Celebrating The Wilderness Act of 1964

Last Friday we hosted a Wilderness Rendezvous along with the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, and Wild Montana. A celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. If you’re a wilderness advocate, you’ve surely heard of this wonderful act with the sole purpose to “establish a National Wilderness Preservation System for the permanent good of the whole people, and for other purposes.” To read the entire act, head over to Wilderness Connect. Read on to learn more about the five characteristics of wilderness.

Natural

Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of modern civilization.

Examples of what degrades this quality:

loss of native species, pollution, water flow changes, climate change

Solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation

Wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation.

Examples of what degrades this quality:

facilities including outhouses and cabins

restrictions on visitors

visitor sounds

sights of people outside of the wilderness (ie. city lights in skyscape)

Undeveloped

Wilderness retains its primeval character and influence, and is essentially without permanent improvement or modern human occupation

Examples of what degrades this quality:

admin buildings, weather facilities, any other structures

use of motorized or mechanized transportation

inholdings (places that are private in the midst of public land)

Untrammeled

Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from the actions of modern human control or manipulation

Examples of what degrades this quality:

authorized actions that manipulate or hinder the community of life (ie. fire suppression, weed spraying, collared wildlife, stocking fish)

Other features

Wilderness “may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.”

Examples of what degrades this quality:

damage or loss of these features (ie. vandalized hieroglyphs, burned historical buildings)

Celebrating 60 Years

After learning about the different characters of wilderness quality, can you think of examples within the Great Burn proposed wilderness that have these characters and some areas that have been negatively impacted? Some of these negative impacts can be managed and improved. During our stewardship trips, we learn a lot about wilderness character, LNT practices, and backcountry ethics, all while getting some work done on the landscape.

How to Stay Dry and Warm in this Drippy Weather

Hey all! Back with another rendition of teachings of the wet backcountry. The rain keeps a lot of people indoors (and yes I totally understand), but sometimes these dreary days can bring the best of memories on a foggy ridgeline or among the crying trees. But, as the season wears on and the days grow cooler, it’s important to know how to keep yourself warm and dry at the end of the day. We’ve combined a few tips to keep in mind on your next venture into the rain (or snow!) Comment below any other tricks you’ve picked up during your years of journeys.

1. Line your pack with a heavy duty trash bag. For me, this always seems to be more effective than the over-the-pack covers.

2. Always keep one dry pair of socks to wear when you’re sleeping. Don’t sacrifice your dry socks for a couple seconds of relief in your already wet boots!

3. If things get really chilly, heat up water and put it in a Nalgene to throw in your sleeping bag with you. Be sure not to burn yourself… put the Nalgene in a sock if you’re concerned.

4. Pack two pairs of gloves - ones to wear and get wet on the trail, and another pair to wear while you’re warm in the tent.

5. Wear a Buff on the trail! It can keep your neck warm or your ears warm… it dries fast, and can even work as a handkerchief.

6. Don’t forget you still need to hydrate in the cold! Pack yourself a warm beverage on a day hike, or treat yourself mid-day by pulling out your stove and making some fresh hot cocoa.

7. Build a fire! Remember to practice LNT principles, but building a fire can be one of the best, tried-and-true ways of warding off the cold. And not only do they serve the physical warm purpose, but they also help to make the long, dark nights a little shorter.

8. Use iodine tablets or a gravity water filter instead of trying to pump or squeeze with cold, stiff fingers.

9. Ziploc bags are your friend! Quart-sized freezer bags work great for keeping the cell phone dry. Gallon-sized bags are awesome for storing your book or journal.

10. Carry an extra trash bag (or two). They can dub as a poncho, extra pack liner, or a place to store wet things and keep them separate from your still-dry things.

Hiking in the rain can seem like a rather miserable and daunting task (don’t get me wrong, I’ve shared many complaints this season), however, if you have the right gear and are confident in being able to stay warm, you can focus on the little things that make the dreary day wonderful. That break in the clouds. The way those raindrops gather on that leaf. The tears falling from the tree needles. The way that footfalls seem so silent in the pouring rain. The brief moment of the rainbow among the fog and clouds.

Cheers and Happy Trails y’all. Stay warm out there! Drop your suggestions in the comments below.

David Meurer Memorial Fund Update

GBCA had the opportunity to collaborate with TRIO-Upward Bound this summer to coordinate a day hike for their students in the Great Burn.  

TRIO-Upward Bound hosts an annual six-week residential program at the University of Montana for participating high school students. Enrollment in the program is based on financial need, with preference given to students who would be the first generation to attend college. During this program students live on campus, take courses to prepare them for the upcoming school year, and participate in a variety of fun activities. 

Through this collaboration, we were able to take forty-five high school students into the Great Burn on a hike to Heart Lake. This was a great opportunity to expose these students to the outdoors and connect them to public lands. Our main goal for the hike was to show students that places like this exist and that it is a public resource. 

Co-Executive Director Hayley and Volunteer Coordinator Kalyn were able to accompany the group and represent GBCA. Kalyn gave a trail head safety talk and covered some important Leave No Trace principles so that we could have a safe day at Heart Lake. Once the students got the go ahead to begin hiking, it was hard to keep up! 

Each group had some ambitious trail blazers that had trip leaders wondering how they were going to keep up! With the help of some walkie talkies and the amazing RAs at Upward bound, everyone was able to hike at a pace that was comfortable for them and make it to the lake in their own time. 

Most students agreed that the view at the lake made the three mile hike worth it! There were also quite a few who opted to take a brisk swim (can you tell they are from Montana?). It was great to see that the students were having a good time out in nature, even if that meant being disconnected from technology. Entertainment came in the form of filtering their own water and trying to discern if the white patches on the ridge were mountain goats or snow. 

We hope that we are able to make this an annual collaboration and possibly expand the educational component.Donations from the David Meurer Memorial Fund allowed GBCA to rent the vehicles that were used to transport the students from the University to the trail head. Students also received a hat and some other GBCA swag. WIthout the generosity of those who donated to the fund, GBCA would not have been able to make this trip possible. 

To learn more about the David Meurer Memorial Fund, or to make a donation, visit https://www.greatburn.org/meurer-fund.

It's World Book Day, check out some of our Favorites

We’ve compiled a short list of just a few of our favorites for World Book Day. Enjoy, and let us know what you think! Are any of your favorites missing?

Snowbound

Ladd Hamilton

A cautionary tale of survival and death on the Lochsa, plus a special guest appearance by curmudgeonly fur trapper (and hot springs namesake) Jerry Johnson. This true story that can still raise an argument with people today. About young hunters traveling the Lolo Trail in 1893 who encounter record snows.

The big burn

Timothy Egan

A Great Burn essential, this book recounts the worst forest fire in American history. More than 10,000 men were assembled against the fire, but no one knew how to subdue flames like that. The book goes on to narrate the even larger story of Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot and their idea of creating public land.

The wolverine way

Douglas H Chadwick

This story divulges into the natural history of the wolverine and the many ways that its future is threatened. Following a five year study in Glacier National Park, Chadwick writes about the plight of the wolverine and the importance of connected habitat giving the animal the Freedom to Roam. We recommend this book because wolverines are the coolest animals ever, and there's some fun Montana backcountry adventure woven into the story.

Smokechaser

Warren Yahr

A true story told by the man himself, Yahr became a lookout at the Bungalow Ranger Station in the North Fork of the Clearwater NF in the 1940s. 16 years old at the time, he describes how he adapted to the isolations and provided for himself in the middle of the wilderness. A must-read, especially for anyone who is familiar with the Nez Perce-Clearwater.

Headquarters

Greg Gerot

Written by Pierce resident Greg Gerot, this beautiful novel tells the story of the life in the little company town of Headquarters, ID. Taking into account the history of the Great Depression and pre-World War II, the protagonist looks for a new start with a job and love that ultimately turns to war. This page-turner will keep you reading until you finish.

A river runs through it

Norman Maclean

A true Montana standard, A River Runs Through It narrates the story of two brothers who live in rural Montana spending much of their time fly fishing. This story tells about the separation and coming together again of a family and brothers. Keeping you in touch with the Montana landscape and raising many personal questions along the way, Maclean has created a classic.