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. 

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"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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