Addi carrying a chainsaw on the hike back to camp from the top of Lost Ridge.
Nearing the end of the season, I can confidently say I am in the best physical shape of my life. I think throughout the season you don't notice yourself becoming less and less winded on the hike in or feeling not so sore at the end of the day because regardless you'll still wake up achy the next morning and want to do very little the first day or two of off hitch. But all of a sudden I realize the cumulative effects of working 8 days in a row in the steep mountains of the Great Burn historical area when I’m hiking in my free time and easily outpacing my partner with a much bigger stride than me, he just can't keep up. Or how this last hitch near Liz Creek Cabin I am able to haul load after load of rock to build a turnpike and culvert to replace a rotten out puncheon hour after hour, day after day.
As a member of the GCBA’s trail crew partnered with the Forest Service in the North Fork district of the Clearwater National Forest, I have the joy of working in some beautiful remote locations. Most of our hitches require an 1-4 hour drive, almost exclusively on dirt roads that curve, bend and run alongside the North Fork river. A big focus on the work the crew has completed this season has been clearing trails that have been completely blocked by blowdown from wind events that happened this previous winter. It has been incredible to see the variations in trees that are down from great big green grand furs to the most dull grey and dried snags left over from wildfires in the past. From hiking and clearing mile after mile of trail, you never know how thick the jackstraw is going to be just around the next corner.
Photo Abbi took from on top of the retired fire lookout at Mallard Peak.
Each hitch has taken us to a new area or trail in the region to explore through our work and it has shown me the vastness and lush landscape of the Great Burn mission area. I am originally from Washington and have been living in Montana since 2024. What I love about the areas I get to work in with GBCA is seeing the mix of plants, trees, and wildlife in the state between where I grew up and where I call home today. The vibrant and dense underbrush filled with ferns feels so familiar to what I would find in Washington while the dry, rocky saddles remind me of the drought climate of Montana. The Clearwater National forest truly is so beautiful and special, it is clear to me why so many people find enjoyment playing in the woods of this area.
This season has been a season of growth and learning for me in the Great Burn. I am happy to share that over the course of about 10 hitches I have grown more comfortable and confident as a sawyer, learned how to operate an Alaskan mill to turn douglas fur logs into planks to be nailed down to our multi-stringer bridge spanning a creek, and am still terrified to drive a 4 wheeler (I don't think that will ever change no matter how many trails I ride on).