Finding Myself on Stanley Butte

Heather Morris – Wilderness Ranger Intern

State University of New York

Seven Lakes Hitch

July 11-16

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

Coming from New Jersey I had no idea what to expect stepping off the plane in the “new world” that was Montana. I was nervous and excited for our upcoming training, meeting new people, and for the first time ever: backpacking. I honestly considered turning around a few times and going home and even wishing I had turned down this position. Overall, I am incredibly thankful I didn't. This past hitch was one of the most amazing times I've had this summer and probably going to be one of my favorite life experiences. 
This past hitch started out like any other– Silas and Will showing up at Powell to pick us up. We loaded up and headed out to drop some food off to get packed in later at Lochsa Historical Ranger Station. In a move typical of us, we realized we forgot a crosscut and some campsite inventory forms and had to turn around and go back to Powell. We finally arrived at our trailhead and headed up trail 220. This trail could be considered someone's own personal hell. The only words to describe this 4-mile stretch is up, up, and up. We finally arrived at our campsite, aka Cedar camp. Exhausted and thirsty we then proceeded to hand pump water for 30 minutes from a small trickling spring. The dinner pot was classically full to the brim and we were stuffed. Sleeping in our tents that night we got to hear the disturbingly eerie sound of a distressed elk right next to our tent and a few coyotes in the distance. Next day we decided to take a “nice stroll” and clear Huckleberry Butte. Up and up we went to the top and down, down, down we went till we finally cashed tools. Then it was the day to bump camp to the land of water; Lottie Lake. Up and down we went again until we got to Lottie lake campsite or Mosquito camp 2.0. The next few days following this trek was more of up and down hikes on ridges doing campsite monitoring and clearing trails. 
There was one day that really stuck with me this trip ( besides the almost painful 10 mile in 5 hours with heavy packs all the way down 2210 and boulder creek) was the day of water sampling. Forest Ranger Erika VanHavel (Treadnado) and I, started out on an 11 mile day up over one ridge to see a few alpine lakes then up again to Stanley Butte. We were about 7,000 ft up looking out on a 360 degree panorama view that included Shasta lake, the Crags, Rhoda point covered in smoke, and surrounding peaks. It was incredible. The hike up included really nice trail work, scenic views the entire time, and blooming alpine flowers. Standing up there is when I finally realized that even though the up makes you want to throw up and the down feels like your knees are screaming, I love being out here. I love feeling myself getting stronger and getting used to the pack. Since I compete in woodsman sports back in college I am now able to understand how woodsmen really originated and what it used to be. This has given me such a different view on the sport. Everything about backpacking is so rewarding. Some fond memories include laughing with Erika about failed elk bugle sounds, riding a horse around camp, bringing a scientific vessel (Walmart floaty) to do water sampling, Even the not so fond memories are worth it that included getting bitten by clouds of mosquitos and all the other “not shown on tumblr” events which are rewarded by great laughs and memories and beautiful sceneries all around. The fresh air, the beautiful views, and the being able to find yourself through the challenges is worth every minute of pain. This hitch is so hard to put in words but this was one of the best experiences I've ever had and challenged myself to do.

"This hitch is so hard to put in words but this was one of the best experiences I've ever had and challenged myself to do."

Colt-Killed Creek - Best Views, Rough Work

Silas Phillips – Wilderness Ranger Intern

University of Montana

Colt-Killed Creek

June 13-18

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

Colt-Killed Creek! A drainage whose name reflects a place so inhospitable, Lewis and Clark had to kill a baby horse to survive there. Thankfully our SBFC intern crew found this locale far more nurturing than those who came before us. Last year the 6 mile access road to the trailhead was washed out, effectively preventing admission for trail crews and recreators alike. This situation was compounded by a fire in 2012, leaving us a trail ripe with charred and fallen timber. For 8 days we did what wilderness professionals do best– running crosscuts until we passed out. 

Our cohort of 5 has been paired with a wilderness ranger by the name of Erica. During our tenure at Colt-Killed she blessed us with the presence of her 11 year old golden retriever, Andy. Having a dog on hitch is a constant morale boost. Though every day brought beating sun and hellish swarms of skeets and no-seeums, this creature maintained the disposition of a rainbow gumdrop. Getting some love from Andy at the end of a 10 hour, half mile day of cutting curbed the majority of any ailments we had. 

It was a privilege to experience the landscape that this trail winds through. Fire scarred areas are often considered in a negative light by outdoors people, but we found this vast burnt drainage to be increasingly gorgeous. Vistas once impeded by foliage were completely accessible to the gaze. The river valleys and rocky hillsides characteristic of the Selway revealed themselves openly. The drainage turns east toward the Bitterroot mountains, and their granite peaks grew as we slowly worked our way towards them each day. Sky Pilot Peak was the dominant feature rising above us at the end of the week– our perspective of it always bisected by burnt snags. 

The Powell interns found a sense of fulfillment during this week of hard cutting. It's the most tangible form of trail work in my mind– our contribution to the wilderness immediately recognizable and beneficial. Additionally, our crosscut saw skill set is completely dialed in, and probably was after the third day of heavy cutting. We didn't (and really couldn't) finish clearing the entirety of trail 50 on this hitch, but we paved the way for future pushes up Colt-Killed Creek later this summer.

First Hitch in the Bitterroot proves Bittersweet

Matthew Hutchins – Wilderness Ranger Intern

Christopher Newport University

Rock Creek & Little Rock Creek, Kootenai Creek, Sheafman Creek

June 13-18

Bitterroot National Forest

Our adventure to the Bitterroot Mountains was full of surprises for me and SBFC Intern, Ethan Spoerry. We started our first three days on Little Rock Creek Trail, which was a stunning walk into the woods above Lake Como. It was the beginning of a long summer full of hard and dirty work. I had been well prepared by my training, and I was ready to get to work. The first day came and went having done a few miles of trail clearing. The first night we camped less than a mile from the lake, our spirits were high from our first day on the job. The next day we cleared all the way to the lake and spent most of the day campsite monitoring as well enjoying the stunning lake in the mountains. The final day we spent clearing a few more miles of trail and began to get a better handle on the axe, crosscut, and silky.

After a welcomed night in a warm bed, we set out for another mini trip on Kootenai Creek trail hoping to spend the last five days of this hitch clearing the trail to the lake. That plan quickly changed as the weather got progressively worse as the day when on. What started out as a sprinkle, ended as a deluge. We had only hiked about 5 miles in the rain clearing only 15 trees.   Our spirits were tested due to most of our stuff getting soaked. I began to question the reason I had come out here and how willing I was to deal with the rain and pain. The morning did not bring much hope as we packed our wet gear in the rain and set out for the lakes. The weather started to clear up a bit but we soon encountered a stream with unseasonably high flows, too dangerous to pass. For a couple of tense minutes we debated about attempting to cross the stream, but finally decided to not take the risk.  We turned around and hiked the long 6 miles out, frustrated that we had only cleared a few trees along our way.

Another night in our bed did not seem deserved, but we made a plan for Sheafman trail for the next day. We started in the morning facing a large log not far from the trail head, a foreshadowing of the day ahead. We hiked only about 2 miles the whole day clearing 80 trees. This day was one of the best, we felt great the whole time and felt as though our work was making a dent in the trail. The second day was a bit tougher; we reached the lake but not after many sore muscles and many bumps and scratches on our bodies. My bones were beginning to feel all the work that we had been doing the past week.  That night we camped at what seemed to be the only two spots that weren’t covered in snow. The next morning we woke to beautiful weather and soon learned that we had not camped at the lake, but camped at the Sheafman Lake overflow. We decided to try and find the second lake by hiking 500 feet up in less than ¾ of a mile with much success.  Most of the trail was under snow and impossible to find, we made our way to one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen, Knack Lake, a powerful sight.  We took some pictures but campsite monitoring was impossible due to snow still covering the ground.  We turned around and headed down the trail. After clearing another 30 some trees on the way back, we ended our first hitch in our favorite burrito shop in town just trying to refill our belly with fresh, tasty food.  The feast was well earned after a difficult but wonderful beginning of our summer.

Thank You National Forest Foundation!

We could not do our work without our amazing partners!  We just completed our first Frank project.  Two more are scheduled for July and August.  Check out the projects and register at  http://www.selwaybitterroot.org/2017-volunteer-trail-work.  

July 12-18 Marble Creek     August 23-28 Middle Fork Trail

Respect for the Volunteers

Riley Hunter – Wilderness Ranger Intern

Utah Valley University

Upper Yellowjacket Volunteer Project

June 14-20

Salmon-Challis National Forest

I was told, ever since my early teenage years, that my love for the outdoors was going to lead me to a job with the Forest Service doing trails and backpacking around as a Wilderness Ranger. To be honest, I never truly believed them and I still don’t know that this field is where I will end up. I don’t know what my passions are, or what I can truly dedicate my time to.

But my first hitch taught me a whole new level of passion and working to preserve what you believe in. We worked on the Upper Yellowjacket Trail with three amazing volunteers. I personally have never been one for volunteering, but watching these three individuals with different backgrounds and experiences come together for their love of Wilderness got to me. They all worked so hard and for free. We ended up clearing out fallen trees, creating French drains, cleaning up the the trail with retread, digging some new tread, and brushing up the sides of the trail. The fact that these people would willingly dedicate their free time to digging in the dirt and mud, chopping up roots, hauling heavy buckets loaded with rocks, and cutting down trees -both in the cold rain with heavy, wet boots and when it got hot in the afternoons- allowed me to understand what it is really like to be passionate about something.

At one point, we talked about how friends may think you’re crazy for dedicating your weekend to doing hard labor all for the sake of access to good trails. There are people out there who truly care about our Public Lands and the idea of Wilderness. To maintain access to these areas for all to enjoy, even those who don’t fully appreciate or understand the concept of Wilderness, takes a lot of effort. What is your level of dedication to the trails you use? Are you willing to take the challenge and volunteer your free time to help keep access to your favorite trails open and experience the bliss of solitude of independence of the back country?

Here's a shout out to our volunteers Larry, José, and Miranda! Thanks for all of your hard work this past week!! You have my respect.

Challenges and Rewards in the Backcountry

Avery King—Wilderness Ranger Intern

University of Idaho

Boulder Creek Trail, June 13-20

Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forest

Heading into my very first hitch of trail work ever, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been backpacking plenty of times before, but I’ve always been a fan of packing as light as possible. Carrying all the extra gear (and weight) that comes with trail work—hand tools, helmets, and crosscuts—was a huge change from what I was used to. Plus, I didn’t feel like I really knew how to use the tools I was carrying. The nervousness I felt seemed to add to the weight on my shoulders.

It didn’t take long, though, for the nervousness to ease away as I hiked those first few miles and remembered what I love about backpacking: the challenges your mind and body must overcome. Part of the challenge is facing the unknown, and even though it is scary, it can be pretty fun. After a week of slowly familiarizing myself with the world of trail work, I feel much more comfortable wielding an axe, running a crosscut, and pushing my body through long days of hard work. It makes me pretty excited to keep improving throughout the season!

The fourth day of our hitch was a day filled with both challenges and rewards. We woke up to a steady drizzle, and despite our hope for a dry break, the rain remained consistent for the entire workday. Within the first hour, the rain had soaked through my raingear and I was nearly drenched. But as a group, our spirits remained high throughout the day and we eventually made it to the top of the pass. Despite not being able to see the view we were promised because of the fog descending all around us, it was a beautiful spot that made the difficult hike more than worth it. As challenging as the day had been, I was satisfied to have reached our goal for the day and was extremely proud of my group for overcoming the obstacles we faced together.

PHOTO: Boulder Creek Trail at the Fish Lake Saddle