What Wilderness Areas are Like

The US Forest Service is responsible for maintenance of national trail systems, but due to budget downsizing, they have moved strongly towards a coordinated volunteer system, where four to 30 groups a year improve trails within a ranger district. Volunteers pay for their transportation, food, and incidentals for the privilege of toting rock, clearing trails, building water bars, etc., over some 10 days in the wilderness area.

In 1994, I led a Sierra Club trail maintenance crew of seven men and six women for a 10-day wilderness experience. We were there under the sponsorship of Shoshone District Ranger Garry Edmon, and we had the excellent advice of Tim Ernst, USFS Field Supervisor, a most competent trail worker, author, and all-around back-country explorer.

The Forest Service had a semi-permanent camp that they moved near to our work area the day that we hiked six miles into the wilderness and away from civilization. Our standard Sierra cook kit had not arrived in time, but the Forest Service camp had a 15 by 25 ft wall tent, utensils, and stoves. There were modular bear-resistant cabinets, a wood stove and hot water tank, and a propane four-burner stove for cooking. All of these were constructed to hang on horses! The pack horses carried our food, and we backpacked in with personal gear, tents, and sleeping bags.

Our task was to replace a low bridge (known as a "puncheon") since the decaying wood surface had deteriorated to the point that horses were occasionally breaking through the surface, and were in danger of breaking a leg. This old bridge was a definite safety hazard, and thus had greater priority than the more northern area we were originally destined for.

The work project consisted almost entirely of wood-working of a massive kind. While Sierra Club members are sometimes pejoratively called "tree-huggers", this time, we cut some 60 trees to get the lumber needed for construction. All logs were then peeled of bark with drawknives to reduce or prevent decay. After removing the old bridge completely, six large logs (20" sills) were placed parallel to support the stringers, six 21 ft. long poles placed by threes to support the deck. I cut six-inch roller logs to drag the heavy stringers on to the construction site. These stringers were then capped with six-inch deck logs six feet long that were spiked down to the stringers. (Conditions are so harsh there that a six-inch tree may have taken 80 years to grow.) Next, "bull rails" were placed at the edges to provide a visual edge and to further secure the decking. Finally, the deck logs were sawn an inch or so deep in the middle and some wood adzed out to flatten the walkway. Ramps were constructed of rock and dirt at each end to fair in the trail to the bridge.

This puncheon will support a pack train of five horses easily, and is strong enough that a car could be driven over it.

We had four-and-one-half nonworking days that were spent exploring the local Roaring Fork Mountain peaks, trails, streams, and lakes. Two of our members officially signed off the trip on separate days and made solo ascents of Wind River Peak visible some six miles away. This was a 3000 ft. climb at the end of some three hours hiking.

Wildlife in the area was sparse, but we collectively saw moose, elk, badger, deer, marmots, and pikas. We were fortunate not to encounter the brown bears that were raiding camps some five miles to the north. We had trout caught in just a few minutes from the Stough Creek Lakes for an excellent dinner.

Determined team members can accomplish a tremendous amount of work with limited resources. Adjusting expectations as to what is possible is the significant part of a task. Sometimes, the work seems too massive to accomplish, but early identification of problems allows enough time to overcome them. Difficulties are somewhat exaggerated in wilderness conditions, but with enthusiasm and persistance, the team was able to complete the task.