YOSEMITE-I BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL CREW
SEPTEMBER 2005 MONTHLY REPORT
PETER MARTINEZ, BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS SUPERVISOR

OVERVIEW:

On the western edge of the Siskiyou Wilderness, a fresh and dusty swath of tread leads through thick saddler’s oak and deep, rocky draws to a rich blue lake nestled between the horns of the Devil’s Punchbowl. Halfway to the switchbacks, a few paces off the trail, a firepit encircled by glowing faces fills the rocky camp with echoes of laughter, song and poetry.

The packers have arrived to lug off the substance of our lifestyle for the past months. Scattered around are tools, rope, pots and pans, but the traveling crew of 2005 is used to the chaos of moving day. We are ready to leave the safety and security of the wilderness, the comfort of rocks and roots cradling our aching backs, and the answer of the silent night.

The final weekend hike sends us down the fresh scar of trail, a new tattoo that will mark the map of the Klamath. Echoing not distant in the past is the tattoo of sledge, pick and Pulaski. Downhill for miles lie boulders rolled and trees fallen, a monument to the season’s spirit of strength and dedication. Each step of the hike reveals progress as the trail grows wider and smoother. What can’t be seen is the improved pace of production. The crew transformed the last switchback’s flagline into over 1,000 feet of tread in less than three days.

In the process of building this trail, Yosemite I has reached an understanding of ourselves as individuals and a unit. Through virtue and downfall we have become stronger, bolder and more alive.

Packing up camp and our tents, we sort through the odds and ends to decide what will come with us, strapped to our backs and what will be burned or discarded.

Similarly, we sort through the experiences from the summer and determine what will shape our lives and what we can let go of.

This is not necessarily the end of an adventure, but preparation to embark on the next one. We set off as one, with different trails to follow at this junction. Each of us shares the same moment in time where we stepped outside of modern society, humbled ourselves before the vast wilderness, and etched our lasting mark on the world.

September went out with a bang. We studied civics as Dan quizzed us on the differences between Canada’s parliament and America’s democracy while bribing us with candy. Our cook, Tom upped the ante, tormenting us with the promise of homemade cookies to confess our knowledge of American Presidents.

Everyone was rewarded with a sugar high for participating in the party committees Halloween bash. We learned to roll eggs with our faces in the dirt, run three-legged, and parade around in weird, weird getups.

Our last community meeting in the Klamath included a round of affirmations for all. The real time to reflect came through the 16 page questionnaire and essays the crew submitted as individual assessments of the season. A very special visit from Happy Camp District Ranger of the Klamath National Forest, Alan Van Divere, who recognized our achievements on and off the trail and asked us to share our best moments. Forest Service Packers Bill Roberts and Ken Graves followed up with cowboy poetry.

None

None

We celebrated

• Melissa’s birthday & Noah’s birthday.
• Tom’s lady friend Susan Wood visited just in time for the excitement of packing up camp.
• Our greatest thanks go out to those who guided, supported and inspired us. The season wouldn’t have been the same without you.
• Thanks to the Klamath National Forest staff who taught us to move dirt, rock and root: Our sponsor foreman, Orion George (Klamath-Trinity, 1997), along with Noah Robinson, Matt Marvin and Heather Bryant (Klamath-Trinity, 2002).
• Thanks especially to our Klamath cook, Tom Harrington, who took the longest hours everyday to feed the crew and fuel the project.
• Thanks to our pack support, Roger Hiatt, who packed supplies weekly, and Bill Roberts, Ken Graves, and Ellen Andrews, who packed camp in and out.
• Thanks to Six Rivers National Forest Recreation Officers Don Pass, Phil Bono, and Klamath Recreation Officer Togan Capozza for putting together this incredible project and flagging the trail (again and again).
• Thanks to Alan Van Divere, District Ranger for the Siskiyou Wilderness, for hosting our crew.
• Thanks to Wendell for giving the opportunity to consider the project from another perspective.
• Thanks to Ginger and Ida for entertaining and keeping camp bear-free.

Again, we’d like to thank the sponsors and cooks who helped in Yosemite and Stanislaus and contributed to a full variety of experiences throughout the spring.

Thanks again to the instructors and visitors who shared their knowledge and company. Thanks most of all to Peter Lewis, Larry Evans and the Backcountry staff that keeps the program going.

PRODUCTION:  

    SEPTEMBER   SEASON TOTALS

Trail Maintenance:    – 5.25 miles    — 35.1 miles  

Retainer bars:   – 12 each    — 72 each

Waterbars:    – 13 each    — 21 each

Causeway

 & Single-tier Wall:  – 35.3 linear yards  — 51 linear yrds.

     (106 lin. ft.)      (153 lin. ft.)

Trail Tread Rip-Rap:  – 0 linear yards    — 36 linear yrds.  

Multi-tier Retaining Wall:  – 50 square feet    — 64 square feet

New Trail Construction

  (Reroute): – 450 linear yards   —5,362 lin. yrds.

     ( 0.26 miles)    ( 3.05 miles)

Other:   -- 150 linear feet of split rail fence fabricated and contructed.

WORDS: Crew Quote: "Let’s do it to them before they do it to us." Juan Vigil