WOW Projects 2021

Nine volunteers (including crew lead) travel to and did maintenance work for one and a half days in the on the Little Queens/Queens River trails in the Sawtooth Wilderness. The first day the crew started early (7:30) because of warm temps and spent the day mostly clearing downed trees and cleaning water dips/bars on the first 1.6 miles of the Little Queens River trail. Unfortunately, there were quite a few large trees that came down over the winter (much of this section was cleared last fall). The second day we opted to work on the Queens River trail instead up hiking back up the Little Queens trail (this was advised by the USFS contact). Again, we spent much of our half day clearing larger downed trees, clearing previously installed drains, and constructing two new water bars.

In total, the ITA crew members spent 108 hours working on this project. This total is for actual trail work hours from the time leaving camp to return. The crew cleared and re-opened an estimated 1.65 miles of the Little Queens trail #454 and 1.3 miles of the Queens River trail #458. Work accomplished: 25 trees removed, 12 water bars/dips cleaned, 2 log water bars construct, ~150 yards of brushing. Minimal tread work was needed.

A crew of 6 volunteers worked the Flossie Trail #024 from the junction with the Chamberlain trail #001 to the junction with the Highline trail #017, approximately 6.5 miles. Maintenance included clearing downfall along the trail, brushing and cleaning waterbars. The crew also worked a mile of the Chamberlain trail #001 parallel to the N-S airstrip between the USFS station and the Flossie trail junction. ITA's executive director and volunteer also worked the Chamberlain trail #001 from Stonebraker Ranch to just south of Dry Meadows, approximately 9 miles, and the newly reconstructed trail from the Stonebraker Ranch cabins along Chamberlain Creek on Idaho Fish and Game property to the junction of the #033 and #026 trails, approx. 1 mile. Pack stock support was provided out of the Stonebraker Ranch.

In total the crew put in 320 hours of work and 12 hours of volunteer pack support. They removed 173 downed logs, brushed ~1 mile of trail, and cleaned 3 waterbars on 16.5 miles of trail.  

ITA teamed up with Wild Idaho Outfitters out of Challis, ID to put on an introduction to stock packing clinic and to do maintenance work on the West Fork Camas Creek #128 and Pole Creek #129 trails in the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. All together, we had 14 people - 8 volunteers, an ITA crew leader, the ITA executive director, Wild Idaho Outfitters owner and daughter, stock packing clinic volunteer instructor, and camp cook.

In total, the group spent ~180 hours performing general trail maintenance. The crew cleared the West Fork Camas Creek trail from the trailhead to the West Fork Lakes (~7.5 miles) and a small portion (~0.3 miles) of the Pole Creek trail. The crew removed 49 trees, cleared brush and small trees from ~3/4 mile of trail, and did tread work on ~1/2 mile of trail. No drainage work was performed.

 woodrivertrailscoalition.org 

ITA/WRTC had a total of 12 volunteers (including 2 crew leaders) travel to and do maintenance work for 1.5 days on the West Fork Trail Creek #126 trail in the Ketchum Ranger District of the Sawtooth National Forest.

ITA has been doing a co-op WOW trip with WRTC since 2019 and plan to continue doing so. This is a great way to strength our partnership and introduce volunteers to each group. WRTC was considered the lead on this trip and selected the West Fork Trail Creek trail after coordination with Ketchum Ranger District staff.

In total, ITA volunteers spent 140 hours working on this project. The crew worked a 2.5-mile section of the West Fork Trail Creek trail, removing 12 downed trees from the trail, built 10 water drains, built two short large rock pathway through two small boggy areas, did tread work on 1,800 ft of trail and cleared brush and small trees from ~1000 ft of the trail corridor.

ITA had 6 volunteers spend 36 hours working the Chimney Rock trail. The volunteers carried loppers and small saws only, due to reports that no trees were down across the trail, and it was unknown if tread or other work requiring heavier tools would be necessary. While hiking the length of the trail, it was observed that only brushing was required. We cleared up to a rocky outcropping where the scenery opened, Chimney rock appeared, and the trail became a steep use trail marked with cairns along granite slabs. 

ITA had a total of 9 volunteers travel to and do maintenance work for 2.5 days on the Caton Lake Trail #44 in the Cascade Ranger District of the Boise National Forest. In total, ITA volunteers spent 124 hours working on this project. The crew worked a 1.5-mile section of trail, removing 185 downed trees from the trail (some removed by hand others had to be cut with a saw), installed 3 log check dams, installed 5 log water bars, cleaned 11 existing water bars, and cleared brush and small trees from ~1500 ft of the trail corridor. 

There was not time to scout the trail all the way to Caton Lake but it is safe to assume there will be more trees to clear between where we stopped and the lake.

Please consider renewing or becoming a member today. Your membership dollars help support and grow programs like the Women-Only Weekends.

*I've set up a my own peer-to-peer fundraiser for the membership drive and am hoping to raise $2000! The board members always have a bit of fun rivaling against each other to see who can help raise the most money. Can you help me reach my goal?  givelively.org/donate/idaho-trails-association/2021-membership-drive/pam-i-bond 

If you'd rather just renew/become a member through the primary fundraiser, you can visit:  givelively.org/donate/idaho-trails-association/2021-membership-drive