“Squaw Butte Chapter President Ron Fergie presents $500.00 check to the BCHI Foundation President Bill Holt” says BCHI’s Roving Reporter
It is a long way from Mattawan, Michigan to Stanley, Idaho but member Bill Selkirk has made that trek a number of year to work on projects with the Squaw Butte chapter. Life long friend of Rob Adams, Bill joined BCHI in 2004, and has participated in both packing support and trail clearing project. The latest is a pack-in support project for the Wilderness Volunteers.
Central Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Sawtooth Wilderness are known for the rugged grandeur of their soaring 10,000 foot peaks, flowery mountain meadows, crystal clear lakes, towering alpine forests, and abundant wildlife, including elk, mountain goats, black bear, wolves, wolverines and pikas! Backpacking and hiking are spectacular in this country, and trout fishing is exceptional in backcountry lakes and streams. Our journey will begin at the beautiful Stanley Lake – just a few miles outside of the alluring mountain community of Stanley, Idaho. The area has several accessible hot springs, historic sites and other great places to play in and explore.
Our service project will be trail maintenance in the remarkable Sawtooth Wilderness. We’ll set up a base camp at McGown Lakes at 8505’ elevation after a backpack of 7.9 miles with 1,900′ elevation gain with pack support for tools, food and commissary supplies. Crew will camp at McGown Lakes and hike about a mile to project location on other side of 8,800’ pass. Our project will be to assist the Forest Service to complete trail maintenance of many of the trails out of our basecamp at McGown Lakes. Most of the work will be focused on heavy trail maintenance and tread repair (Iron Creek – Stanley Lake Trail 640) above Sawtooth Lake. Tread will need to be regraded to standard width with hand tools, rocks removed with hand tools and some rock wall constructed. Free time can be spent exploring the ever beautiful Sawtooth Wilderness – relaxing, fishing in alpine lakes, taking pictures, or setting off on a more strenuous hike to the secluded Trail Creek Lakes.
We highly recommend that those coming from low elevation (anything below about 5,000 feet) plan an extra couple days in the area before the trip to acclimate to the elevation for your own safety. Altitude sickness is a concern when traveling from low elevation to high elevation and getting acclimatized before the trip is one of the easiest ways to prevent it. If you need ideas on things to do/see before the trip contact your leaders.
Trail Head at Stanley Lake
Elevation: 6,525.59 ft. Lat: 44.255891 Lon: -115.046060
McGown Lake
Elevation: 8,517.06 ft. Lat: 44.178483 Lon: -115.076432
On Saturday August 17, Tom Zahradnicek, David Benson, Bill Selkirk and Rob Adams joined a Wilderness Volunteer seven member crew and Bryce Parker (Sawtooth lead wilderness ranger) at the Stanley Lake overflow area. The WV crew were going to back pack in their personal stuff, while we were packing in tools, kitchen and food. Between us we had seven pack stock and it look like they were going to have light loads. During the night one of David’s mules got her self tangled in high line and lead rope and ended up on her back with her legs tied up like a calf at a rodeo. She seems to have suffered no major damage, but in the morning had a very swollen leg and a nice limp so David and his stock needed to head back to Caldwell and not into the mountains. With five pack stock left, we divided the gear and built loads and by 09:30 were heading up the trail for the 9.8 miles to McGown Lake.
The trail up Stanley creek canyon is a very easy ride for about 2/3 of it length with a number of crossings of the creek for water opportunities for the stock. The last section to the saddle that crosses into the Payette river drainage is a number of switch backs up a steep and rocky wall. At the sign for McGown lake the trail turns into a goat path that climbs over a ridge and down into a basin that contains a number of ponds and small lakes, the largest and most scenic we left the equipment we packed in.
At 5 pm we arrived back at the trailers, tired, sore and very satisfied at the days work. Bill will be heading out soon to visit his brother in New Mexico, but he will have some great memories of his day in the Sawtooth mountain visiting an area he had not ridden before.
The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments on the Four Rivers Field Office Draft Resource Management Plan until August 22nd. Once finalized, the RMP will guide the management of 800,000 acres of public land within an 8-million-acre planning area spanning from the Bennett Hills, across the Boise Front, and to the banks of Brownlee Reservoir for at least two decades.
You can submit your own comments here.
Several hundred pages (and even three pages of acronyms) spell out the proposed management each alternative would take, comparing them to the current condition and management directive. Fire management, minerals and energy, wildlife, recreation, grazing, cultural resources, socioeconomics – you name it, it’s evaluated in this plan.
The BLM has set a range of alternatives with varying degrees of resource extraction availability, wildlife protections, and access considerations. Idaho Wildlife Federation urges the BLM to take proactive measures to protect highly productive chukar habitat, pronghorn and mule deer winter range. READ MORE
Aug 2019 – Marybeth Conger
“There is nothing better than having one of your favorite trail friends get that itch!” says Marybeth Conger. Cherokee and Scout are showing us how to get the job done.
Just got home from an amazing backcountry trip. Four great days near the Warm Springs trail head, ID with Bill Conger along with Lynn and Peggy Garner. Our four-legged animals all got along, the weather was absolutely great, we saw some breathtaking backcountry views, and the food/meals got an average 4.5 star rating. All of us had fun even when we cleared trails on two of the riding days. Just need to log our volunteer trail clearing hours since they give the BCH organization leverage in terms of the financial impact they have.
This trip is why I joined the Backcountry organization some 30 years ago. Great riding adventures with friends as we put our mighty muscles to work clearing trails. One difference I did notice between then and now is how I only have so many “get on and offs” before I start groaning!
Pictures & Story by Laurie Bryan
Read the whole story / Link to Pictures
911, when Cell phones are not an option
On Wednesday August 7, 2019 Lisa was thrown from her horse while on a pack trip with other BCHI members in the Frog Lake area of the Bolder White Cloud Wilderness. Many of the members on this trip had attended one or more Wilderness First Aid training opportunities and their training kicked it. It was quickly determined that Lisa had suffered a major trauma with possible injury to her head, neck, back and pelvic regions. It was obvious that advance medical treatment was called for and air evacuation was her best option.
Accident > inReach[SOS] > GEOS Response Center > Idaho State Comm’s > Life Flight dispatch > Advanced medical help arrives
Today, I really enjoyed the opportunity to help clear the Wilson Creek Trail near Ola, Idaho. It’s great to ride and work with a well-organized team and also with a talented and knowledgeable leader like Rob Adams. I had a great time and even at my age and long-time trail experience, I still learned a lot from Rob.
I look forward to the next adventure and wish there was more activities on the calendar I can’t wait to go again.
Thanks again!
Tom Zahradnicek
Wilderness Ranger Inter Blog Posts
Briana Bienusa- Wilderness Ranger Intern – Montana State University
Marble Creek Drainage/Salmon-Challis National Forest
Kris Mueller, Iowa State University
Wind Lakes / Grave Peak, Nez Perce / Clearwater National Forest
Connor White – Wilderness Ranger Intern – Appalachian State University
Big Creek Bridge / Bitterroot National Forest
We visited Washington’s Haney Meadow horse camp and ran into a BCHW Work Crew. They’re a hard working group of dedicated group of people who are making the horse camp even better. Here’s a great conversation that we had with a few of the folks in the Back Country Horsemen of Washington making the Haney Meadow horse camp great again.
For more info on Haney Meadow and the Ken Wilcox horse camp here’s the link! – https://www.trailmeister.com/trails/haney-meadow-ken-wilcox-horse-camp/
Camping location at the Tin Cup trail head
Trail to Alice Lake
July 13 & 14 Alice Lake Pack-In
July 20th MORE PICTURES & PACK-OUT
All,
After extensive research I have decided not to commit to clearing the trails from Redfish lake to Spangle Lake for Idaho Business for the Outdoors the end of July first part of August.
I do not feel we have time or manpower to guarantee we could accomplish the work without checking the trails out before hand. FS said you can not access the area until after July 15th and there are often avalanches across the trail, plus no grazing is allowed for the entire length of the trails that they want cleared. There is no way to know if it would take two days to clear the 20 miles of trail or two weeks or more and I did not feel comfortable making a commitment that we could not fulfill.
Thanks to everyone that give me information and contacts as well as a few of you willing to help clear the trails.
Thanks, Rod Parks BCHI Chairman
TAKE ACTION
Two Important Public Lands Funding Bills
To: All BCHA Members,
There are two significant public lands-related funding opportunities currently before the U.S. Senate that would benefits trails and recreational access for everyone. Please read the background on these bills and please weigh in with calls directly to your senators.
Restore Our Parks Act (Senate Bill 500)
S. 500, introduced in mid-February, would bring new funding to address the deferred maintenance backlog throughout the National Park System. The Senate has yet to hold a hearing on the bill. However, last week the House of Representatives held a “mark up” of a similar bill (H.R. 1225), which currently includes all Department of Interior land management agencies in addition to the National Park Service (e.g., U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management).
BCHA is working with a broad coalition that seeks to include also the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service, and its deferred maintenance backlog, among both bills. But we need your help. During last week’s mark up of H.R. 1225, Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) received the commitment of Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT) to work with him on ways to include the Forest Service prior to any floor vote in the House.
Your calls to U.S. senators are needed. Ask them to:
“Please include the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service among agencies that would benefit from S. 500, the Restore Our Parks Act.”
If you reside in the states of AK, AZ, CO, HI, ID, LA, MA, MI, MS, MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, TN, UT, VT, WA, WV, WY you have at least one senator who sits on the Senate Natural Resources Committee, listed here. Contact information for all senators can be found here.
Arkansas residents: Please call the office of Congressman Bruce Westerman to thank him for wanting to include the U.S. Forest Service in the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act (HR 1225). Contact information can be found at the bottom of the Congressman’s home page.
Congress is Shaping Land Agency Budgets for Next Year
In the next few weeks, the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Appropriations is likely to resume work on the Fiscal Year 2020 budget for federal land management agencies. These agencies include the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. The House of Representatives is further along in the development of next year’s budget. Their proposal holds some welcome surprises for public lands, recreation and trails.
Good News for U.S. Forest Service Trails Budget
The House Committee on Appropriations took a novel approach, and asked the Forest Service no longer to assess cost pools (i.e., overhead) on Congress’ approved budget for non-fire agency operations, including facilities, roads and trails. They wanted greater accountability from the agency and asked that the Forest Service create a separate budget line item for cost pools.
For the current Fiscal Year (2019), for example, the Forest Service took 28 percent of the trails budget “off the top” before funds were distributed to regions. For 2020, the House is proposing only 4 percent be taken from the agency’s trails budget. If the Senate adopts the same approach, this would mean that the Forest Service’s overall trails budget could increase by between $5.2 million to $8 million next year.
Take Action!
Calls to members of the Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee are critical at this time. Ask them to:
“Please adopt the House Appropriations Committee’s recommended budget for non-fire U.S. Forest Service operations, including the elimination of cost pools from its trails budget.
If you reside in the states of AK, CA, FL, KY, MD, MO, MS, MT, NM, OR, RI, VT, you have at least one senator who sits on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. Committee members are listed here. Contact information for all senators can be found here.
Please call today. We believe that phone calls from constituents are more effective than either letters or emails at this time. Nonetheless, sending a letter as a follow-up to your call could help to reinforce your message.
Hear Back from Your Senator?
If you receive feedback from your senator(s) or their staff, it would be very helpful if you would share their response with BCHA’s director for Public Lands & Recreation. His email address is: WildernessAdvisor@bcha.org
Thank you.
On June 22, 2019 members Rob Adams, Janine Townsend, Janelle & Troy Weeks, were joined by Treasure Valley members Justin & Shauna Stucker and BNF northern trail crew members Nikki & Anthony. Anthony had ridden with us at this location in 2018 when we had removed over 50 downed trees, and expected to do the same this time.
READ MORE
Emma Froelich – Wilderness Ranger Intern
University of Wisconsin – Madison
June 11 – 18
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
As we emerged from the Wilderness, I imagined this is how Robin Williams’ character in Jumanji must have felt when his jungle-adapted self re-entered society, water from a tap? What a concept! As we drove back to civilization, my hair a greasy mess and my clothes sweaty and dirt stained, I mulled over the lessons I had learned. READ MORE
Dive deeper
This process is a key opportunity to help protect habitat of the imperiled sage grouse, determine where Off-Road Vehicles can and cannot travel, and protect wild desert places to camp, hike and bird. You can help shape how these lands will be managed for decades to come. Three main issues will be addressed in this planning process: Lands with Wilderness Characteristics, Off-Road Vehicle and Travel Management and Livestock Grazing. Take a deeper dive on these issues with these useful resources from Owyhee Coalition partner, Oregon Natural Desert Association:
- A new plan for 5 million acres: 5 reasons to care, 3 topics to understand, 1 click to comment
- Make your comments count
Other ways to make your voice heard
The comment period is open until August 28, 2019. Right now is a critical window of time to make your voice heard and ensure the BLM knows there is widespread support for strong, conservation-focused management in this landscape.
- Attend a public meeting hosted by the BLM in Ontario, McDermitt or Jordan Valley
- Attend a comment writing session in Portland, Bend, Ontario or Boise. Event details coming soon.
On Sunday May 26, Sweet had a thunderstorm. This storm dumped a lot of water which made the volcanic clay in my pasture slick. The thunder got my little herd of horses zooming around said pasture and my mustang Payette lost his footing and slid into a New Zealand high tension fence, breaking off three fiberglass poles and getting himself tangled up it in. In the process of getting loose he cut his right hind leg.
I gave Madison a call on what should have been a day off and he happened to be in Emmett and agreed to stop by. We cleaned up the wound and attempted to put some stitches in, but the skin was mostly scar tissue from a previous accident and would not hold. The plan was to change the wrap every three day and after two weeks shift to an open air wound dressing if he was healing up with out complication or infection.
This picture is after 7 days and looks pretty good 
This next picture is after two weeks, and at first glance looks worse than at one week, but what you see is new healthy tissue. At this point we stopped covering it and switched to Madison’s favorite wound dressing for this type of injury. You buy a 22 oz container of RAW honey and mix in two table spoon of powdered Alum. Once a day you slather the honey mixture over the wound. The honey protects the wound from infection and promotes healthy tissue and hair growth. 
I will update this post after four weeks to show the results. By the way, Payette is moving like he had never gotten tangled in that fence. I expect him to be ready to go to work the the second weekend in July.
06/27/2019 – 30 days after he was hurt, two weeks of the honey treatment. No proud flesh, healing nicely
Trainees and instructors discussing Visitor Use/Campsite Monitoring during the Northern Rockies Wilderness Skills Institute 📷Verena Gruber
Henry Vaughan – Wilderness Ranger Intern
The College of Idaho
Orientation/Training
May 13 – May 27
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
Our first two weeks as Wilderness Ranger Interns has had us housed and training at Powell Ranger Station in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. Each day, we dip our toes, feet, ankles, knees, bit by bit into wilderness until we are totally submerged: acclimated as much as possible for our fast approaching hitches. We went from staying in beds and bunkhouses during the first week—where we could avoid the worst weather at night by turning up the heaters in our rooms and closing the blinds—to sleeping in our own tents and bags during the second. Before long, we’ll be spending our nights in the wilderness with the only comforts available to us being those which we can carry in on our backs.
We’re developing important skills for working in the wilderness this summer: becoming familiar with our primitive tools, testing out our gear, learning how to navigate in a land without Google Maps; but I’m also recognizing an important new way to perceive nature. Around Powell (particularly outside of the bunkhouses), nature gets up in our face. Deer wander daily between the buildings. One intern encountered a wolf on an early morning trail run. Oyster and morel mushrooms regularly provide a free dinner to those with watchful eyes. These natural displays: such abundances of vitality, fecundity, and productivity from the trees to the insects to the uninhibited Lochsa River flowing right by our tents show a land community with greater agency—where it is difficult to keep humanity and civilization at the forefront of the mind. Closer to wilderness, nature has more room to breathe and speak and (aided greatly by a lack of cell phone service) we are forced to become a listener. And, though we have little say in it, I have yet to meet anyone at the ranger station who isn’t made happier by that prospect.
The closest wilderness area to us (the Selway-Bitterroot) is a hundred feet away—right across the river. In between the banks of the Lochsa, as a sort of gateway between a developed Powell and an undeveloped wilderness, is a small island where the Lewis and Clark party is said to have camped as they made their way over the Bitterroot Mountains. On the far bank is the beginning of a land which can make a visitor feel as if they are stepping back even further in time to before the first American presences. The wilderness areas, where signs of civilization are intentionally minimized, are spaces where nature is most free to speak and where humanity, when present, is most likely to hear a clear and individually unique message. I, for one, am excited to see what this particular wilderness has to share with me.
It may seem, to anyone who has driven long stretches of highway across the West, that there is plenty — maybe even more than enough — sagebrush. Sagebrush once covered 250 million acres of western North America, but today that ecosystem is half the size it once was and it’s burning more frequently.
Jon Griggs has been running the Maggie Creek Ranch southwest of Elko, Nev., for almost 30 years.
In 2007, wildfire tore through thousands of acres and destroyed several ranch buildings. The wind howled. The sky was orange, and Griggs couldn’t see more than a dozen yards in front of him with all the smoke.
He kicks the dirt with his black cowboy boot. “We thought that’s not gonna happen to us. And it got us. And…” his voice catches in his throat. “I don’t like to think about that day.”
Griggs and other locals will tell you there has always been fire here, but now the fires are bigger and more frequent than anyone can remember.
In just the past two years, more than 800,000 acres of sagebrush have burned in northern Nevada. For many, the word “wildfire” brings to mind images of flaming treetops and blackened stumps. But we should actually be picturing sagebrush on fire. In the past two decades, nearly 75 percent of all acres burned in the west were rangelands — not forest. Hundreds of thousands of acres — home to rural ranching communities and endangered sage grouse — are going up in flames each year. READ MORE
On-line Auction for St. Jude Ride – 2019
Check out our on-line auction items, new for 2019
Items include a new Queen Valley mule saddle, a two-night stay at Holiday Inn Hunter Lodge in McCall, a $100 certificate at Gino’s Italian in Meridan, and more. Bidding open now through June 10, 2019.
Click on this link to go to the Auction Page.
inReach Webinar – What Happens When You Trigger an SOS?
You plan to avoid emergencies, but they do occur. In this instructional webinar led by Chip Noble, senior product manager at Garmin, and Emily Thompson, emergency operations manager at GEOS, we discussed what happens when you trigger an SOS. We also covered the SOS functionality on inReach devices, how the IERCC at GEOS coordinates a rescue response and steps you can take to help aid in your rescue.
PDF files of the presentation:
What Happens When You Trigger an SOS?
Video Presentation:
What Happens When You Trigger an SOS?
Introduction to Core inReach Features
In this instructional webinar led by Chip Noble, senior product manager at Garmin, we reviewed the core inReach features to help you get the most out of your inReach experience. Topics included setting up and sending messages, adding contacts, creating routes and waypoints, navigation, tracking, using MapShare™, requesting weather forecasts, and more.
The Four Rivers Field Office Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement is now available for public comment
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Boise District, Four Rivers Field Office (FRFO) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft RMP/EIS) for public lands within its Planning Area. The Draft RMP/EIS describes and analyzes management alternatives for the public lands and resources managed by the FRFO and provides BLM with a comprehensive framework for administering public lands. This document also analyzes the future use and management direction of the many natural and cultural resources found in the Planning Area over the next 20 years and beyond. The Draft RMP/EIS informs the public about potential management options.
The FRFO encompasses an area located in southwestern Idaho extending north of the Snake River from approximately Glenns Ferry in the southeast, west to Weiser, and north to McCall. The planning area includes all of the FRFO located outside the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) which is governed by a separate RMP. The planning area encompasses approximately 783,000 surface acres and 1,173,150 acres of mineral estate in Ada, Adams, Boise, Camas, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington counties administered by the BLM.
When approved, this RMP will guide the management of public lands administered by the FRFO into the future and will replace the 1988 Cascade RMP, the 1983 Kuna Management Framework Plan (MFP) and the portion of the 1987 Jarbidge RMP covering lands within the FRFO. The BLM encourages the public to provide information and comments pertaining to the analysis presented in the Draft RMP/EIS. We are particularly interested in feedback concerning the adequacy and accuracy of the proposed alternatives, the analysis of their respective management decisions, and any new information that would help the BLM as it develops the plan. In developing the Proposed RMP/Final EIS, which is the next phase of the planning process, the decision maker may select various management decisions from each of the alternatives analyzed in the Draft RMP/EIS for the purpose of creating a management strategy that best meets the needs of the resources and values in this area under the BLM multiple use and sustained yield mandate.
For the latest information on the planning schedule, please see the timeline page. LINK TO DRAFT PLAN
Our Mission
SCA’s mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.
Our History
2017 marked the Student Conservation Association’s 60th Anniversary. As we look back and remember, what becomes abundantly clear is that while times change, SCA remains a stalwart presence for conservation and our country. The young people with whom we work gain an adeptness, an ability to press beyond whatever challenge comes next.
Some families have to dig hard to find the love that holds them together. Some have to grow it out of the ground.
Bruce Kuipers was good at hunting, fishing, and working, but not at much else that makes a real father or husband. Conflicted, angry, and a serial cheater, he destroyed his relationship with his wife, Nancy, and alienated his three sons-journalist Dean, woodsman Brett, and troubled yet brilliant fisherman Joe. He distrusted people and clung to rural America as a place to hide.
So when Bruce purchased a 100-acre hunting property as a way to reconnect with his sons, they resisted. The land was the perfect bait, but none of them knew how to be together as a family. Conflicts arose over whether the land-an old farm that had been degraded and reduced to a few stands of pine and blowing sand-should be left alone or be actively restored. After a decade-long impasse, Bruce acquiesced, and his sons proceeded with their restoration plan. What happened next was a miracle of nature.
Dean Kuipers weaves a beautiful and surprising story about the restorative power of land and of his own family, which so desperately needed healing. Heartwarming and profound, The Deer Camp is the perfect story of fathers, sons, and the beauty and magic of the natural world.
Dean Kuipers has studied and written about the field of environmental politics and the human-nature relationship for decades. He is the author of Burning Rainbow Farm and Operation Bite Back. His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Outside, The Atlantic, Men’s Journal, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. He lives in Los Angeles.
This event is co-hosted with the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation 
When the Phone Says “No Service” – Satellite Messengers
May 13, 2019
When the Phone Says “No Service”
When you’re out in the wild and need to call for help, don’t be surprised if your cellphone reads “No Service.”
Losing your cell signal while outdoors can be annoying — but if you’re out riding or camping your cellphone signal can mean the difference between life and death. Injuries, being lost, and any other number of hazards can mean we need to call for help — but if there’s no signal to carry your message, then what do you do? READ MORE
Weather all week had been monsoons, and it was still poring Friday night, but all the TV weather people promised that Saturday would be nice and sunny, although I think most doubted it would be!
When I was hooking up my trainer at 06:30 Saturday morning the clouds in the Montour-Sweet valley were only about 100 feet off the ground and the sky was still gray, but what the heck, we will give it a go!
Linda & Tom Hughes, Bill Holt, Charles & Lorraine Chick, Arlynn Hacker, Nancy Smith, Carmen Tyack, Ron Fergie and Rob Adams were soon busy setting up tables and awing and laying out treasure for our loyal friends and customers who stop by at our yard sales each year. The weather was still iffy, but we had our fingers crossed.
A few people showed up but it was a very slow start, so we started to play with some of our items,
Tom Hughes found a kilt that the women convinced him to model. Everyone though he looked very fetching!
Janine Townsend should up with a number of boxes and when we unpacked one we found a Chicken & Pig suit. Carmen and Lorraine put them on and modeled them for the group, then they got some bar chairs and went out and sat by the road, waving at the passing cars. After a couple of near wrecks they put the costumes on the rack, but their antics got the crowds coming to visit us.
Charles Chick found some stuffed animals and turned one into a hat
People starting buying thing and the cash box slowly started filling mostly with dollar bills. We had a lot of Toonies donations as the Canadians would say, two dollars at a time. There were very few donations over 20 dollars. Fanny Burki decided she needed some of our treasure for her house and became the big chapter donor.
Then Dee Kincaid showed up and donated a great print with custom frame. This treasure will be held by the chapter until the next convention and use as one of the auction items. Thanks Dee! By 16:00 what was left on the table had been boxed up to be donated and the cash box tallied, Not a bad day, $1081.05 in donations collected!
Tom Helmer <Tom.Helmer@idpr.idaho.gov>
Hello,
My name is Tom Helmer and I am the new Non-Motorized Trails Program Manager for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR). My professional background stretches back to 1998, when I began my career on a trail crew in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York. Since then I have managed or worked on and coordinated trail crews from Maine to Washington, and have had stints at Pinnacles National Park, Arizona Conservation Corps, and the Northwest Youth Corps. Most recently, I was the State Director of the Idaho Conservation Corps.
The primary goal of myself/IDPR will be to work with user groups and federal, state, and local non-motorized trail mangers to improve non-motorized trail opportunities across the state. As part of that effort I have been tasked with working towards development of a dedicated and sustainable non-motorized trail funding mechanism in the near future.
Over the next few months I will be traveling statewide to meet with as many stakeholders as possible. I hope to develop a better understanding of non-motorized trail issues at the local, regional, and state level. Most importantly, I would like to ensure we move forward with a shared vision of a robust statewide trail funding source to address the ever-increasing backlog of non-motorized trail funding needs.
I am extraordinarily excited at this opportunity and to work with any and all interested parties. Please feel free to share my contact information with anyone you feel might be interested.
Finally, don’t hesitate to let me know how I can help you or your organization going forward.
Sincerely,
BY NICOLE BLANCHARD
Morels are prized by professional chefs and amateur foodies alike for their nutty, earthy flavor. The truffle-like fungi can fetch prices upward of $20 per pound due to their scarcity and short growing season.
So there’s an obvious element to the vagueness with which morel hunters share their finds — no one wants to find their favorite spot picked clean or otherwise disturbed. But the morels themselves are, by nature, a little perplexing, and that adds to the secretive culture around finding them.
Morels are notoriously difficult to cultivate, and the vast majority of each yearly crop is collected in the wild. But where exactly those wild mushrooms will pop up is largely a guessing game.
“That’s sort of the fun (of morel hunting), it’s an enigma,” said Jonathan Oppenheimer, an avid morel hunter who works as the government relations director for the Idaho Conservation League.
“It’s different than huckleberries, where you have your spot and you know they’ll be there year after year after year,” Oppenheimer said.
Instead, morels tend to follow wildfires, cropping up in larger numbers in areas that burned the previous summer. But no one really knows why.
“The ‘big game’ in Idaho and the West is in burned areas,” Oppenheimer said.
Coloradans Trent and Kristen Blizzard comb through wildfire data to offer a “burn morel map” of the West each year through their website, Modern Forager. A PDF of burned areas across 10 states where you’re likely to find morels (including “the top 11 burns” in Idaho) will run you $40.
“Because they only grow in recent forest fires, they are not such a secret location and we are able to share new maps every year,” the Blizzards said in an email to the Statesman. “The real secret is to know what burn is the right one to go to — which we suss out in our book and maps for people. Finding the correct trees, elevations, aspects, etc. is the secret there … but, frankly, it is not rocket science!” READ MORE
Last month, after both House and Senate approval, the president signed into law the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. This sweeping act, cosponsored by senators Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), packaged together a raft of over 130 conservation bills addressing important issues such as the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a national volcano-monitoring system, and protections against mineral extraction that could harm national parks.
The Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, known in political circles as S.47, has been widely lauded for its expansive scope. A press release issued by Senator Cantwell called it “a key tool to continue to solve our problems of access to public lands, particularly in parts of the country where the access to those public lands is being eroded by development.”
It’s also a relief for stewards of the North Country Scenic Trail (NCT), the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and the American Discovery Trail (ADT), three of our nation’s longest and most diverse trails, which will see significant development as a result of the act. READ MORE
Sawyer Safety Workshop – Sunday May 19, 2019 09:00 to 16:00 (Educational Event)
Location: Classroom: Rob & Linda Adams, Sweet, ID
Sawyer safety review and training class for new sawyers and current sawyers. “A”&”B” Sawyers
If you are currently a sawyer or would like to be, plan on attending this class room safety review.
Pictures from Past Training Events 2015 2010
All who are planning to attend should review the Sawyer Training Manual Chapter 1-3
Contact: Rob Adams 208-781-0548 projects@sbbchidaho.org
May 2019 – “C” Bucker Sawyer Training This week Charles Chick & Rob Adams completed “C” bucker training and received USFS accreditation to train and evaluate volunteer sawyers under the USFS program.
A Sawyer – Apprentice Sawyer Bucking Only. These sawyers must be supervised by a B or C skill level sawyer (supervising within their individual restrictions) during saw work activity in the least complex situations. Sawyers at this level may perform at the next higher level under the immediate supervision of a sawyer qualified at the higher level. Re-evaluation schedule: yearly.
B Sawyer – Intermediate Sawyer Bucking Only. These sawyers may work independently during saw work activity, and may cut any size material in moderately complex situations. Sawyers at this level may perform at the next higher level under the immediate supervision of a sawyer qualified at the higher level. Re-evaluation schedule: every 3 years.
Any member not listed above who in interested in learning about operating a chainsaw or working around someone who is should attend our Sawyer Safety workshop!
Ask anyone who attended last year, it is worth your time and is fun.
The Git-It-Done team of Lisa Griffith, Janine Townsend, Janelle Weeks, Shelly Duff and Kelly Ragland present a six hour clinic at the Emmett public arena on a perfect spring day. Twenty six members and guest attended. Including members from a local Boys Scout troop who will be working with Squaw Butte on our National Trails Day project.
The woman have been planing this clinic for months and put together a great program of both hands on and demonstrations and lectures of what stock packing is and how you can use your stock to explore the back country.
Lisa Griffith started the clinic explaining the goals and how the day would progress, Janine Townsend talked about basic equipment and stock care, Shelly Duff discussed different packing saddles and there use and correct fit on your pack stock. 
Janelle Weeks did a spellbinding presentation on how to “back pack” on your riding horse. Just like magic, she pulled a complete outfit out of her saddle bags, that included tent, sleeping bag, pad, spare cloths, first aid and personal items, cooking equipment and food. Total weight 23 pounds.
Kelly Ragland talked about first aid and kits for both humans and stock and that completed the morning session. Phil Ryan had grilled hot dogs, chips and drinks ready and the group enjoyed a great lunch. 
The team than brought the star of the show, Bubba the mule on stage and fitted a pack saddle on him, loaded boxes and an H-Pack and with the help of a couple of scouts pack him. We then broke up into groups and working with the “Blue” mules practiced a number of the items that had been discussed and answered a lot of great questions.
Shelly Duff has a typical three horse goose-neck trailer with an RV mattress up front and a lot of stuff piled on the floor in the dressing room/storage space, like most of us with this style of trailer. In the summer of 2018 Lisa Griffith and her partner Levi Sayre converted her bumper pull trailers storage area into a cozy living quarters and Shelly was impressed. Over the winter Shelly cleaned out the area and Lisa and Levi went to work. This is the results.
If you have always wanted a living quarters trailer, but didn’t want the size and cost that they generally entail, consider contacting Lisa and Levi to see what they might do with your current one.
A combination of planning, collaboration, hard work, and luck produced a wonderful Fine Art Photography exhibit called The Wild Horses of Idaho – Mustangs of the East Fork and Challis Basin which premiered at the MESH Gallery at Heritage Hall in Ketchum, Idaho on Saturday night (May 26th, 2018).
After eight months of planning and reconnaissance by MESH Art, Claire Porter and Jeff Lubeck conducted a multi-day photo-shoot in the Mountains of Idaho. In less than a one-weeks time the photographic artworks were created, printed, framed, and placed in the gallery for display. The exhibit includes a back-story narrative, maps, and behind the scenes photos. The exhibit will be on display through June 17th, 2018.
The Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the American West. It is a decedent of horses brought to America by the Spanish. Technically the Mustang is considered a feral horse given its domesticated linage.
See my Post Wild Horse Reconnaissance for more background on the Challis Herd and logistics of the photo-shoot.
Jeffrey H. Lübeck
MESH Art LLC.
420 4th Street East
Ketchum, Idaho 83333
(208) 720-9114
jeffreylubeck@mac.com
As the snow continues to melt across Central Oregon, outdoors enthusiasts of all types are getting increasingly eager to venture out onto dirt trails.
Hikers, runners, mountain bikers and horseback riders are all ready to enjoy spring on the area’s seemingly endless network of paths.
But before they do so, perhaps a refresher on trail etiquette is in order. Yes, the Bend area is growing and the trails are getting more use. But knowing how to react when you encounter another trail user — and knowing the rules regarding dog-leash restrictions and muddy trails — can greatly add to everybody’s enjoyment of our renowned trail system.
Right of way
The yellow upside-down triangle sign that is affixed to trees on certain trails where there might be conflict among users offers perhaps the simplest explanation for who yields to whom: Mountain bikers yield to both pedestrians and equestrians; all user groups yield to equestrians.
This is mostly for safety reasons, as some horses can spook easily and knock their riders off if a mountain biker or runner comes whizzing by without yielding or warning.
“It’s always good to communicate with a person on horseback and get some feedback,” says Jana Johnson, dispersed recreation team leader for the Deschutes National Forest. “And to be ready to dismount if you can or to get off the trail. Yeah, some horses get spooked if someone comes around a corner quickly. But they all react in different ways depending on the horse. There’s some hazards associated with that.”
At areas such at Horse Butte, just east of Bend, encounters between mountain bikers and horseback riders are fairly common. Other high-use areas, such as the Phil’s Trail network west of Bend, do not have as much equestrian use.
At some popular areas, such as Peterson Ridge near Sisters and Maston near Tumalo, separate trails have been built for mountain bikers and horseback riders.
“Most of our trails are multiple use, so it’s always a good idea to follow the yield sign, but also a friendly gesture to say hello to other user groups,” Johnson says. “I find that can just send a message, that hey, we’re all out here enjoying the same thing and we can all enjoy it together by being respectful to each other. The trails are starting to dry out now and become snow-free. People are definitely starting to get out now.”
Woody Keen, trails program director for the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) and a retired professional trail contractor, says mountain bikers ride different trails accordingly. If they are riding a one-way trail in the Phil’s system they are unlikely to encounter a horseback rider, hiker, or other mountain biker. But if they are riding, for instance, the Metolius-Windigo Trail or the Deschutes River Trail, they know they are likely to come across hikers or horseback riders.
“When I’m out riding the Deschutes River Trail, which is predominantly a hiking trail, my reactions need to be different than in the same situation on Phil’s Trail,” Keen says.
He adds that trail users should also be cognizant of the predominant user group and which user group was responsible for designing and building the trail they are on.
“Understand who’s actually taking care of the trails,” Keen says. “I think that goes a long way, giving that respect. Understand how these trails came to be. I think that would go a long way toward helping to reduce potential conflict. We need to figure out how to get along and reduce conflict through better education and more signage, and better camaraderie on working on that common trail.”
As mountain biking continues to grow in popularity in Central Oregon, encounters among bikers are increasingly common. The main rule is that the rider traveling uphill has the right of way.
That can be confusing for several reasons. For starters, many of our trails in Central Oregon are relatively flat. Also, does that mean uphill in general, as in riding west of Bend toward the Cascade Range? No, says Keen. It means any uphill section.
“If you’re going west, you’re generally going uphill, but there are places where you’re going downhill,” Keen says. “Coming back toward town (Bend), you generally are descending. The key is just looking ahead and expecting other users and respecting other users. It’s situation specific.”
Dogs
Keen says that one of the most prevalent types of user conflicts recently has been off-leash dogs versus on-leash dogs.
The vast majority of the Deschutes National Forest allows off-leash dogs. According to the U.S. Forest Service, from Nov. 1 to May 1, dogs are allowed on all but 1 % of the Deschutes National Forest. The area where dogs are not allowed is located north of the Cascade Lakes Highway (west of Bend) and includes areas accessed by the Virginia Meissner, Swampy Lakes, Vista Butte and Dutchman sno-parks.
During the summer, about 54 miles of the 1,200 miles of trails on the forest have an on-leash requirement, according to the Forest Service. These trails include the Three Sisters Wilderness Area between the South Sisters Climbers Trail and Todd Lake from July 15 to Sept. 15. Also, dogs must be leashed on a portion of the Deschutes River Trail (between Benham Falls and Meadow Camp) from May 15 to Sept. 15, except when entering or exiting water sources to swim and play.
Muddy trails
Many trails remain covered in snow and ice, and some are muddy from a combination of snowmelt and rainfall. Trail users are advised by both the Forest Service and COTA to stay off muddy trails, because using them can leave ruts from footprints, tire marks, or horse hooves that dry and harden later in the spring.
“Wait until they drain and firm up a little more, and dry out,” Johnson says. “Those ruts can last for a long time.”
Mountain bikers can check bendtrails.org for information on conditions of area trails.
“It was a pretty long winter — it still is,” Keen says. “I get that people want to go recreate on dirt trails. I understand that. But we ask people to use good judgment and if you observe that you are leaving tread damage because the trail is too soft, turn around and go somewhere else.”
—Reporter: 541-383-0318,
mmorical@bendbulletin.com