BLOG — Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation

Four Crews in Four Days: A Whirlwind Wilderness Adventure

Ryan Ghelfi

SBFC Executive Director

July 17-21, 2024

We are in the heart of our Wilderness season with dozens of people on numerous crews in the field all across the Frank and Selway. Even for me, with all the data, spreadsheets, and communications at my fingertips, it’s a lot to track.

Last week I was fortunate to carve out four days to get out on the ground. The logistics were perfect with four of our crews and 36 individual people in close enough proximity for me to visit in quick succession. In the middle of my second year at SBFC, I remain confident that there is no substitute for getting on the trail with our crews and seeing what is happening in the Wilderness firsthand.

The Youth Wilderness Expedition participants + Emma (Wilderness Ranger Fellow)

What I saw on this past week's swing was nothing short of spectacular. First, I visited Ian and Emma, who were leading six 13-14 year olds on our second Youth Wilderness Expedition at Walton Lakes. The trail down to the first lake was in decent shape, but brushy and the group took the task to heart opening up the trail corridor on day two. On day three I joined them and we began scouting the trail that continues to the upper Walton Lakes. This trail was buried under deadfall and the crew made fine work reopening half a mile of beautiful tread, creating possibilities for the future. We will come back next year with another youth expedition to continue the work where they left off. I was thrilled to see these teens relishing the work and their time in the wild, bugs and all. This was the perfect location for this age group. This crew rocked it!

Some of the Whisky in the Woods crew.

Photo by Bert B.

Next, I hightailed it over to Big Sand Lake out of Elk Summit where the Whisky in the Woods crew from Moscow had been posted up and cutting out hundreds of logs for the previous 15 days. Over 20 volunteers in two separate groups came out to bring back numerous trails in the area. Five intrepid souls stayed for a full immersion of 17 days. This crew was packed in and out of the woods by multiple packers, including the Binninger family of Landgrove Coffee fame, as well as Nez Perce-Clearwater NF Packer Pete! SBFC Wilderness trail crews teamed up with the whisky crew to create multiple “super crews” and it shows.  Over 33 miles of trail were logged out, and the number of trees removed from the corridor was into the thousands. Near the end of the final hitch the crew made it all the way to Blodgett Pass from the Idaho side which was a big win!  More downed trees remain on other important connections; we look forward to clearing them all next summer.

In addition to SBFC trail crews and the Whisky crew, another crew of retired smoke jumpers from the National Smokejumper Association spent five days bringing the Bridge Creek Trail back to life, also near Elk Summit. This was heavy deferred work, and the crew earned every inch of trail reclaimed. Their efforts created numerous opportunities to find solitude and helped the crews that followed them to get into the country where they’d be working.

Clarinne, Ian, Wyatt, and Rowan

I met one of the crews that followed (Wyatt, Rowan, Clarrine, Ian, and USFS trail specialist Nick H) as they were sitting down to dinner on the lee side of some 10-year-old pines, the only shade in town. They were cutting 100+ logs a day, and the contrast could not be more stark. As I was hiking towards them I came upon an unworked section of trail. My pace slowed to a crawl and I came out bloody as I navigated a few hundred uncut logs over a couple mile stretch. (Our stellar team cut these later in their hitch). Seeing (and feeling) this night and day difference tells a story in real terms like no blog post or hitch report ever could.  

The CatRock + SBFC Crew

Finally, the fourth crew I visited on my tour in the Northern Selway was the CatRock Ventures youth group from New York City led by SBFC trail crew Lead April Eling along with Wilderness Ranger Fellows Jack, Caroline, and Emma. This crew picked up the work where last year’s CatRock group left off on the One Horse Lake Trail on the Bitterroot National Forest. We were excited to complete this project, reopening this primitive trail for the first time in many years. The trail provides access to one of the most beautiful basins I’ve seen in my time at SBFC. This crew learned a ton and worked hard. Through their efforts, the public has a terrific opportunity to experience this corner of the wilderness. Solitude and unparalleled beauty are hallmarks in this tucked-away corner of the Bitterroot.

My whirlwind tour is just a small sample of the full body of work that all our crews have performed this season thus far. Our staff, Wilderness Ranger Fellows, and volunteers  are accomplishing an incredible amount, and providing the public with the ability to connect to our wildest places. We need these places now more than ever. Each time I have the opportunity to work alongside our people and see firsthand what it takes, I come out invigorated and eager to keep pushing forward and building momentum. The SBFC community is moving mountains (and logs) out there, and I am so grateful. Alas, the work never ends… we’ll keep at it so that people today and forever can experience and enjoy the Wildest Place.


Ryan Ghelfi is the Executive Director of the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation. Contact him at rghelfi@selwaybitterroot.org with questions, concerns, or to talk about Wilderness!

Fear and Loathing in the Selway

Caroline Newlin

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Big Sand Lake | Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

July 3-10, 2024

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Sometimes what you need is a little adventure in your life. The modern workplace is a boring drudgery filled with spreadsheets and carpal tunnel. This summer, I wanted to prolong my avoidance of my fate as a desk jockey, so I signed up for 14 weeks on a trail crew in the wilderness of Montana and Idaho. This hitch, I got some adventure.

Big Sand Lake. One of the most beautiful places I've camped. (photo by Sammy Phelps)

The biggest appeal to me about coming out west was how alien the plants and animals are compared to back home. A landscape dominated by snow capped mountains even in the middle of July is unheard of. The lack of harwoods is striking. This hitch, I was a part of the whisky crew working around Big Sand Lake. The scenery and plants present were stunning, and I saw species I hadn’t seen on any of my previous hitches. Dwarf lupine, Lupinus pusillus, for example, was magnificent to see. I’m used to the large lupine plants that are found all over the Selway and Frank Church Wilderness areas, but I’d never seen dwarf lupine before. You smelled it before you saw it. The shrub layer in the forests was thick and dominated by huckleberry. Here, creeks are abundant, clear as air, and ice cold. 

The canopy is dominated by lodgepole pine and firs. While working around the trail to Hidden Lake, the scenery changed. This section of the Selway-Bitterroot burned up in 2012, and you could see the remains of this fire everywhere you looked. The bleached skeletons of lodgepole pine lay stark against the sky like the ribs of some extinct animal. It’s a sharp contrast to the green, lush forest we’d seen previously.

A grouse with no sense of self-preservation (photo by Sammy Phelps)

Animals out in the Selway are pretty groovy. On our way to Big Sand Lake our first day, we ran into a mother grouse and her chicks. Grouse are about as smart as rocks. The chicks ran around where we had just walked, cheeping, with no care that we’re very large and have big feet. Mama grouse didn’t care either. She just sat there on a log staring at us and making grouse sounds. We could’ve grabbed her. Eventually, the grouse and her chicks mosied off. 

A mountain lion track. Out here, you aren't at the top of the food chain (photo by Sammy Phelps).

Not all the animals were as docile and potentially puntable as the grouse. Several members of the crew spotted cougar and wolf tracks. Knowing that you are no longer at the top of the food chain is humbling. It brings to mind Doug Peacock’s definition of wilderness: “a place, and only a place, where one enjoys the opportunity of being attacked by a dangerous wild animal.” When I’m at home, my flight or fight response is triggered by laundry. Out here, it feels good to be anxious about the same things Neanderthals had nervous breakdowns over. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave this hitch a few days early. I experienced a unique and devastating injury: spraining my ankle while hustling across camp to eat some corn dip. Jim, the camp cook, had made some corn dip that was so good you’d wreck your ankle. I need his recipe. It’s a truly embarrassing way to get injured. 

Due to the nature of my injury, getting off of the mountain was of utmost importance. The most effective way of doing so was on horseback. It’d been a few years since I’d last ridden a horse, so I was a bit stressed. Fortunately, John, our packer, put me on Kelly, a very relaxed and friendly mule. Riding down the mountain on the back of this mule in a chain brought to mind Forest Service workers 100 years ago doing the same sort of work we’re doing, with the same tools. It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself. 

On the way down, John told me about whitebark pine, which is being devastated by white pine blister rust, an invasive fungus that uses members of the Ribes genus as a host. We saw one whitebark pine tree on the way, which is the first of its species I’ve ever seen. It was a young tree, less than 10 years from the look of it, and I imagine it’ll succumb to the fungus soon. Watching a species disappear from the landscape is a terrible feeling. 

One of John's horses (photo by Sammy Phelps).

John also told me about bear grass. I didn’t know this, but bear grass typically flowers once every seven years! The hillsides were a sea of them. I picked a good year to be out here. The excitement and unparalleled beauty made everything worth it.

This project was made possible with funds from the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, Idaho Fish & Game Access Funds, and private SBFC donors.


CAROLINE NEWLIN

Snow Camp, NC

North Carolina State University- Forest Management

Caroline is passionate about the outdoors and has done outdoor work for years. In high school, she did trail work for her local park service and worked for a canoe and kayak company most summers. She has always wanted to visit Montana and Idaho, and this fellowship has given her that opportunity, while also learning about wilderness stewardship. She plans on hiking the whole Appalachian Trail one day, along with visiting all the national parks in the United States. Her hobbies include rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, backpacking, and gardening.

Hard(ly) Working

Colburn Reeves

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

S Fork Lolo Creek Trail- Volunteer Project

June 19-26, 2024

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Wilderness Ranger Fellow, Jack, crossing the creek

The breath escaped from me the instant I hit the water; it was freezing. The creek beside camp had looked so alluring when I was carrying that pack, but I had no idea it'd be so cold. Shivering, I gathered myself and started to swim towards the grassy shore.

Once out, a feeling of euphoria washed over me, a sense that everything would be alright. Hitches always seem to have grueling work and serene moments that make it all worthwhile.

Accomplishments and Daily Life

The author at the Wilderness boundary

We spent the days clearing trails, ensuring that paths are accessible for future hikers. Our team of Wilderness Ranger Fellows and volunteers worked tirelessly, chopping through fallen trees, removing debris, and repairing damaged sections. It's tough work, but there's a unique satisfaction in seeing a trail open up and knowing that you've made it safer and more enjoyable for others.

Reflections and Inspiration

Being in the wilderness has been a transformative experience. The combination of hard work, stunning natural beauty, and the camaraderie of the team has been incredibly fulfilling. I encourage anyone who loves the outdoors to seek out experiences like these—there's nothing quite like it.

A curious mule sniffing my hand

 

This hitch was made possible with funds by: Montana Recreational Trails Program and the Bitterroot National Forest and the Great American Outdoors Act, and private SBFC donors.


Decatur, AL

Auburn University- Natural Resource Management

Colburn was raised in North Alabama and enjoys days spent climbing, hiking, scuba diving, or even just hammocking. Anything to get him outside, as he feels most connected and at home when in nature. He is currently at Auburn University pursuing a degree in Natural Resource Management, and is excited to be spending his summer with SBFC to get hands-on experience in stewardship.

Frank's Life Lessons - A Halfway Point Reflection

Samuel Phelps

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Hitches 1-3, June 2024

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

I have been lucky enough to be in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness for each hitch so far. Though the Frank, as we refer to it, has proven to be quite difficult, I have grown very fond of the area, especially the region in the Salmon-Challis National Forest. I have been thrown a handful of different challenges in the training hitch, as well as the in the two full hitches that I have been on. I am thankful for each of these challenges, and looking back on them at the halfway point in the season, I realize all that I have learned about myself.

An unsuccessful attempt to save the boots.

On the training hitch, which was my first multi-day backpacking/hiking trip ever, both of my boots blew out on the first day of working. I was so excited about working, being in a new and unfamiliar place, and in complete awe of beauty like I had never witnessed, that I did not realize I had a blowout in my right boot until the left one was half apart and I tripped on it. My Crocs were a lifesaver after having to double as my creek crossers and hiking boots. I continued the hitch, covering about 2-3 miles a day in the high desert climate and rock slides while working...in the Crocs. Here, I learned the importance of adaptability and doing the best I could with what I had available.

Ryan’s surprise visit. (Left to right: Caroline, Nate, Colby, Ryan, myself)

The next hitch was by far the toughest for me to date. I had a brand new pair of boots fresh from REI that had never seen dirt, a very heavy pack, and an excitement to get back to work in the wilderness. Those things were met with a 3.5 mile hike uphill, leading to a camp in a scorching hot burn area with no shade, and by the time Day 4 rolled around, I was greeted with a lovely two-mile hike to the work site that was 2000 feet lower in elevation than camp. And of course, back up that hill we went at the end of each work day. My home state of Louisiana is FLAT, and my body - being unconditioned to elevation changes - was exhausted. The physicality of long work hours in the sun, blisters, and sore muscles gave way to a mental battle only halfway through the trip. I toiled with a severe lack of motivation for a few days, until one morning I heard a voice in camp that was familiar, but wasn’t one of the crew. Our amazing Executive Director, Ryan, showed up unannounced at our camp at 7 am. Just seeing him and knowing the time and effort it took him to get to such a remote location so early was uplifting, as was the fact that he worked willingly alongside us, and...he brought snacks. This surprise visit gave us all a huge morale boost and helped us get through the remainder of the hitch. Here I learned a small lesson in mental toughness, how to push through hard things, and how much showing up for others can mean.

Nathan and I getting some affection from the packer’s dog, Shep. (I just got licked across the face)

Through facing these challenges and much adjustment to being out of my comfort zone, I have learned so many things, but the most important lesson I’ve learned is to reflect. The wilderness is a tough place, but it is also one of unsurpassed beauty, and it offers the ability to learn about one’s self while enjoying this beauty. I am grateful for this opportunity, the lessons I have learned thus far, and the personal growth, for the better, that I have had and will have this season.

To close with a quote, always remember: “Keep it wild, green, and clean while living in a wilderness dream.” - Bryan Parker, US Forest Service Wilderness Ranger, Salmon-Challis National Forest


SAMUEL PHELPS

Franklinton, LA

University of Mobile- Marine Science

Samuel’s love for the outdoors started with hunting and fishing at a young age. As he got older, the labor side of preparing for upcoming seasons and occasional farm work fueled his passion and interest in conservation and land stewardship. Majoring in Marine Science and planning to continue his education in Forestry: Wildlife Habitat Management, Sammy desires to use his knowledge and experience to have a career conserving the beauty of nature. In his free time, Samuel enjoys hunting, fishing, and outdoor photography. He wants to use his time at SBFC to develop his outdoor skills and become a well-rounded advocate for the preservation of nature.

Rediscovering Old Roots, Planting New Ones

Marlena Nelson

Wilderness Ranger Fellow

Youth Expedition: S Fork Big Creek

Bitterroot National Forest | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

6/18-6/23/2024

After a steep final ascent and dam crossing, we are rewarded by a stunning panorama around Big Creek Lake, and a still muddy trail

When Ian Harris, our youth program director, reached out to me about helping him lead SBFC’s first ever Youth Expedition, the first thought that crossed my mind was: Only six days? Heck yeah, I’m down! The more and more I thought about it, my true excitement lay in the prospect of creating a life-changing experience for our participants.

I got my true start in the outdoors as a guide in college, working and playing in the rivers, springs and mountains (some may call them hills) of the southeast. The most satisfying part of the job, beyond all the time in nature, was watching my participants fall in love with and become confident outside.

Rob demonstrates a popular free-time activity for our group - fishing in Big Creek Lake!

During our six-day expedition, I got to know four spunky and stoked youths from Montana and Idaho. Veva and Allegra amused me with their fast friendship, youthful jargon, and interest in identifying plants. Rob demonstrated a commitment to fishing (in this case commitment looked like waking up two hours before wake-up time to start casting) that astounded me. Liam inspired me with his tenacity and grit, and an impressive knowledge of movies, music, and vintage cars. Despite the challenges of mis-fitting packs, a cold and wet first night, over-enthusiastic mosquitos, and plenty of flooded trails, our crew was ready to learn and play each and every day.

Here are some of our stats:

Saskatoon, one of the many native plants Veva, Allegra, and I sought to identify around the lake.

  • Number of Fish Caught = 10

  • Plants Identified

    • Saskatoon (Briefly mistaken for Mallow Ninebark)

    • Trillium

    • Alpine Forget-Me-Not

    • Lupine

    • Larkspur

  • Creek Crossings = 5 (each multiple times)

  • Memories made = too many to count!

To be able to plant seeds of love of and stewardship for wilderness is a great honor. At the very same time, every moment of teaching brought me back to when I was a beginner, too. Watching our crew of four experience the euphoria of cutting their first tree, or struggle with their first attempts at bowline knot, or tackle camp chores felt like watching my first steps down the path that brought me here.

I am so excited for Rob, Veva, Liam, Allegra, and all of our youth participants to come to take their experiences to shape their futures and that of our wild, beautiful lands. Perhaps one day, they will find themselves in my boots.

Starting a cut with Allegra, one of our youth participants

Before and after of a fun tree problem: A great opportunity to practice limb-ing and cutting!

The SBFC Youth Wilderness Expedition Program is funded in part by:

The 2024 National Forest System (NFS) Trail Stewardship Partners Funding, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund Grant, the Lamb Foundation, Ravalli Electric Co-Op, Missoula Electric Cooperative, Blackfoot Communications, and private donors.


MARLENA NELSON

Saxony, Germany

University of Florida- Food & Resource Economics

Marlena grew up connecting with the outdoors of New England, Germany, and Florida. Working as an outdoor guide during her bachelor's degree opened her eyes to the power of nature to shape individuals and communities. Three months of conservation work in Utah and Arizona inspired her to seek further opportunities to practice stewardship of wild landscapes. She is passionate about creating a world in which people and the planet can thrive.