Ashland, OR, April 6, 2012 – The Siskiyou Mountain
Club (SMC) will be hosting their 1st Annual Volunteer Appreciation
Night on Saturday, May 5 at Southern Oregon University’s Meese Art Auditorium.
Starting at 6 p.m., the SMC invites participants to enjoy appetizers, beverages
and bid on a silent auction. At 7 p.m.,
the SMC will start a presentation that features a virtual tour through the
Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, volunteer stories and granting of two awards. At 8
p.m. coffee and sweets will be ready for those who would like to stay and
mingle.
The Meese Art Auditorium is located at 1250 Siskiyou
Blvd next to Indiana Street, and those planning to attend should RSVP on the
sidebar at www.siskiyoumountainclub.org, or contact Gabe Howe at 503 545 4911
or howegabe(a)gmail.
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| Chetco River along the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route |
The 2002 Biscuit Fire left much of the Kalmiopsis
Wilderness Area’s 153-mile trail system impassable and dangerous. Over 2010 and
2011, SMC volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours clearing 21-miles of a
28-mile continuous route through the Kalmiopsis.
They work from remote camps for up to 10 days at a
time on a system of trails coined the “Trans-Kalmiopsis Route.” Access to the
route is from the Babyfoot Lake Trailhead west of Cave Junction, OR and the
Vulcan Lake Trailhead east of Brookings, OR. The route represents the only
current access into the upper reaches of the Chetco River, Oregon’s largest
unimpeded waterway renowned for its pristine clarity and record sized salmon. The
SMC plans on finishing the route this summer, which will mark the 10 year
anniversary of the Biscuit Fire, the largest wildfire in Oregon’s history.
“I’m just excited to get out there in the community
and show people what we’ve done and what we’re doing,” says Howe, the SMC’s
co-Founder and President. “We work on some of America’s most damaged trails and
in Oregon’s most remote, rugged wilderness. While it’s slow going, our work is very
real. We want to get the word out and give a night to the volunteers.”
He says the work is slow because chainsaws and other
mechanized equipment aren’t allowed in Wilderness Areas. Howe and his
volunteers cut through thousands of downed trees with crosscut saws, axes, and
other hand tools. But that doesn’t bother him. “I love crosscuts, at least when
they’re sharp. There are only a handful of people in Oregon who still know how
to condition and file them.”
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| The original SMC crew at Babyfoot Lake Trailhead. |
Formed in 2010, the SMC is a 501(c)(3) public charity
whose mission it is to promote, enhance and maintain primitive outdoor
destinations in the Siskiyou backcountry. They coordinate stewardship projects,
publish field guides and outdoor literature, and lead active outdoor adventures
for the public.
Those interested in the SMC should go to their
website, www.siskiyoumountainclub.org. There users can view a 2012 calendar of
events, sign up for work parties, and view digital maps of the SMC’s progress
in the Kalmiopsis.
