CFI's Yale Crew 2008

10 Resources for Getting into Trail Work

As many of you may know I am now working for the Pacific Crest Trail Association as their Southern California Regional Representative.  I love hiking, trails (especially the PCT) and I am honored to be an advocate for one of our National Scenic Trails.  Many people ask me how they can get involved with trails and how they could have a job like mine.  I have listed 10 resources for people looking to break into trail work, trail maintenance, and/or trail construction.  Without further ado…

1. Professional Trail Builders Association:  whether you are looking for a job or resources, this website will give you a great starting point.
2. The Student Conservation Association:  if you are 15 or older, you can get involved with this Conservation Association, check out their programs, opportunities to earn education awards and opportunities to live and work outdoors. 
3. The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps:  if you are 16 or older, you have the opportunity to be on one of the Corps Crews, living and working outside, earning an education awards and having a great experience.  I have worked with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) before and they run a great program and support their crew members. 
4. Southwest Conservation Corps:  another opportunity for those 16 and older.  Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) has a few offices in southern Colorado and Arizona and offers the opportunity to live and work in the outdoors.
5. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative:  this is where I worked seasonally for two summers.  They have many options from volunteering, to becoming a volunteer peak steward or applying for one of their field positions.  If you are looking for experience, the Outdoor Leadership Intern (OLI) might be the position for you.
6. The Los Angeles Conservation Corps:  according to their website the LA Conservation Corps’ primary mission is to provide at-risk young adults and school-aged youth with opportunities for success by providing them with job skills training, education and work experience with an emphasis on conservation and service projects that benefit the community.”
7. The California Conservation Corps:  if you are between 18 and 25 this program could be for you.  Even though they tout “Hard work, low pay, miserable conditions…and more!” as their motto, their mission is “protecting and restoring California’s environment and responding to disasters, becoming stronger workers, citizens and individuals through their service.”
8. The Continental Divide Trail Alliance:  this is the youngest of the three major organizations advocating for the three north/south National Scenic Trails.  They have a volunteer program that grows every year.  If you are in the Rockies, check out their “Get Involved” page.
9. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy:  the ATC runs tons of trail projects each year.  To find out more, or to plan a volunteer vacation, check out their “Get Involved” page. 
10. The Pacific Crest Trail Association:  did you really think I wasn’t going to mention the PCTA?  Of course I am!  Whether you are looking to volunteer or searching for a job, the PCTA may have something for you.  Looking for volunteer work?  Click on the “Volunteer” icon on the right hand side bar.  Looking for season work?  We usually post seasonal (and full time) job opportunities on the left hand side bar, but just to be safe, check out our “employment” page. 

Bonus:

1. The American Hiking Society:  AHS runs many volunteer vacations.  In many instances you may end up working with one of the groups I mentioned above as many of their vacations coincide with projects that the SCA, PCTA, ATC etc. are running.  The AHS site give people a nation wide view of possibilities.
2. The US Forest Service:  The USFS has many opportunities for volunteering in your local forest.  Just look up your local forest and look for volunteer opportunities.  If you can’t find them on the website, give the Ranger Station a call, the should be able to point you in the right direction. 

Any resources I am missing?  Please let me know…

Mt. Massive 2009: Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

Jessie, Nigel, Meredith, Hannah, Sarah, Jennie and Hannan

August 2^nd found me at the Mt. Massive Overflow trailhead meeting up with a crew from Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) and Joe.  This crew was comprised of 6 women, Sarah, Jennie, Hannah, Meredith, Jessie and Lauren, and 3 guys, Hannan, Nigel and Pete.  10 of us began hiking in (Nigel didn’t join us for a few days as he was at a family reunion).  It took us about 2.5 hours to hike into base camp. 

We set up, ate and then headed back down to the trailhead.  We had to make a second trip because we had a lot of food (we were packing in for 10 days).  On the way down, Joe ran into a man who seemed to need help getting down the trail.  I caught up with them and walked with them as well.  The man seemed tired and wobbly on his feet.  We stayed with him and made sure he got to his truck and he was fine (I later saw him in Leadville at a restaurant). 

After getting to our truck, Joe and I went to town, ran some errands, I got a calzone from High Mountain Pies and we hiked back in. 

August 3^rd found us quarrying rock, lots and lots of rock.  We also got stormed off the mountain.  We managed to get about 8 hours of work in so it was a good day but we like to get a bit more done if possible.  This day also found one of our teammates discovering that this job wasn’t for her.  It’s a tough situation but we want our crew to have a good experience and this was just a bit much (2.5 mile hike to the worksite each day at 13,500 feet in elevation) for someone right out the gate.

August 4^th found us saying goodbye to Lauren and Pete (who hiked her out).  We continued to quarry rock at the work site and looked forward to the next day so we could begin building structures.  Quarrying rock happens to be one of my least favorite jobs so I was excited to build. 

From August 5^th through the end of the hitch on the 11^th we mostly built structures, we build 3 tier walls, a mono wall, a section of crush fill retained by rock, a 5 step stone staircase and started (and half completed) an 8 step stone staircase.  There was also a bit of tread scratched and we started to re-contour the current trail (since we’ll have to restore it in a few weeks). 

Over all, we had a good hitch.  We met some really nice, fun people, I got to hang out with a bunch of BMW’s (burly mountain women) which is always refreshing and we had some fun at camp playing games, listening to music, playing guitars.  We didn’t quite get as much done on the trail as I was hoping but that’s usually the case as I have high aspirations for each group. 

The next hitch we’ll get a new group from RMYC (Pete will be their leader) and we’ll also get to work with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC).  Hoping to get the entire reroute done before the VOC get’s in for their long weekend.  I’d love to have them doing the restoration work as I think they could really get it all done.  I think it might be tight to get all of the high priority work done this summer, but I think it’s doable, just have to keep the end goal in mind, keep everyone safe and have some fun.  It’s a tall order but someone’s gotta do it. 

Mt. Massive 2009:  Todd, Chris B., David and Becky

Becky, David, Todd and Joe littering a rock across the tundra.

July 15^th we started up the trail, Joe, Me, Todd, Chris B. and Laraine from RMYC.  We had just chatted with Chris from the Forest Service who was out putting up a new sign encouraging people to fill out a permit at the self registration box at the trail head.  They are free and are a good way for the Forest Service to get an idea of the amount of usage the Mt. Massive Wilderness is getting. 

We made our way up the trail, established camp and made dinner.  On the hike in, we noticed some vandalism, writing in blue marker, on one of the new signs that had been put up in the last year or so.  It got me pretty steamed to see that vandalism on the sign.  There is no excuse for that, none. 

On the 16^th and 17^th we mainly quarried rocks, lots and lots of rocks.  This is probably one of my least favorite things to do.  It is a necessary evil.  It’s so much easier to quarry with 4 people and since Chris was only going to be working with us for 2 days, we needed to take advantage of his strength and quarry.  It would make setting the rocks much easier later. 

On the 18^th, it was just the three of us, Todd, Joe and me.  Chris B. had to leave and it was great to have him on the mountain for even just a few days.  Thanks Chris!  Today we set a bunch of steps.  It was very tiring but felt good to build things and create stone steps. 

After a few more days of building with Todd and Joe my friends David and Becky (a husband and wife team) hiked in on July 22^nd.  It was great to see them again as I hadn’t seen them in quite some time.  I originally met them while they were hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and kept running into them while I was doing weekend hikes.  We ended up keeping in touch and now they are in camp, ready to help us build the new Mt. Massive assent trail.  Great people!

The entire hitch was great.  We all hiked out on July 24^th and even though David and Becky were only there for 2 nights, one work day, it was a great way to end the hitch.  They did a great job setting the rest of a two tier wall.  Kudos also have to go to Todd.  Todd is a teacher who volunteered to work with us for the entire hitch, all 10 days.  He did a great job of building stone staircases and monowalls.  He was also great to have in camp with us and taught me a thing or two about cooking (as he went to culinary school).  We couldn’t have gotten as much work done without the help of everyone so thanks Chris, Todd, David and Becky.  I hope to work with you again soon!