least my boots stayed dry! I never thought I'd be so grateful for the feeling of dry boots. The silence of my boots while walking and not hearing or feeling my feet squish around is one of the best feelings I’ve learned to love while working. So, with this being said, it surprisingly seems that dry boots made it on my list of a few of my favorite things.

Next on my list, on top of the privilege of having dry boots, my group and I had the privilege of working alongside such a wonderful and friendly bunch of people. This was our first volunteer trip, and throughout this experience, everyone in the group enjoyed the view, the breeze, and each other's company every day. It was always such a pleasure to hear everyone’s backgrounds and stories that led them to this very trip. These volunteers made the experience so comfortable yet exciting, and made me feel so grateful to join along for the ride.

Lastly, combined with having dry boots and working alongside extraordinary people, having Maddie, an Australian Shepherd pup, and Izzie, an older Australian Shepherd, greeting us each day during this trip was the cherry on top. Each morning before work and each evening after work, Maddie and Izzie would greet everyone and would make their rounds to get scratched or to play around. This extra happiness in the trip made my experience even more joyous and felt such a great whirl of gratitude for every day spent with the group and the pups.

Well, there you have it; a few of my favorite things from the hitch. I hope you’ve enjoyed my post and I challenge anyone reading this to find three of your favorite things in your daily life. Thank you and enjoy the adventures!

**Extra special thanks to Renee and Jay Snyder, our hosts in Stevensville for the St. Mary Peak project, who are some of the sweetest people I have ever met. Thank you for making the St. Mary experience wonderful!

HANNAH RICHTER

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Gonzaga University

Major: Environmental Studies

Hannah adores nature and good adventures! She grew up in Southern California and used to be a caretaker and lacrosse coach. Hannah is passionate about the wilderness and nature because of the connection she has to the natural world. One of Hannah's goals in life is to try to help others find this connection for themselves in hopes for a better society and world.