Teachings of the (Wet) Backcountry

15 Steps to Sanity in the Wet Backcountry

1) Don’t set your tent on a wood pad, raindrops will bounce and get your tent wet from the inside. Always opt for the unlevel ground under that dry tree.

2) Just put on the wet socks. They’ll be wet anyways after you put on those wet boots.

3) If the rain lets up, don’t expect it to stay that way. Do what you need to do while you can still stay relatively dry (tear down tent, pee, etc.).

4) Fires warm your soul and put you in a better mood.

5) Smile at the sun as it may not last long.

6) Wet nights are some of the coldest, but cloudy nights are some of the warmest…

7) Even Ziploc bags aren’t waterproof forever.

8) There will be a day that your stuff dries out again. I know it doesn’t seem true, but trust me.

9) Shorts are warmer when everything is soaked because there’s less material touching your skin.

10) The driest part of the backpack seems to be right under the lid. Do with this as you will.

11) Pack extra garbage bags, you dummie.

12) These ridiculous cold, wet tent nights and hiking days won’t last forever, so soak (haha) them up while you can.

13) Keep your dang sleeping bag dry and you’ll survive just fine.

14) Put all things on top of your sleeping pad during the day in case the tent leaks through the floor.

15) Take a second and breathe, all will be okay, and you’ll look back and think “it wasn’t really so bad afterall.”

Yours Truly, Ranger Joelle

What's the HYPE about anyways?

I’m here to tell you all you need to know about HYPE, why it’s important, and why you should care. So first off, I guess I should tell you what HYPE even means anyways.

HYPE is most commonly the fancy abbreviation for Hypericum perforatum. This specifically is the Common St John’s Wort species. Yeah, you’ve probably heard of St. John’s Wort before and you probably also know that it’s a noxious weed. Hah! You didn’t know the HYPE was all about invasive weeds did you?! Well hold your horses before you leave, because HYPE isn’t just that - did you know that there’s actually several species of Hypericum and they’re NOT invasive. You heard me right folks! There’s native HYPE out there - and that’s what I want you to get HYPEed about. Now are ya with me?!

Common St Johns Wort (the bad HYPE)

Western St Johns Wort (the native HYPE)

First though, let’s get all the nitty-gritty of the noxious invasive out of the way. Let me hit you with some fast facts:

1. It was listed as a noxious weed in 1988.

2. Can be toxic to horses and livestock.

3. Spreads on disturbed, open, and dry areas.

4. Klamath beetles work as a biocontrol and feed on these plants. GBCA actually gets to release some of these each year!

5. One plant can produce over 10,000 seeds in a SINGLE year!

Okay, but here’s the cool thing: there’s a species of HYPE around here that’s native - what we call Western St. John’s Wort (Hypericum scouleri). And we’ve been seeing a lot of it this year! Now let’s hear about this HYPE:

1. Tends to grow in more wet and higher elevations.

2. Is shorter that Common HYPE.

3. Only present in the western states, whereas H. perforatum has a wide range.

4. Generally just cuter, and grows in smaller patches.

Lucky for us, these plants tend to grow in different environments which means WE don’t have to get them confused, and the bad stuff can still be treated and monitored. So there it is, now you know a little more about the HYPE.

For any further questions or ways to get involved in weed control or monitoring, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you!

Happy Trails to Co-Executive Director Skye Borden

Skye Borden, our Co-Executive Director for the last three years, will leave the Great Burn Conservation Alliance in mid-August to serve as the Deputy Director for the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center. 

We say goodbye to Skye with enormous gratitude for the strategic guidance, creativity, and laughter that she’s brought to the organization. During her time at the Great Burn, she and Co-Executive Director Hayley Newman oversaw a significant expansion of our longstanding stewardship programs, added new full-time staff positions, and doubled our membership through outreach and engagement efforts. 

“The Great Burn is truly one of America’s last best places, and it has been an honor to work the past few years to protect this special landscape,” said Skye. “I am amazed by the strength of the community surrounding the Great Burn – from the staff and board, to our passionate volunteers. I am looking forward to staying in touch as a lifelong supporter of the Great Burn and the GBCA.” 

Hayley will continue to serve in a leadership role after Skye’s departure. We plan to hire new staff this fall to replace Skye’s fundraising and policy roles.  

Fire Resistance: Among the Trees

The forests are pretty awesome in ways that they are able to protect themselves whether it be against beetles, fungi, fire, or even humans. This week, we’re highlighting three of our resident firefighters in the forest. These guys play a big part in fire behavior, fire ecology, and post-fire revegetation. Next time your out and run across one of these friends make sure you thank them (yes, be a tree-hugger!) for everything they do in the forest.

Western Larch

Larix occidentalis

Western larch is the most fire resistant tree we have around here. Its bark helps to insulate it against fire and can be up to 6” thick at the base! By self-pruning, or dropping their lower branches, they create less of a risk of the fire climbing into the crown. And also, their needles are not very flammable since they are replaced each year. Western larch regenerates the best in open areas with lots of light, so they are one of the first colonizers following a fire.

Ponderosa pine

Pinus ponderosa

This tree is special as even its young saplings are considered highly fire resistant. Their long needles help to shield their buds from heat and flames. Ponderosa pine does not have much lichen growth and typically grows in more open habitats. Their roots dig deep into the ground. Ponderosa pine actually has the best regeneration rate when on mineral soil and ash.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Although when mature they are considered very fire resistant, young Doug firs do not have the ability to stand up against fires, causing them to fall third on our list. Douglas fir has thick bark that helps the tree withstand medium intensity fires. They grow very slow which makes them a very strong tree in many aspects, however, their roots don’t grow as deep, they are known to have some beetle problems, and mistletoe growing in their branches gives more room for the fire to spread.

2023 Stewardship Trip recap

Kid Lake Meadow Restoration
Restoration Director (Chris) and Volunteer Coordinator (Kalyn) were joined by volunteers to aid in restoration efforts in Kid Lake Meadows. The group pulled over 50lbs of the noxious weed, St. John’s Wort, established 2 new Standard Impact Monitoring Protocol (SIMP) plots, and surveyed the newly established SIMP plots.

These SIMP plots will be surveyed every year to monitor for:

1. Noxious weed populations (and the effectiveness of treatment)

2. Biocontrol populations that keep those weeds in check

Monitoring biological control agents is an essential component of a successful biological control program. Capturing this data helps us accurately document the impact of this weed management practice. SIMP is a nationally recognized platform that has been adopted to capture data and perform analysis on biocontrol release sites. The data captured is used to document vegetation cover, weed density, and biological control agent abundance. This type of monitoring allows us to track trends in both of these populations, which will help us to determine how effective different treatments are over time.

Heart Lake Trail Improvement

Stewardship Coordinator, Joelle, was joined by volunteers to assist the USFS trail crew with trail improvements on the well used trail 171! A bulk of the work was centered around re-directing a portion of the trail in order to mitigate tree root damage. Volunteers worked hard to clear the new section of trail.

Species Highlight: Western Red Cedar (thuja plicata)

Overview

The Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is a special tree that we are lucky to have in the Great Burn area. There are many groves to be found on and off the trails - some old growth, and some new that are now thriving. Although fairly common, this tree should not be taken for granted as it has held great cultural and ecosystem importance throughout time.

Fast Facts

1. The Western red cedar is not a true cedar, it’s actually part of the cypress family.

2. Most commonly in damp or wet forest.

3. This is a coastal disjunct species found in the Great Burn mission area.

4. Can live over 1,000 years.

5. Can grow between 100-200 feet tall.

6. Fallen branches can actually develop roots and form a new tree.

7. Second growth wood is not as resist to decay as old growth trees.

8. The reason why you may sneeze around cedar is because it contains plicatic acid which in itself provokes asthma and allergies.

9. Bark is traditionally used for baskets, nets, and rope.

10. Cedar is special due to its durability and its relative light weight.

11. Has rich cultural value among many tribes, many times being referenced as the “Tree of Life.”

12. It seems nearly impossible to walk by one without hugging it.

Field Crew Update

It has been a busy start to the field season in the Great Burn! Let's check in with a few of our crews and see what they have been up to. 

Trail Crew 

What would we do without trail crews? Trails would become choked with downed trees and water crossings would become MUCH more difficult. Our 2 person trail crew of Ella and Kaleb, with help from GBCA liaison Tim Lewis,  work alongside the USFS to ensure that trails in the Great Burn and surrounding roadless areas get the TLC they need. 

Ella, Kaleb, and Tim have helped clear over 300 downed trees from trails so far!

Roving Restoration Crew

The Roving Restoration Crew, Leo and Emmet, have covered over 100 miles in the Great Burn so far this summer! They have a few different objectives as they make their way:

1. Inventory established Standard Impact Monitoring Protocol (SIMP) plots in order to track vegetation cover over time in treatment areas.

2. Establish new SIMP plots in conjunction with biocontrol releases to monitor effectiveness.

3. Record any invasive weed populations along the way so that those areas can be treated next season.

Kelly Creek Restoration Crew

The Kelly Creek Restoration Crew is based out of Hanson Meadows. They will continue treatment of invasive weeds throughout the summer and monitor past treatment areas.

Lolo Forest Plan Update

This month, staff and board members have been busy engaging with the Lolo Forest Plan Revision. This plan will guide management decisions on the Forest for decades to come, and we want to ensure that it contains strong protections for wildlife and wild places in the Great Burn.

In the past month, we’ve done the following work to influence plan outcomes:

• Attended planning events and a roundtable workshop with Forest Supervisor Carolyn Upton

• Hosted Forest Service decisionmakers on informational field trips in the Great Burn

• Worked with rural community partners to secure collaborative support for wilderness values

• Submitted comments on the Draft Assessment and Species of Conservation Concern List

Right now, the Forest is scheduled to begin “scoping” this fall. This process is designed to get public feedback on what management actions are needed, and it’s a great opportunity for concerned citizens (like you!) to get engaged in the process.

If you would like to learn more about forest planning, we recommend looking through Lolo’s “Meeting in a Box” website. This helpful resource contains short background pages that explain how the plan will deal with a wide range of topics, including climate change, connectivity, wilderness and more.

Flora in the Field: All about Heath (Ericaceae)

The members of the Ericaceae family are grouped together based on similar reproductive structures, appearance, and preferred growing conditions. Many of these plants are found in well-drained soils in the dark cover of a canopy or in the high elevations of the mountains.

Some that we have featured are truly special in that they are saprophytes. This means that the plant lives on dead, organic decaying matter. Because of this, saprophytes don’t need green leaves as they don’t conduct photosynthesis.

Check out some of the awesome heath plants found in this region!

Pink Pyrola (Pyrola asarifolia)

Can also be known as wintergreen. Flowers sprout from a long, bare stem. Drooping and waxy, flowers have five white-pink petals with long protruding stamens. Blossom from the bottom up. Leaves are leathery and round, being dark green. Only two at the base of each plant. Found in wet soil, around streams, and in dense forests. 

Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

A very strange and eerie-looking plant with a single waxy (almost translucent) stem that grows in groups. Stems are about one foot tall and droop at the top with a single flower. Flower typically comes in after a rain. Found in wet forest with thick cover. Turns black when dry at the end of season.

Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellate)

Also known as Prince’s Pine. A short but rising stem is topped with several, nodding, small white flowers. Each has five round petals with a large green center. Before they bloom, flowers are curled in tight balls. Leaves are leathery, waxy, and sharply toothed coming to a point at the end. Found in moist, dense forests. 

Creeping Wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa)

A very short low-growing, creeping plant. Has rounded, glossy leaves, about ¼ in. Most visible with fruits which are small, round, red berries. Flowers grow singly on a stem. Is ground covering and often seen on the backslope of trails. Leaves and berries are edible and taste like wintergreen.  

Red Heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis)

Is also called mountain heath. Can be mistaken for a small, mat-spreading evergreen tree due to its needle-like leaves. Grows in a mat in high meadows and dry side slopes. Flowers are small and pink and bell-shaped. They grow in clusters at the tips of the branches. There are other species with different colored blooms. 

Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea)

An absolutely beautiful, eye-catching saprophyte (lives on dead organic matter) can grow tall, up to three feet. Towering over most other undergrowth. The stem is a dark red with silvery hairs. Flowers are incredible and small, as the little globe-shaped bells droop and line the plant all the way up. The white of the flowers with the red stalk truly sets them apart. Found in lower elevation, dense woods. Usually occur individually or in small groups. 

Candystick (Allotropa virgate)

A surreal-looking plant that brings Christmas-like feelings. ½ - 1½ft tall, this white saprophyte with vertical red stripes really stands out in the understory. The dark red flowers line the stalk which are undertaken with white leave-like structures. Usually sprouts after a heavy rain. Flowers darken after prime bloom and entire plant becomes less vibrant. Found in dense forests. 

One-sided Pyrola (Pyrola secunda)

Typically found in groups, low to the forest floor. A pastel-green, nonvibrant line of flowers goes up a single side of the short flowering stalk (hence the name). These are typically bent to one side due to uneven weight distribution. Flowers are small, green bells with a protruding style. Leaves are dark green and oval and grow from the base of the 3 in flowering stem. Found in dense forests.

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.