KLAMATH BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL CREW
APRIL 2008 MONTHLY OVERVIEW
KIVA VIGIL, BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS SUPERVISOR

Overview:

-And so it begins. The 2008 Backcountry Season. And while we’re sure you’ve heard from many folks, we’d like to throw our 17 cents in. A different perspective. A Klamath perspective.
            So we met at Placer, sewed some patches and eyed each other warily at our first crew circle-ups. Who’d be the fastest hiker? Who would tell the best jokes? Who’d bathe the most? The least? (gross!) And we met Peter and Tessa and we started the process of melding all our talents and characteristics into a strong team. A highly-functioning trail crew. KLAMATH!
            After orientation we started driving to our first assignment. Now some geography buffs would have thought: Placer, near Sacramento. Klamath National Forest, near Oregon, we must drive north. A-ha. Not so fast. This is a backcountry crew after all and as such, will tend to do things just a bit, shall we say, off. So south it was, towards the Los Padres National Forest with a quick overnight at the San Luis Obispo CCC Center.
            So here’s how our summer breaks down. First 5 weeks on the Los Padres National Forest, then 3 weeks in Yosemite, 6 weeks on the Klamath National Forest, finishing our last 7 weeks in Kings Canyon. Now get it right, we’re called the Klamath Crew. Not the Los Yoklamings. But we’re open to suggestions. Good luck getting it to our right address.
            All right. We digressed a bit. Back to business. We arrived at the Jackson Trailhead and hiked to Sycamore Camp on the Sisquoc River in the San Rafeal Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. There we met our cook Sarah, her helper Tom, and her dog Pepper, set up camp and hit the trail the next day. And that’s where a lot of our energy has been focused, working the trail as it works us. Heading upstream towards South Fork Ranger Station and into the burn from last years Zaca Fire, mostly re-benching the trail, improving creek crossings and a bit of rockwork where needed.
            We’ve had classes four nights a week. Starting with musical chairs at Placer, lots of safety meetings and wilderness living policies, our sobriety oaths, our first evals and basics of backpacking. Fred Hrisa visited us by mistake, talked to us about plants, and ended up staying for two nights. Pete Lewis also visited for two nights and entertained with his harmonica and his classic Pete wit.
            And that about sums it up. Hope to hear from you all soon and if not, well, take it easy.

Personnel Changes:

None

Odds and Ends:

Many thanks to the Placer Center for giving us a place to muster up and the good food. It was great.
Thanks to San Luis Obispo Center for a quick, restful night at center and food, not only for the two meals we ate while there, but also all the supplies we’ll be using while on the Los Padres National Forest.
Thanks to Pete and Tessa who put all this together.
Thanks to Roxie and Debbee at Fortuna for making sure we get paid!