V.I.P. Crew kills it

Vulcan Lake, where the VIP crew camped for their last night. 

10 September 2013 | Ashland, OR -- Last week a crew of five were busy recovering sections of the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route between Vulcan Lake and Box Canyon Creek. Work got thick near Johnson Butte, about 5.5-miles from the trailhead near where the crew camped.

After 

Before on Johnson Butte Trail No 1110

We ran right into the same sections of trail that were jackstrawed and cleared in 2011, where there are still huge stands of snags killed by the 2002 Biscuit Fire. While it's frustrating to be re-working the same sections, we can't imagine what things would look like if we hadn't started this project when we did.

The crew worked on the trail two long days and cleared over a mile of trail that was going to be lost under brush and windfall. They hiked out Thursday and spent that night at Vulcan Lake.

This section of the Trans-Kalmiopsis Route contains huge Kalmiopsis leachiana botanical areas, rocky ridgetops and views out of this world.

Good news: It looks like the rate of seasonal windfall in these threatened sections is slowing down, which means our goal of having the route to standard by 2020 is possible, especially with some good news we're going to release in our Summer Round Up Trip Report coming October 1.

This was a VIP trip made up of repeat volunteers who were invited.

More pictures from the trip. 

Scholarship crew looks towards their future

9 September 2013 | Ashland, OR -- This July four high school seniors from southern Oregon spent 15 days in the Kalmiopsis federal Wilderness Area. They hiked in 105 degree weather. They clipped brush and sawed logs. They lived for two weeks without any amenities. And they got a $1,500 scholarship for college.

In a few weeks they will go to college with a little less financial burden. But that's not all. The lessons they learned on the trail are going to help them succeed. Here are a few things they said about their experience in anonymous surveys.

"I got over my fear of heights."

"I'm better equipped to dealing with life."

"I learned to listen to my body and take better care of it."

"I'm making more pro-active decisions."

"I made a list of objectives to help prepare me for school."

This pilot program was successful, and we learned a lot to improve it for next year. Thanks to our Director's Society and other members for donating the scholarships. A detailed trip report will be included in our Summer Round-Up Report coming in late September.

Crew of Crazy Clippers

25 August 2013 | Kerby, OR -- Last friday three Siskiyou Mountain Club volunteers woke up as early as 3am for a full day of clipping in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area. Why did they get up so early?

The Babyfoot Lake Trailhead is a couple of hours away, and the project site is a tough four-mile hike in from there. And after clipping brush for six hours, an even more arduous hike out.

Before

The volunteers were busy attacking a 1200' section of thick brush along the Emily Cabin Trail between Babyfoot Lake and the Chetco River. The work site is hard to each, and far from water sources, but that didn't stop Tom, Sam and Micah from waking up before dawn to take a bite out of this section that plagues hikers.

After

 "The road bed is easily discernible, but the brush is in places six feet high," says SMC Executive Director Gabe Howe. "I'm really sick of walking through it with my crews to the Chetco," where trail conditions are even more volatile.

Before

SMC crews get an early start so they can beat the heat and capitalize on daylight, instead of hiking and working in the hottest part of the day in an environment with no shade.

After

The crew was back home by 9pm. That's a long day, and our volunteers aren't your typical Saturday morning do-gooders. There's still about eight hundred feet in this section that needs to be worked. 

Boats and Boots Backpack Fundraiser

"I promise not to make you do trail work on this amazing four-day adventure with Indigo Creek Outfitters" - Gabe Howe

1 August 2013 | Ashland, OR -- This October join Indigo Creek Outfitters and Siskiyou Mountain Club for a fall adventure on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. We'll hike the 42-mile Rogue River Trail with lavish raft support, which means all you've got to carry is what you need for the day.

On the third and final night you'll sleep in a bed at Paradise Lodge. And each day you'll be gently guided by Siskiyou Mountain Club executive director and outdoor writer Gabe Howe (me). Fall is a great time for wildlife in the rugged Rogue River Canyon, and I have a lot of stories and knowledge to share.

I've been rafting this section of the Rogue for over twenty years, and hiking it for about ten. My time as a caretaker at the Rogue River Ranch got me far off the beaten path, and I can't wait to share this experience.

The trip is well worth $1070 per person, and 10% of the proceeds go to benefit the Siskiyou Mountain Club's efforts to restore historic trails and put area youth to work in the woods. This is your chance to have a load of fun and make a real difference to make sure trails like the one you'll be hiking stay open for the next generation to enjoy.

Go to http://indigocreekoutfitters.com/vacations/boats-and-boots-rogue-river-hiking/ for more information and to reserve your spot today!