Tom Urmston
Wilderness Ranger Fellow
Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
May 27 - June 1, 2024
The view from above. Enroute to Cougar Airstrip.
I could feel my nervous energy increasing with each mile we drove closer to Challis, Idaho. This small town in Custer County with a population of approximately 958 people would be the beginning of the training hitch journey of the SBFC “Sky N’ Trees” team. On May 27th, our team departed Missoula around 5:30 a.m. and arrived at Challis Airport around 10:00 a.m. Myself and five other fellows (Nate T, Sammy P, Bailey, Rowan, and Emma), as well as our three crew leads (Phoebe, Wyatt, and Robbie), would be taking bush planes to Cougar Airstrip, a remote airstrip located alongside the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area.
I’ll admit that I’m an anxious flier and was a wee bit nervous about flying in a small 4-seater bush plane that would be weaving in and around mountains. However, I knew I had to psych myself up and look ahead to the unforgettable experience I would be partaking in. It didn’t take long once we packed up our tools and gear into the planes before we were inbound for Cougar Airstrip. The flight over was absolutely breathtaking. You look out the window and see a landscape that has probably been relatively unchanged for millions of years. I got to share this incredible experience with Robbie and Emma, alongside our pilot Adam.
Our one and only use of the crosscut saw during the training hitch. Pictured is Emma and Sammy
Once everybody had safely landed and all our gear and tools were accounted for, our team of nine strong hiked roughly 1.5 miles southwest of the airstrip to a nice campground that overlooked the Salmon River. This would be our base camp for the next 5 days. Our goal with this hitch was to clear Little Loon Trail, a trail that hadn’t been cleared since 2003! To our surprise, we only needed to use our crosscut saw(s) once when we had to remove a large log a very short distance from camp. The rest of our time was allocated to brushing and removing any vegetation impeding the use of the trail. Katana boys, big boys, pocket boys, and loppers were the four tools that assisted us with this endeavor. Our “Sky N’ Trees” team covered around 4 miles of brushing over our 5-day stay in the Frank!
Rowan crossing the Little Loon creek on our way to another day of brushing.
The cold creek crossings at 7:30 a.m. or the steep, rocky terrain were no match for the dedication this crew had to accomplishing our goal. On June 1st, around 8 a.m., we departed Cougar Airstrip and made the return trip to Challis. As I looked out the window onto the landscape below, I couldn’t stop thinking about how our teamwork and cooperation with each other during that hitch will go a long way in ensuring a successful and prosperous season here at SBFC. With that being said, I say cheers to the beginning of the 2024 season!
Cougar Ranch Cabin. A small cabin a short distance from Cougar Airstrip.
Sammy’s boot mishap. The sole came off on day 2 of the hitch.
Annandale, NJ
University of New Hampshire- Wildlife & Conservation Biology
Tom has always had an interest in the outdoors, specifically wildlife. During the summer of 2023, Tom was a Trail Ambassador for the Hunterdon County Parks Department, where he worked with fellow Trail Ambassadors to accomplish trail maintenance, outdoor concert preparation, and instructing clients on proper canoe and kayak techniques. Tom is thrilled to spend his summer as a 2024 SBFC Wilderness Ranger Fellow.