Boater's Wish List for 2013: The Chetco River

The Chetco River's "magic canyon" below Carter Creek
21 December 2012 | Ashland, OR -- The Chetco River has everything a backcountry boater could want. It's undeveloped and uncontrolled. And it's upper reaches are remote, wild. Pristine.

Boaters on their way up the Babyfoot Lake Rim on the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route
Over the years, many have hit its headwaters in southwest Oregon's 180,000-acre Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, but mostly quietly. To get to the Chetco's upper reaches, you have to hike -- far -- with a boat and a few days worth of food and supplies, on your back.


In recent years, various groups of boaters have made it into the Chetco and have come
back with stories of a beautiful canyon, quality whitewater, and crystal clear water. The
Chetco remains, however, one of the most difficult trips in Oregon to accomplish. But the
most challenging part of a Chetco trip isn’t the whitewater - it’s getting to the whitewater.

If it wasn’t already a brutal task, the 2002 Biscuit Fire's aftermath of falling trees made
the challenge even tougher. Thousands of fire-killed trees stacked in seasonal layers
have made access from Chetco Pass to Slide Creek via Upper Chetco Trail No 1102
impassable.
Bailey Mtn Trail No 1109 to Carter Creek confluence

Now the most convenient access is at the Carter Creek confluence via the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route. That's a 9-mile hike from Babyfoot Lake. 
Siskiyou Mountain Club volunteers have been working for the last three years to keep the onslaught of falling trees and new brush at bay, and ambitious boaters unafraid of a long, tough hike have been using it to launch their trips.
Boaters who want to help keep the route open in 2013 should join the Club over the three-day Memorial Day weekend (May 25 – 27, 2013). 

  • Meet and network with other boaters who share an interest in running the Chetco
  • See first-hand what trail conditions are like to get into the Chetco
  • Familiarize yourself with the logistics of running the Chetco
  • Learn backcountry tips from seasoned Kalmiopsis trail crew leaders
Zach Collier runs the crosscut
This is a great introduction to navigating the Kalmiopsis' interior with leading field professionals, as well as a chance to put some sweat equity into the trail.

The Club provides leadership, tools, food and help with transportation. You provide some basic gear. 

Sign up here.

Worth the read: 



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9 December 2012 Trip Report

by SMC coordinator Gabe Howe
10 December 2012 | Soda Mountain Wilderness Area --

Yesterday morning longtime volunteer Lisa Stutey and I left Ashland at 5am for the Soda Mountain Wilderness. Our goal was to remove the last remaining downed log on the Lone Pilot Trail.
Blanket of fog 
By the time we arrived at the trailhead, it was still dark and frozen. The trail was cold, crunching beneath our tired feet.

But after less than an hour light started to crack, revealing a thick cover of fog on the valley floors to the south toward Mt. Shasta. From Lone Pine Ridge, the views were stunning.

Before
The last log remaining on the Lone Pilot Trail was about 7-miles from the trailhead, and we arrived there by 930am. Lisa got straight to work on the large ponderosa pine.
Lisa runs the crosscut solo











By the time we were done sawing and chopping and rolling, the sun was out and shining very close to us.
After. Our work reduces erosion caused by hikers and stock being forced to circumvent the original tread.
On our sore hike back, we took a few breaks, admiring the winter views in what felt like summer sun. We rearranged layers as we braided through sunny and shady sections of the route.

"This is why I think I will stay in Oregon," Stutey told me as we stared south over the sunny slopes of the Soda Mountain Wilderness.
Mt Shasta from Lone Pilot Trail near Scotch Creek
We were back to the trailhead by 5pm. While 14 miles may seem like a long ways to hike for just one log, the satisfaction is unparalleled. Especially with those winter views.
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Kalmiopsis leprechauna


Bailey Mtn | 7 December 2012 --

When you're down there in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, make sure to be aware of the Kalmiopsis leprechauna, a dwarfed hominid species that evolved in the deep nooks and crannies of the Chetco and North Fork Smith watersheds.

They are descendants of lost Irish sailors from before Lewis & Clark’s time and evolved to depend on mostly moonshine and peridotite soil for sustenance. They had their own distillery operations dating into the 1970s, but the USFS quietly shut them down.

Rarely photographed Kalmiopsis leprechauna in captivity
Now the small groups of leprechauna still living in the Kalmiopsis depend on booze stolen from the area's few gold-miners, hikers, fishermen and horsemen. They stalk groups and at night ransack camps quietly for whiskey and gold. 

Anthropologists and linguists studied the leprechauna into the early 20th century, but much research and record was lost. They are a ferrell people that can be tamed, but only with adequate whiskey. It is not uncommon for one leprechauna, who are on average about 3.5' and 70 lbs, to consume a half gallon of Jim Beam (their whiskey of choice) in one day.

Most leprechauna populations are willing to make deals to stop harassing and stealing from groups. When negotiating peace or passage with the leprechauna, make sure to be extremely clear on appropriations of whiskey and to get all agreements in writing. Also, try and make a deal for indefinite travel rights through their territory. Even though this might demand what seem like obscene amounts of booze, it's worth it; the leprechauna, while wild, keep to their word.

First and foremost remember, if you encounter the Kalmiopsis leprechauna, to

  • Stay calm
  • Get appropriated amounts of whiskey and agreed upon access rights in a written contract
  • Take notes and contact the Kalmiopsis leprechauna Research Foundation

                                                                                                                                            

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The Director's double your money pledge

SMC Founder and Director Gabe Howe, Soda Mtn Wilderness Area
by Gabe Howe

Ashland, OR | 4 December 2012 -- Now is your chance to double the value of your year-end tax deductible gift to the SMC.

I will take up to $500 of my own hard earned money to match internet donations made between Dec 4 and Dec 31.

Your money will help

  • provide unique service experiences for volunteers and students
  • preserve threatened wilderness trails
  • put young people to work in the woods
I have put a lot of hard work and sacrifice into the Club over the last few years. Now I'm opening my wallet. You should, too.  


Gabe Howe
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SMC logo demystified

The original SMC logo from the original t-shirt
by Gabe Howe

Ashland, OR | 3 December 2012 -- The Club logo has received quirky feedback over the years. One volunteer on a trip told me it looked cheesy. Others have not been so nice, and a couple people even say they like it.

But most logo criticism I receive is neutral, as is the tone of the logo, and for those that don't know, there's a story behind it.

Original SMC t-shirt
First of all, it was made by no professional of anything. It was made by me arranging a bunch of clip art in CustomInk.com's t-shirt design software. It was July 2010, and I didn't necessarily need a logo; I needed a shirt. But as I pieced the "cheesy" art together, I did have a plan.

The lightning-bolt shaped river was to represent wild rivers juxtaposed to a landscape defined by frequent lightning fires, which shaped the bare looking tree. On top it I placed the most jumbled mountain range available in CustomInk's index.

And on top it all, a hiker, a human, having a wilderness experience. But the hiker isn't alone. She has a pulaski, perhaps the most universal trail tool, in her hand, ready to serve, ready to work. She marches onward and upward, ready to tackle the next challenge, knowing well she'll have to tackle it again.

Sometimes the Club logo will appear with our tagline -- Volunteer Explore Enjoy -- wrapped around the bottom or next to the design. Sometimes the website may also be wrapped around the bottom.

Volunteer Matt Cortese has helped with his services in bringing the logo from a cropped t-shirt image to something we can use for letterhead, websites and other communications.

Gabe Howe

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Book review

23 November 2012 | Ashland, OR -- Take an inside look at a seldom-seen Oregon wilderness: http://goo.gl/UX0ix
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Volunteer Profile -- Sarah Goodchild

Sarah Goodchild, Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Name: Sarah Goodchild
Age: 26
Crews: Kalmiopsis June 2011, Kalmiopsis August 2010
Total Hrs on the trail: 130

 Ashland, OR | 8 November 2012 -- Sarah Goodchild joined SMC crews two years in a row, but this year she was absent.

That's because she was busy -- making art from Manhattan's Upper West Side neighborhood. She moved there in August to pursue a Master in Fine Art degree from New York City College, where she has an art studio.

In 2010, SMC board director Allison Gilroy convinced Goodchild to join the club for a 5 day trip in the Kalmiopsis.

"I wasn't really prepared for the remoteness," Goodchild says about her experience. "I remember realizing at one point, you know, we're in a really remote location. That really terrified me."

But the Kalmiopsis Wilderness fascinated Goodchild, and in the off-season she created works inspired by the area's beauty and the physical challenges it posed.

"All of a sudden,  I wasn't thinking about getting up to work on time," she says. Goodchild was at the time working in Portland, OR for an after school art program. "I was thinking about how to get one foot in front of the other.

"The second summer, I came out for longer." Goodchild worked that year on a crew for seven days recovering Johnson Butte Trail No 1110 and Upper Chetco Trail No 1102 from years of maintenance deferments and 2002 Biscuit Fire aftermath.

"I had a fuller experience," she says.

The Kalmiopsis became a dramatic natural landscape for Goodchild to return to for inspiration. "I responded to  all the white and black colors," Goodchild notes. Those along with silver hues are her pallet's mainstays. "I've zoomed in on that experience for a lot of what I've been doing."

Echo Kalmiopsis I, 2012, detail

Which includes an abstract sculpture she's working on that portrays a picture taken from the Kalmiopsis.

After getting her masters degree in 2014, Goodchild plans to administer art programs that provide access to art for young people, as well as continue practicing. She likes living, working and studying in New York.

Goodchild has access to the area's many museums, and slowly but surely, she's making good connections, she says. "It's helped me be more experimental, but it all comes down to self-discipline."

She admits she can see why people might think the Kalmiopsis sporting its post-fire look is ugly.

"It's creepy and eerie and dark and all, and yes, I'm totally into those things. But there's also something else going on."

To see some of Sarah's art, keep updated on her blog at iseeblindspots.blogspot.com. Her art has been featured in solo and group exhibitions.

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USGS online map resources simplified

By Gabe Howe, SMC Director/Field Coordinator

 Ashland, OR | 26 October 2012 -- I recently published an article through the Medford Mailtribune's Oregon Outdoors section that directed readers through online map resources and how to use them. The resource I gave less attention to was the USGS map locator and downloader. 

The map locator and downloader may deserve a little more credit, so here are some easy tips to help you use the service more easily.

Head over to store.usgs.gov and click on the link for the map locator. A Google map appears. Use it to scroll, center and zoom to find your area of interest. When you have found the general area you're interested in, click the "Mark Points" bubble just to the right of the map.

A grid should appear with different names for quadrangle map sections. When you're ready to locate the USGS topo map you want, click on the map and a red tear-dropped shape bubble will appear; click it.


From there, a pop-up window comes out with a few different options on it. First, notice that you can download either a detailed 7.5-minute quadrangle, or a 15-minute quadrangle, which is less detailed than the 7.5-minute but also covers more space. I almost always want the 7.5 minute version.

Also notice that there are different year releases, which has posed some serious problems, at least in my USGS map finding in southwest Oregon.

In 2011, a whole slug of new quadrangles came out, but a good number of them omit designated roads, trails, and other really important features like section numbers and county gridlines.

Same 7.5-minute quadrangle downloads, much different information. 
Check out the difference between this 2011 release of the Josephine Mountain 7.5-minute quad and this 1998 release of the same map.

Any backcountry user is going to go with the older, wiser map.

Each USGS quad is available in PDF format which makes for large files. And for those of us that prefer having map in the field, printing the PDFs is the quickest way to topographic freedom.

Despite creating some confusion, the folks at the USGS are doing a great job of making information available, and they deserve credit. Just a few years ago, USGS quadrangle maps were still being held hostage.
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Your Siskiyou adventures

Ashland, OR | 18 October 2012 -- The SMC is in the midst of revamping our website. We're going to shoot for a fresher look and make the information you need easier to find, as well as make some additions.

We are going to start adding trip reports from your Siskiyou adventures. Interested in seeing your adventure published on our website and blog?

This is what your report should include:
  • Date of your trip
  • Easy to find description location. This could include GPS coordinates, county grid descriptions, or driving instructions
  • Description of the route, including mileage, difficulty, and considerations for time
The best trip reports will include:
  • Pictures
  • A far out and luring destination
  • GPS coordinates for route traveled
  • Google Map
  • Ecologic descriptions
  • Some reflection or insight the trip provided
  • References to more information
Some great examples can be found on the Washington Trail Association's website by clicking here. 

Please send trip reports in .doc or Google Doc format to SMC Field Coordinator Gabe Howe at  howegabe(a)gmail.com. Also attach pictures or other documents. The author of the best trip report will receive a free long-sleeved SMC shirt and a $25 gift certificate to REI. 

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Volunteer Profile -- Angie Caschera

Name: Angie Caschera
Age: 22
Crews: Skeleton Crew June 22 - 28; Wrecking Crew Aug 18 - 26
Total hours on the trail: 130
Caschera logs out a fatty on Kalmiopsis Trail No 1109 north of Blake's Bar. 

Ashland, OR | 16 October 2012 -- Recent SOU graduate Angie Caschera speaks passionately about her experience with the SMC. That's because it changed her life.

"It opened up my spectrum," she says. "Especially that trip in August, it blew my mind."

Challenge was nothing new to Caschera. To pay the bills and her college tuition, she works as a caretaker for people with intellectual disabilities. Caschera admits her job, which includes bathing, cooking, cleaning for and managing three young men with varying levels of functionality, is tough.

"But I enjoy helping them become more independent in the community."

Working with the SMC helped Caschera "get out of the box and build patience. We built a team," she says. "We're all taking care of each other down there in the K-Hole. You've got to communicate with the group to make good decisions."

Many 2012 volunteers began calling the Kalmiopsis Wilderness the "K-Hole" because the only way out was a rugged 12-15 mile hike out with 4000ft. of elevation gain.

The Kalmiospis' wildness made Caschera feel, well, wild. "There's no one around. You can yell. You have all this freedom, and you get to be who you are -- there are no social demands."

Caschera was able to use her work experience in June toward practicum hours she needed to complete her B.A. in Outdoor Adventure Leadership at SOU. In August she came back for more.

But Caschera's stewardship experience didn't just allow her to log some practical work hours for school and get out of the box. Working in wilderness got her looking forward to her own vision.

She has dreams of opening a camp that provides therapeutic outdoor experiences for those with intellectual disabilities. "I liked seeing how Gabe operates, how he facilitate the experience. You have to put the energy out there to get something back."

"Angie always seemed in control, even in sometimes grim situations," says Gabe Howe, SMC's Director and Field Coordinator. "She's a trail monster."

Those close to the SMC say Caschera is eligible for the Lifetime Volunteer Award in spring 2013.

SMC Field Correspondent
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Oct 20 - 21 Soda Mountain Wilderness Trip


Want to see what the Soda Mountain Wilderness has to offer for fall colors and fun? Then join us this Saturday, Oct 20 - 21 for an overnight work trip on the Lone Pilot Trail. 

Carpools will leave from Ashland at 7:30am on Saturday, and we'll return by 6pm on Sunday. The camp is about 4-miles hike from the trailhead, and the work site is another couple of miles past that. We'll be removing a few logs and brushing out about 1200ft of trail. 

Giant ponderosa pine near work site. 
Volunteers should be in good shape and come prepared with basic gear, including 
  • weather appropriate clothing, 
  • backpack, 
  • warm sleeping bag, 
  • sturdy boots,
  • gloves,
 SMC provides transportation arrangements, food, tools, leadership and a fun time.

Weather looks promising, but we would cancel if conditions became dangerous. 

The 20,000-acre Soda Mountain Wilderness encompasses a diversity of ecosystems, including oak chaparral that should be on fire with fall colors. The Lone Pilot Trail is a 12-mile connection of closed roads the SMC is converting to trail, and the work site is in the most remote section of it.

Long story short: this trip brings you into the heart of Ashland's nearest and dearest congressionally designated Wilderness Area. 

Email SMC volunteer coordinator Gabe Howe at howegabe(a)gmail.com for details and sign ups!

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"Mapping the Wild" from the Medford Mailtribune Oregon Outdoors. 
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SMC stands out

Jillian Stokes stands behind Dan Heimbigner
While working on applying for a foundation grant, one of the questions to answer was, "What sets the SMC apart from similar organizations?"

The answer was easy.

What sets the SMC apart from most other trails organizations is that we engage so many young people into our programs. We so much appreciate every volunteer who takes the initiative to sign up and the courage to show up, but the majority of our volunteers are not eligible for the Denny's discount, and they won't be anytime soon.

This year Southern Oregon University students put in over 1200 trail hours. If you include recent alumni and students from other schools, it goes to somewhere around 2000 hours.

Engaging young people is a key component of the SMC's strategy, because the need for heavy Wilderness trail maintenance in southwest Oregon isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And there is no abundance of unique, no-cost, life changing work programs like ours, either.

So we're excited to keep putting young people to work into the woods, and engaging younger and younger audiences. Moreover, we're so proud that since we started in 2010, our volunteers demonstrate an increased rate of employment after participating in extended work trips.

This is where some of our volunteers are now working.


  • Seth Swan, 2010, Amtrak
  • Stefani Gissel, 2011, Trailside Discovery Camp
  • Daisy Moser, 2011, Sunstone Bakery
  • Josh Pfefferkorn, 2010-2011, Bridge City Cycles
  • Caleb Howe, 2011, YMCA
  • Dan Heimbigner, 2010, Whatcom Environmental Services
  • Kris Freitag, 2010, Berry Seed Bank & Plant Conservation Program
  • Em Halleen, 2011, Red and Black Cafe
  • Brianna Peaslee, 2011, Art4Life
  • Sarah Goodchild Robb, 2010-2011, Bard High School Early College
We can't wait to see what our 2012 volunteers will be up to next year!
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Volunteer Profile - Austin Kasner

Austin Kasner in Soda Mtn Wilderness Area
Name: Austin Kasner
Age: 22
Crew: Wrecking Crew, August 18 - 26 2012, Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Total hours on the trail: 100

 Ashland, OR -- Before this summer, SOU senior Austin Kasner had never stepped foot in a congressionally designated Wilderness Area.

But in May he got his feet wet with a day-long work trip in the Soda Mountain Wilderness Area with the SMC.

"That day was invigorating, and it sparked my interest," Kasner said in an interview. A day in the Soda wasn't enough, though. "I wanted the chance to break my routine and change lifestyles."

So he signed up for an 8-night stewardship trip in the Kalmiopsis. He spent nine days working through brush and downed logs on Upper Chetco River Trail No 1102 between Slide Creek and Taggart's Bar. By the end of day one, it dawned on Kasner how far away he was from civilization.

"But after the first day, I was really comfortable. The leaders knew exactly where they were, they were so familiar with the area," he said, but he admits the work was tough.

Before the attack of Kasner and his crew
After a couple of days of heavy trail work, Kasner moved ahead of the group to inspect conditions. It didn't take long until he encountered a 700 ft section of trail completely filled with brush and fire-killed knobcone pine. "I didn't think there was any way we were getting through that."

But the next day Kasner and his crew punched through the section, one log at a time, over 150 in total. "I was really impressed by our work," Kasner said. The next day the crew had to relax, and Kasner had the chance to explore the Chetco River and Babyfoot Creek. 

After
"It was cleaner and clearer than any
river I've ever been to," Kasner noted. Camping at Slide Creek was a highlight for him. "The Chetco brought us back to life at night."

Over the next couple of days, Kasner focused on keeping morale up and getting work done. With his help, the Wrecking Crew was the first in at least a decade to work this section of trail.

"I learned how strong I was mentally. I found myself a little more involved, a little more part of the Siskiyou Mountain Club."
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Heat of 2012 Season Wrapping Up

The 2012 summer season is wrapping up for SMC volunteers who this year have worked over 2,000 hours already. The SMC has put over 22 different volunteers to work mostly on trail projects in the Kalmiopsis and Soda Mountain Wilderness Areas, with day trips in the Red Buttes and Wild Rogue.

For every project that breaches 100 hours of on-the-ground volunteer labor, the SMC publishes a trip report in PDF format.

  • 2012 June Kalmiopsis
  • 2012 July Soda Mtn
  • 2012 August Kalmiopsis

    • Babyfoot Lake logout, photo by Justin Rohde
    In the trip reports, readers can peruse maps, check out the many pictures, read a narrative of our progress and check the current status on trails. 

    Big pine on Lone Pilot Trail
    Volunteers busted through 3.5-miles of jackstraw between Slide Creek and Taggart's Bar in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, and had to rework sections that SMC volunteers cleared in 2010. 

    SMC volunteer crews also made easily passable all but 1,200 feet of the Lone Pilot Trail in the Soda Mountain Wilderness. The last, most remote section to brush out is scheduled to be worked through this fall. 
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    Boot diaries, daydreams and nightmares

    Over the years, boots have become very important to me. In my younger days, when I hiked in the summer months in the Cascades near Portland, OR, I didn't even bother with boots.

    I swore by a pair of Columbia Techsun sandals. My feet would stay dry, blister free and I never encountered terrain in the Cascades that called for anything heavier than a water sandal. 

    When the Siskiyous entered my map collection, the sandals no longer cut it. I first adopted a pair of Merrell Moabs, a semi-sturdy and medium-cut hiking shoe. They were super comfortable, and my feet stayed ventilated and dry. I loved them. I just loved them. 

    But after just 20 days of heavy trail work in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, the Moabs fell apart, so I bought another pair. Another twenty days in the field, and again the Moab's sole had worn completely through at the ball of my foot, rendering them unusable. 

    "Well I'm 220 lbs and I work in very rugged terrain," I told Merrell's customer service representative, who was very helpful. 
    Merrell Sawtooth
    She directed me toward a pair of Merrell Sawtooths. "These have a much tougher sole," she said, "and they'll have more a of a bite, too." 

    A bite was what I was looking for. I didn't need a boot for dainty hikes in the Cascades anymore. I needed a boot for hard work in the Siskiyous, and I was pleased when Merrell sent me a pair of Sawtooths at no cost. I was ready for something serious.

    And I fell in love with yet another pair of Merrells. They took a little time to break in, but having such a sturdy sole was worth it. The Sawtooth boot breathed enough that my feet didn't overheat, and it was tough enough to tackle rugged and rocky, steep terrain without wearing down. "Perfect," I thought. 

    But after about 30 days on the trail, the Merrell honeymoon was over. Last month, my Sawtooths fell apart on the trail.

    I was on a six day work spike in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, so I was about 12-miles away from the nearest trailhead when the heels started blowing out and separating from the boot.

    This is what was left of the Sawtooths
    At first it was a minor inconvenience, but slowly the fault line that developed in the shoe started digging into my ankle, leaving a sore red spot and eventually a blister. Desperate, I cut the Sawtooth's down to avoid further injury. 

    My roller coaster love affair with Merrell is over, and quite frankly, I'm done with any Chinese made garbage, but I'm still looking for a boot that suits my needs. 

    Dan Shulter of Dan's Shoe Repair in Ashland, OR, pointed me towards a pair of Vibergs, which sounded great. The Vibergs definitely look like a boot that would last, but at $250-$450, they were simply out of my price range, though I do admit I was tempted to indulge. 

    The thought of a boot that lasted five years had me wondering if I should open a line of credit. But I decided to stay out of debt, even though the Viberg had me drooling. 

    My new boot, the Keen Portland PR 6in
    I instead purchased a pair of Keen Footwear's Portland PR 6in. It's an industrial style leather boot from a company with a good reputation and excellent customer service. 

    And they're made in my hometown, Portland, OR, USA. They run for $210, and Keen generously offered a 50% discount for SMC field volunteers. 

    I'm excited to take them into the Soda Mountain Wilderness this weekend and see if they can can pass the test, which I'm confident and optimistic about. 

    This will be my first crack at a pair of boots made in the USA and I feel good about it. 
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    Skeleton Crew knocks er dead


    Last week I had the pleasure of running a six day volunteer trail crew deep in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area of southwest Oregon. SMC volunteers Aaron Babcock, Rob Ginsbach, Angie Caschera and Tim Nace hiked nine miles through brushy, rugged trail into Carter Creek from Babyfoot Lake.
    Before

    The plan was to hike straight into Slide Creek and start clearing trail untouched since 2002, but that wasn't possible.

    Windfall, jackstraw and brush had again completely choked the section of Bailey Mtn Trail No. 1109 between Carter and Slide Creek that our volunteers mercilessly attacked in 2010. It was as if we'd never been in there before.

    But surely, the Skeleton Crew (there were only five of us total), knocked the trail out. We started by brushing out the jungle of Tanoak and Greasewood that had regrown over the last two springs. Then we logged out the hundreds of logs that had fallen, as if we were playing a giant game of pickup sticks.

    After
    Slowly the trail showed itself from underneath two years of maintenance backlog, and once again ambitious hikers can safely pass from Babyfoot Lake to Bailey Cabin, Bailey Mountain to Slide Creek via the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route.

    When I started this endeavor -- to clear a 28-mile continuous route through the Kalmiopsis -- in 2009, I had no idea how much work was going to be involved. How much time, commitment, planning executing my goal was going to require. To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.


    But the plan doesn't matter. The Kalmiopsis has a plan of her own, and that's the plan we'll follow. All we can do is keep putting boots on the ground and running saws through trees, keep our heads up, our bodies safe and keep chipping away at the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route.
    The Skeleton Crew from left to right: Angie Caschera, Tim Nace, Rob Ginsbach, Aaron Babcock. Not pictured: Gabe Howe



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    Get wild in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness

    "Only in the Kalmiopsis" from Medford Mailtribune's Oregon Outdoor Section

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    Wilderness whoops, plans change


    On June 22, SMC volunteers woke up at 6am to the sound of rain pattering on the textile of their tents.


    "It wasn't bad in Brookings when we left for Vulcan Lake. The rain was light, and it seemed like it might let up," says Gabe Howe, the SMC's field coordinator and trail crew leader. But the forecast said different. It was calling for more than an inch of rain over the next 24 hours, and Howe and his volunteers were planning on camping at about 4000' on an exposed ridge.


    "But we went to the trailhead anyway," says Howe. But from the Vulcan Lake Trailhead, an inch of rain seemed very real.  "People don't get hypothermia when it's snowing and 28 -- people get hypothermia when they're wet, it's 40 and they can't get dry," says Howe. 


    The temperature was dropping and everyone was already soaked. Worried about the safety of himself and his volunteers, Howe called the trip -- well, sort of. 


    Instead, volunteers slated to work between the Box Canyon Area to Taggart's Bar June 22 - 30 will hike into Carter Creek from Babyfoot Lake Trailhead on June 25 and attack the route from the other side.


    "I can't look back and wonder if I always make perfect decisions" he says, "but I can always look back and know I made safe decisions."

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    Volunteer Profile - Laura Pfefferkorn

    Laura relaxing on the Chetco River
    Name: Laura Pfefferkorn
    Age: 27
    Born: 
    Crews: Aug/Sept 2010, June 2011
    Hours on the trail: 145

    Before 2010, SMC volunteer Laura Pfefferkorn of Portland, OR had been on day hikes -- a lot of them.

    "But I had never been in a federally designated Wilderness Area," she says. "And never for that long either. Being out there seven days blew my mind."

    The first day was hard on Laura. "Hiking in nine miles with all that stuff on my back, that was the toughest part."

    Laura Pfefferkorn and Jill Stokes at Babyfoot Lake Trailhead, 2010
    She came in 2010 to "support the endeavor. And because we had been hiking so much -- I wanted to give back. Now we know all the hard work that went into building and maintaining those trails." 

    She spent a week that summer brushing the Bailey Mountain Trail No. 1109 between Carter Creek and Slide Creek along the Wild & Scenic Chetco River.

    In 2011, Laura came back for more. Last summer she put in another 70 hours of work on the opposite end of the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route, working from Johnson Butte toward Box Canyon Camp on Johnson Butte Trail #1110 and Chetco River Trail #1102. 

    "The hardest part was dealing with the walls, to get through all those trees." Laura says she spent most her 2011 trip crosscutting. "To watch each log break and roll off the trail -- it was really satisfying work."

    That year Laura and her crew worked through many sections of trail filled in with logs killed by the 2002 Biscuit Fire, the brush that had been growing for ten years since, and the maintenance deferments forced by diminutive Wilderness budgets.

    Laura and Josh Pfefferkorn watch sunset from Johnson Butte Camp
    "With other trails I've hiked, I have memories of the top, the bottom, where I stopped and where I ate lunch. But with that trail [the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route], I have a memory of its every turn. I take so much pride in it."

    Laura was used to getting up early for work at Starbucks Coffee in Portland. But she wasn't used to getting up early, hiking into a work site and crosscutting for hours on end.

    "I realize it can sound intimidating," she says. "But it's one of the most rewarding things I've done, this is an experience people hunt for, and that's why we're going to be back. We're in it."

    Both years Laura came with her husband, Josh. "We really feel like we're a piece of something."


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    Act Now to Keep Trails

    Lately, I have ran into a number of people who, about trail maintenance in Southern Oregon's federally designated Wilderness Areas, say, "That's the government's job. They should be doing it."

    You know what? They're right. I of all people would obviously like to see an effort from capitol hill down to preserve the Wilderness experience and the primitive infrastructure that facilitates it. But, you know what? That aint' happenin anytime soon. 

    We've got a backwards tax structure. We've got a backwards congress, a backwards budget, and we've got a backwards government. So what? It's time to stop looking out and start looking in. 

    If you love Wilderness Areas in the Siskiyou backcountry, if you want others to be able to enjoy trails and the destinations which they lead to, act now. If you want to preserve trails that will be lost this year to neglect and maintenance deferments, then act now. 

    Because trails rot quicker than lawmakers, lawyers and stuffy bureaucrats up in D.C. Trails are preserved by volunteers that get up early, work hard all day and go to bed late. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be. 

    Give your time and sign up for a trail spike. Come out, have the adventure of your life, and give some service to your country. And if you don't have time, but you've got some expendable income, give your money. Because without boots on the ground now, the trails the Siskiyou Mountain Club is working on will rot. 

    We've got trail crews running in the Siskiyou backcountry all summer long, and we're gonna make a huge difference in the health and vitality of Wilderness resources. We don't have a Civilian Conservation Corps. We don't have a Franklin Roosevelt, or leadership in place whom understand the Wilderness Experience. 

    But we do have the SMC, and we do have volunteers, but we can't make it happen without you. 


    -Gabe Howe, SMC Co-Founder, President, Director, Volunteer Coordinator
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    Volunteer Profile - Daisy Moser

    Daisy Moser at Vulcan Lake, Kalmiopsis Wilderness
    Name: Daisy Moser
    Age: 23
    Born: Palmer, AK
    Crew: June 2011, Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area
    Hours on the trail: 85

    Ashland, OR -- The backcountry was nothing new to Daisy Moser when she moved from Palmer, Alaska to Ashland, OR in 2009. But working in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area for a week would knock her socks off.

    She'd heard about trips with the Siskiyou Mountain Club in 2010, and ended up on a week long trip in June 2011 with her friend Stefani Gissel, who had already signed up.

    "It was a free backpacking trip where we got to be bad ass with no one looking," she said in an interview with SMC correspondents. "I learned a lot of team work skills, some technical skills. I'd never done that kind of work before. And I made some of my favorite memories."

    Moser and her crew worked 7 nights on top a dusty ridge with views far as the Pacific Ocean. As worked progressed, every morning there was a longer commute into the work site. And every evening there was a longer commute back, through botanical areas where the Kalmiopsis leachiana was in full bloom. But Moser got more than an adventure out of the SMC.

    Looking NE from Johnson Butte spike camp
    "Awesome relationships, with everyone there -- people I'd never met. I discovered my potential as a human. I pushed myself for a noble cause, and that was cool."

    Unfortunately, Moser won't be volunteering in the Kalmiopsis in 2012. She's working for a summer camp back home.

    "It made me feel like everyday life was boring and that I could do more."

    See ya in 2013, Daisy. We'll miss you on the trail.

    Those interested in having a similar experience to Daisy's should visit www.siskiyoumountainclub.org, check out our 2012 trip details, and sign-up!
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    Upcoming Events

    Sick of sitting around and waiting for summer to kick you into gear?

    Get off your duff and join the Siskiyou Mountain Club for a Wilderness adventure.
    Soda Mtn Wilderness Area
    • Saturday, June 2nd -- Come help scout the Lone Pine Trail in the Soda Mountain Wilderness near Ashland, OR. Come for the wildflowers, views of Mt. Shasta, Pilot Rock and access in the Soda Mountain Wilderness's remote depths. Meet at 8am at Ashland Shop N' Kart located at 2268 Ashland St, Ashland, OR. Plan on hiking 5-7 miles, wear sturdy shoes or boots, dress appropriate for weather conditions, and bring plenty of food and water. We should be back to Shop N' Kart by 4pm. Contact Gabe Howe, howegabe(a)gmail.com. 
    Vulcan Lake
    • Friday, June 22 - June 30. Spend 8 days in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area working on the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route between Johnson Butte and Taggart's Bar. Spend much of your time in a world-renown botanical area and enjoy a day relaxing either on the Chetco River, Box Canyon or Vulcan Lake. Trip details, orientation, checklist and sign-up at www.siskiyoumountainclub.org.
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    5 reasons you should love the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area

    Vast roadless areas of undisturbed habitat

    Box Canyon Creek, tributary of Chetco River
    • It's a huge tract of undisturbed forest habitat. At 180,000-acres the Kalmiopsis is Oregon's 3rd largest federally designated Wilderness Area. It's the largest Wilderness Area in Oregon west of the Cascades.
    • Unmatched biodiversity. If it grows in the Pacific Northwest, it probably grows somewhere in the Kalmiopsis. 
    • Unparalleled natural history. The Kalmiopsis has been a refuge for life since well before the Pleistocene epoch. While the rest of Oregon's ecological library was being wiped clean by migrating glaciers, life in the Kalmiopsis was evolving. 
    • Wild Rivers. The Chetco, Illinois and North Fork Smith all originate or run through the Kalmiopsis. These rivers support native fish runs, provide clean drinking water for communities and knock-your-socks-off recreation opportunities. Rivers like the Chetco are known for their pristine clarity and enchanting effect. 
    • Modern History. From Lilla and John Leach who discovered many new plants in the area, to the 2002 Biscuit Fire, the Kalmiopsis has always been a fascinating component of Southern Oregon's history. 
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    Civic Engagement

    Civic engagement has become a central component of the SMC's vision. At first, this was all about getting work done. I had encountered conditions in the forest which frustrated me, so I started doing something about it. But as I began taking more people into the woods to work, and seeing the transformation they went through, the SMC became about people, about providing an enriching experience for volunteers.

    Southern Oregon University students at Babyfoot Lake after whoopin trail into shape
    Volunteers don't just go home with new work skills and an authentic appreciation for public service. They go home with a graduated sense of confidence. For most of our volunteers, this is the most challenging experience of their life so far. On our hike back to the trailhead, after working for eight days at a time in the Wilderness, volunteers live the outcomes of their commitment.

    They walk over a trail which they preserved without help from technology or mechanization, a trail that would have been lost, and that process becomes a metaphor. When they return home, many SMC volunteers -- as told by volunteer Matt Cortese -- start removing the brush and clutter of daily life, uncovering and revealing their own inner-path.

    While I take pride in the fact that our outcomes can be measured by the mile, I take greater pride in the direct impact the SMC has on peoples' lives.

    -Gabe Howe
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    1st annual volunteer night was success

    SMC Co-Founders, Gabe Howe and Jill Stokes
    The event started at about 6pm last Saturday, May 5. Guests started filtering through the doors of Southern Oregon University's Meese Art Auditorium. But they weren't there for the art; they were there to honor SMC volunteers, who over the last two years have put in over 2,000 hours of work to clear trails mostly in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area.

    Attendees lingered around a silent auction while munching on goodies from La Tapatia Restaurant in Phoenix, OR and sipping on beer and wine from Shop N' Kart in Ashland. 

    The presentation in the auditorium started with an introduction by SMC board member Zack Green, who is still waiting for an SMC trail-name.  

    "In my opinion this was long overdue," he said. "This is the third year SMC volunteers have been working, and they deserve this." Then Zack got funny. "Yes, they do work hard, but anyone who will spend ten days in the backcountry with Gabe [SMC Field Coordinator] deserves some recognition."

    Then Gabe Howe took the audience through an 8-minute Google Earth Tour of the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route. 

    "Yeah, it's really fancy or whatever. But really I just wanted for people who haven't been out there to visualize the work we've done, and the work ahead of us," said Howe. "We're gonna clean it up and upload it to the web soon, so everyone can go into the Kalmiopsis." 

    A Google Earth Tour is like watching someone use a flight simulator over satellite imagery, with customized notations. 

    Matt Cortese gets a laugh out of himself
    The tour was so authentic that it was described by retired Kalmiopsis Wilderness Ranger, Rene Casteran, as "effectively barf-bag inducing.".

    "The highlight for me was the heart felt tale of the would-be photographer Matt Cortese," Rene commented. 

    2011 SMC Volunteer Matt Cortese told a story about his 7-day experience last summer. The story was met with many laughs, and perhaps some cries, namely from Field Coordinator Gabe Howe.

    "Next time, Gabe, I'm bringing my camera and stopping to take as many pictures as I'd like," Matt concluded in his speech. Gabe had asked Matthew to leave his camera because it was too heavy, but then requested that Matt carry an axe. 

    After Matt's presentation, Howe offered the SMC Lifetime Partner award to George Brierty of the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest. The award goes to someone outside of the organization who has helped the SMC out a lot. Brierty has been behind and facilitating the SMC since 2009.

    The Lifetime Volunteer Award went to SMC Volunteer and interim-Secretary, Jillian Stokes. She is also Howe's wife. "Nobody in this room has sacrificed as much as this person," Howe said before announcing the award. 

    "We need to talk about this JHA change"
    After wrapping up the presentation, the silent auction stayed open for another twenty-minutes. Winners received framed pictures taken by SMC volunteers, river trips with Momentum River Expeditions, Northwest Rafting Company and Indigo Creek outfitters, and gift baskets from Starbucks Coffee in Ashland. The auction fetched about $1600. 

    "This wasn't about making money," said Howe, who is also SMC Co-Founder. "This was about breaking even and getting the word out, letting the community know what we've done, what we're doing, and where we're going." 

    After the event, many headed to Emigrant Lake to camp out. But what happens around the campfire, stays around the campfire. 




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