Immersed in the Frank

James Perkins

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Payette National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness

James is spending the summer immersed in the Frank Church Wilderness, based out of the Chamberlain Guard Station. He does not have access to internet, therefore, his blog post was a handwritten synopsis of his summer.

For those who don’t know my situation, I’m fully immersed in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. I’m stationed at the Chamberlain Guard Station, 27 miles from the closest road. Life out here is amazing.

Our first hitch was a much needed wake up call: hiking 4 miles uphill and then another 4 to our camp. Our first hitch we saw wolf prints bigger than my hand, and wild cutthroat trout (too bad I didn’t have my rod!).

Our second hitch we hiked around 40 miles around beautiful mountainsides and got to camp near a lookout station!

On our third hitch, we hiked down to the Salmon River, but we had to deal with 10 miles of switchbacks with no water when we hiked down and up. However, taking a dip in the cool Salmon River made up for it.

James at a lookout station in the Frank Church Wilderness.

When we aren’t on hitch, I’m usually fishing, reading, or exploring. The fishing here is amazing; thanks to Jerry for the lures. I have caught a good amount of rainbows and cutthroats, and I saw steelhead swimming up the stream, which was so cool! Overall, being at Chamberlain Guard Station is a treat and I am grateful!

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JAMES PERKINS

Payette National Forest | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

University of Wyoming

Major: Wildlife Management

James is from Charlotte, North Carolina, but has lived in Wisconsin and Chicago for a couple of years. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School and avidly hikes and camps in his free time. James is passionate about wilderness because as an undergraduate pursuing a bachelor's degree in wildlife management at University of Wyoming, he finds it important to educate himself and protect the natural environment.

Birds & Beyond

Hannah Caram

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Hitch #4: July 19-26 (Bass Creek and Lappi Lake Trails)

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

A picture of me looking through binoculars.

Rather than waking up to the harsh, raspy chatters of the black-billed magpie in Darby, the Bitterroot Crew returned to the aspen colony along Bass Creek trail. Many mountain chickadees, Swainson’s thrush, and pine siskins among countless others call this grove home. The organism teems with both life and death and would be our home for yet another week in our mission to clear the Lappi Lake trail—a trail that has not been cleared by the USFS since approximately 2003.

A panoramic view of Lappi Lake (11 July 2022)

Joining us for this daunting task was the youth of CatRock Ventures, a non-profit organization that brings inner-city kids from New York to wilderness areas and exposes them to outdoor recreation activities. I could tell most of them were apprehensive about being in Wilderness for so long in addition to the large amount of physical labor they were about to do. I remember feeling similarly during our first hitch. Am I cut out for this? Will I be strong enough to lift my pack? What will happen to my mental health? What if I get hurt? Or sick? Even after four hitches into the season, these questions still eat at my confidence in the depths of my mind. Trail work is much different than my typical time spent studying animals in the lab.

Relaxing during our first break.

Teaching the CatRock members how to tread and cut properly solidified my own skills. Seeing them head up the trail after completing a section of tread was very rewarding. They still smiled and laughed despite being in a completely different environment then they are used to. I enjoyed having another presence in addition to my crew. The afternoon snack chats were my favorite. I was reminded of my younger brother once I discovered one of the members shared my love for Jurassic Park, dinosaurs, and videogames. Following dinner, the delirious silliness and giggles would come out. Even after a long day of working in the sun, the kids still had the energy to goof around and tell funny stories. The Bitterroot Crew has had many of these moments throughout our hitches, but they usually are expressed in taking ridiculous pictures of one another.

Moving out West has only fed into my interest in birds. I fell into birding after being exposed to my undergraduate research advisor’s contagious passion for birds. The kids would bring me feathers and ask me to identify bird songs and calls. I learned later from one of their leaders that they would point out birds and think of me, which made me smile. I hope the members of CatRock Ventures will look back fondly to their hot days in the Bitterroot as I already do. Perhaps their time in Montana will spawn new interests in nature, land management, or outdoor recreation. Suffering through rough terrain and black fly bites made getting to Lappi Lake extremely gratifying. And almost nothing can compare to winding down from an exhausting day to the flute-like song of the Swainson’s thrush and the hush of the aspen trees.

Sketches from my journal I always take on hitch.

Left: Sketches of horses from fantasy series The Wheel of Time I listen to while working or as I fall asleep in my tent. Right: Rough sketches of the mountain chickadee and a passerine foot.

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HANNAH CARAM

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

University of Findlay

Major: Animal Science; Minor: Psychology

Hannah grew up in northeast Ohio in a small, rural town. For her undergraduate degree in Animal Science, Hannah attended the University of Findlay, where she grew to love animal husbandry and management. Her previous experience working in the outdoors is mainly through bird banding and volunteering to clean up local rivers. Animal behavior fascinates Hannah, and she wants to learn how behavior changes through proper wildlife management. Hannah is passionate about the preservation and conservation of the wilderness because she does not think we can ethically enjoy the outdoors without doing so.

Nature's Lesson

Madeline Williams

Wilderness Steward

Hitch #3 | July 6- 13th

Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness

The plus side to waking up early: catching the reflection of the sunrise on Sugarloaf rock.

If I were asked to describe my third hitch using one word, I would use the word resilient. Between the volunteers and the all-encompassing natural world, I was amazed at the resiliency taking place. In a way, I found myself drawing parallels between the volunteer’s incredible stamina and the whitebark pine saplings that were sprouting around us.

Having spent a good amount of time hiking and mountaineering, I have witnessed how unforgiving high-altitude environments can be. Therefore, in my heart, a tree that thrives in this ecosystem is very special. The whitebark pine is a species of coniferous tree that grows high in the subalpine zones of the North American Rockies. Like many other rocky mountain species, this tree is undergoing extreme threats in the face of a changing climate. An increasing variety of factors, including pine beetles and fungal diseases (both becoming more prevalent due to climate change), are infecting and ultimately killing this species at a catastrophic rate. Despite its obstacles, this species continues to live and germinate even when it seems like everything is fighting against it.

Whitebark pines loom throughout this subalpine zone of the Frank Church.

Much like the whitebark pine and its ability to persevere through the imminent environmental hazards, our volunteers were able to endure blisters, muscle fatigue, long days, pouring rain, and persistent hordes of mosquitos. The volunteers traveled from Montana, Idaho, and even as far as Iowa to help us achieve our mission. Despite our days being long, grueling and sometimes unforgiving, resilience amongst the group was always apparent. Day after day, regardless of the conditions, we were able to overcome our challenges, usually with a smile on our faces.

As I have learned, nature (including humans) is always offering advice. Being a steward of wild spaces, I find it imperative to listen to its teachings. In a world where most of us are distracted with checking the status of our social medias or responding to that final email, we can forget that nature possesses great wisdom for those open to listen. Amongst many other lessons, nature has taught me to be resilient. Much like the whitebark pine and its current obstacles, our team learned to adapt and overcome. In the end, maybe we aren’t so different after all.

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MADELINE WILLIAMS, SALMON-CHALLIS NF WILDERNESS STEWARD

Madeline grew up in a small community in Southeastern Idaho called Soda Springs. She has been engaged in environmental-related work from a very young age. She has experience in outdoor education, water sampling, rangeland management, and more. Her passion for the outdoors stems from a combination of personal and academic experiences. Madeline is committed to doing everything in her power to protect and preserve natural areas and those that inhabit them.

Reflections in Wilderness

Bre Scott

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Payette National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness

In the house I grew up in, we had a large glass window on the front of the house. The window was tinted and created a mirror if you tried to look in. I can still see my child self peeking in.

Bre is spending the summer immersed in the Frank Church Wilderness, based out of the Chamberlain Guard Station. She does not have access to internet, therefore, her blog post was handwritten and mailed to the SBFC office with a polaroid picture.

The problem with the window was that birds would frequently fly into it. It appeared as an unexplored world, which was the perfect place to take flight. I remember birds glancing at themselves, trying to understand their reflection. Perhaps curiosity was another driving factor of flying towards it.

On my first hitch, I felt just like the bird looking into the window… I was unable to fully remember what I looked like.

We walked about forty miles throughout the beautiful mountain terrain. As I walked, I watched my shadow a lot. I could see the outline of my hat, braids, backpack, and tools bounce on the trail. Sometimes, I feel like it even encouraged me to walk faster.

My shadow represented something to me. It reminded me that my external self is a glimpse of who I am. Yes, my body was performing the act of walking and cutting… but my mind kept me going. The connection I was making with this land was also beyond “just the views.”

I realized that I forgot my physical reflection because I was focused on the reflection of my inner-self and the journey I was on. Just as the bird in the window, I wanted to explore this unknown place and my curiosity of my inner reflection.

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BREANA SCOTT

Payette National Forest | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Texas State University

Major: Recreation Administration

Breana grew up in Odessa, Texas and will graduate in May 2022 from Texas State University with a degree in Recreation Administration. She plans to continue her academic career and work towards a graduate degree. At sixteen, Breana worked at a Boy Scout Ranch and fell in love with the idea of being an outdoor professional. In 2021, she did conservation work in Oregon and Washington. This experience shifted her career and personal priorities. It fueled her interest to contribute to wilderness lands through conservation efforts. Breana loves adventuring, including kayaking, canyoneering, or backpacking.

Trees, Fish, and a Camera Crew!

Charles Warren

Wilderness Ranger Fellow (2022 Warren Miller Fellow)

Hitch #3: July 5-13 (Trails 219 + 220 to Seven Lakes area)

Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

The start of our third hitch felt vaguely familiar, as we entered the wilderness from the same trail our crew had worked on our first hitch, trail # 211. We returned to our very first campsite only to find how much the vegetation had grown in the month since we had been there. The next day we followed the trail running alongside boulder creek up to Horse camp, our original basecamp for hitch 1. We branched off onto trail # 219 and began clearing up the trail, following Surprise Creek all the way up to the Seven Lakes region. We bushwhacked our way to an outfitter camp, and used that space as a basecamp for the next few days. Day 3 of our hitch was quite unique, as this was the day that Idaho Public Television had sent a camera crew to meet up and film what it is we do as a trail maintenance crew. It was pretty exciting being able to show off our skills with a crosscut saw, as well as share the beauty and majesty of this wilderness with a wider audience!

Picture of me with the brook trout we caught and ate

I had additionally packed my fly-fishing rod on this hitch, and caught my very first brook trout on film! After catching a few more trout, we ended the night by cooking them up and enjoying a fresh fish snack!

Picture of two of the many lakes in the Seven Lakes area

The next few days of our hitch were fairly similar: We cleared large logs off of the trail and brushed back all of the bushes obstructing the trail. After a few days of clearing the trail from our outfitter camp, we packed up our gear and bumped up the trail, making camp in both the most beautiful and mosquito infested meadow we have yet to see this summer! We made use of my fly rod and had another brook trout catch & cook to supplement our ramen and rice-pasta dinners, before calling it an early night. The following day we made our final push, clearing trail # 219 up to our final destination: The Seven Lakes area. Even though there are more than seven lakes in the area, it has still proven to be my favorite area of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness!

Soon enough it was time to head down the mountain and return to civilization. We packed up our gear and headed back down the trail, making one final stop at our very first campsite. As a final special activity, we crossed Boulder Creek, and hiked a short distance to Stanley Hot Springs where we got to enjoy hot water for the first time in over a week! Our final day came all too soon, and before we knew it, we were back at Wilderness Gateway signifying the end of our hitch!

Picture from our campsite at the Seven Lakes area, overlooking a small alpine lake

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Charles Warren

(2022 Warren Miller Fellow)

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Sewanee: The University of the South

Major: Environment & Sustainability; Minor: Economics

Charles was born in Atlanta, Georgia and has always had a passion for the outdoors and the environment. Growing up, his family would regularly go on camping and hiking trips in the mountains of North Georgia. Charles has visited several national parks and wilderness areas, which inspired him to strive to protect these vital areas for future generations. He is a rising college senior and after graduation, Charles plans to enter the conservation field and work to protect our world's ecosystems. He enjoys a range of outdoor pursuits, from backpacking and camping, to climbing and caving, however he absolutely loves fly fishing. Charles is excited to learn more about trail maintenance!

Flight and Fun(gi) on the Goat Ridge Trail

Walt Emann

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Hitch #2: June 22-30 (Goat Ridge Trail #526 in partnership with the Idaho Trails Association)

Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

After a short 25 minutes of flight, the grass and flowers in the meadow below us came into focus at a rather nauseating speed. With my legs tucked tight against my chest, my crew and I watched out of the Cessna’s windows as the wheels thudded against the dirt airstrip at the Shearer Guard Station. As quickly as we had arrived, the plane was roaring across the clearing again and quickly disappeared into the clear and sunny sky. It was a quick change of scene; what seemed like seconds ago, we were on the highway, but we were now here in the wilderness for the next nine days. So, we marched through the grass and made our way to the cabins, eager to get a start on campsite monitoring and to put our trail clearing experience to the test once again.

The tasty fractal curls of bunched-up coral fungi.

Within minutes, I had already found an opportunity to test another skillset; on our previous hitch, my leader Clint Kingery brought a guide on mushroom foraging, All that the Rain Promises and More by David Arora. Just feet from the cabins at Shearer was a bounty of golden-brown butter boletes, an edible (and delicious) fungus that I and my hungry stomach had come to recognize and appreciate in the woods. They’re meaty, rich, and most of all abundant in this wilderness. The haul did not end until the hitch did; nature seemed to offer these beautiful boletes and yellow coral fungi every several yards along the entire Goat Ridge Trail, a welcome reward after climbing several thousand feet up the mountain ridge and wearing our muscles until our legs felt like overcooked freeze-dried noodles.

Waiting for takeoff after a beautiful and rewarding hitch.

I liked to remind my crew that, as long as you look hard enough and know what you’re doing, there is food everywhere— never again would we be hungry on hitch! Even some of our volunteers from the Idaho Trails Association were interested. As we taught them the dance-like crosscut saw form and the rhythmic footwork of axing a fallen tree, I took several breaks from the tool lessons to point out the feathery brown caps and yellow spongy gills of mature boletes, or the fractal curls of bunched-up coral fungi. Maintaining this forest requires a passion for the work at hand, of course, but it becomes even more rewarding when I, and others around me, can come to appreciate the beauty and bounty of the sprawling and wild landscape.

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WALT EMANN

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

University of Vermont

Major: Natural Resources Ecology

Walt grew up in Central New Jersey and spent most of his time as a kid outside in the sun and dirt. That passion for nature's offerings has translated into a desire to nurture and preserve them and keep people engaged. Walt has helped with conservation projects, restoration work, habitat monitoring, trail cleaning, and has generally tried to put a lot of his energy back into the natural and human communities around him.

Marble Creek Musings

Evan Weltsch

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Hitch #2: June 22-29, 2022

Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness

Our packs sitting in front of our bush plane while our pilot refuels for the flight.

Having never flown on a small bush plane before, let alone to an isolated area of the Frank Church Wilderness where the only access can be found through a flight in or on river rafts, I was feeling all sorts of emotions going into this hitch.

Birdseye view of the Salmon River

Nervous but excited to see what my home will be for the next eight days, I boarded the plane with my pack and tools as our pilot Nick took to the skies. The loud buzzing heard throughout the cabin, the turbulence ranging from a small tip in the wing to a huge bump that would catch you completely off guard was all part of the ride. But those things are hard to notice when you look out towards your destination. Mountains spotted with different shades of green, where the massive Ponderosas you know all too well look like twigs from the sky. The burn areas, easily spotted by the thickness of the saplings that replaced their ancestors, and mountains contoured by the glaciers that used to lay here so many years ago. The scenery was breathtaking, especially when you’re flying by what seems to be within an arms reach from a mountainside. Seeing the Salmon River carving and weaving its way through the various landscapes it so chooses as if it had a mind of its own, similar to the 5 foot Bull Snake that shared our campsite with us along the Middle Fork. 

Our hike in from the airstrip to our campsite was amazing as well. Walking upriver you’re occasionally greeted by rafters and kayakers alike, having the time of their lives during a perfect summer day on the river. The trailhead of Marble Creek was nothing short of extraordinary, seeing the confluence of Marble flow right into the Middle Fork with its crystal clear waters mixing in with the dark and swift course of the Middle Fork was a sight in itself.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River during our hike in.

The Marble Creek hike showed me that there are so many types of landscapes you may find yourself in while spending time in this Wilderness, ranging from a well defined dirt path cutting through the trees and mountainside high above the river, to a lush green overgrown area that makes you forget you’re in the Frank but rather like you’re in some tropical jungle, leading into a trail that becomes part of a sandhill in an arid environment where you may feel like you’re in the desert and start to covet your once shaded part of the trail.

Our most friendly neighbor, Mr. or Mrs. Bull Snake, seen slithering around our camp during the warm nights.

Sunset on the Middle Fork

Up a few miles on the Marble Creek Trail, my crew and I had to make the decision to turn around due to a crossing where the water was at your hips and too swift to try to cross with full packs. In turn, we got to work meticulously along the miles we had already hiked, making the first part of Marble a great and easy trail to hike, for the time being. That being said, I wouldn’t change anything from this hitch, from the views, the hard work we put in, and especially not the rafters hospitality when they had extra food and desserts to share! All in all, what a great experience it was for my crew, and I wouldn’t want to be doing it with anyone or for anyone else. Cheers!

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EVAN WELTSCH

Salmon-Challis National Forest | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

University of Utah

Major: Environmental Sustainability

Evan grew up in Ventura County of Southern California. Hiking in the foothills along the coast and through the national forests was always a favorite activity of his. After his time at the University of Utah studying Environmental Sustainability, he’s looking forward to learning more about working trails and working with fellow crew members. He’s passionate about wilderness because it allows him to immerse himself in an environment where he feels most like himself.

Wilderness Appreciation

Hitch #1 – Appreciation Post!

Nick Capille

Lead Wilderness Steward

Hitch 1: June 7-14 | #4 Selway River Trail

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests | Selway Bitterroot Wilderness

Not knowing exactly what to expect, we dove into this hitch up Selway #4 Trail with anticipation.  The slowly undulating walk in was a preview of what this season has to offer.  

An old insulator found up trail #4 in the forest, not far from the campsite.

Eight miles later we were on a treasure hunt looking for the campsite Jack Ader, the region’s Wilderness Ranger, described as, “under the tall ponderosa with an old phone insulator hanging out of it.”  Following directions given with a point on a map and an anecdote of seeing a bear at the camp is something to be appreciated.  Google Maps can’t mimic the feeling of looking at a map and walking down a new-to-you trail.

Ducking under the pack bridge wires and rounding the corner, the crew started looking for the tree.  Laying eyes on something described to us a day ago gave me the simplest sense of accomplishment.  The feeling that moving dirt, cutting trees, and clearing trail gives you after a few hours of hard work.  Moments like this I often overlook.  Something about being outside away from the distractions lets me tune into the small things. 

The walk back to camp after a day of work.

Much like the first hike the crew did in Montana, the Waterworks Trail in Missoula is something I have experienced time and time again.  However, the crew was gasping in awe, taking photos and videos. 

Seven years ago, I was in the same shoes.  Recently moved to Missoula from New Jersey, the idea of mountains was foreign concept to me.  Much less sleeping beneath them.  The crew had reminded me of this feeling of exhilaration that these mountains and wild areas around Montana brought me.

It’s easy to grow accustomed to these views, these ways of navigating through our world.  I’m exceptionally lucky to be in this field where it’s all a little bit different from the everyday.  I’m fortunate have a crew that reminds me of how fortunate we are to be living here.

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NICHOLAS CAPILLE, BITTERROOT NF LEAD WILDERNESS STEWARD

Nicholas grew up in a small town in Southern New Jersey close to the Pine Barrens. His first backpacking trip was in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, volunteering doing Wilderness Character Monitoring (WCM). Throughout college, Nicholas worked for the Forest Service in Wise River, Montana. After graduation he worked in California with the BLM, where he led WCM data collection. He also worked at a camp leading rafting, climbing, and hiking trips around Missoula.