I was enthralled by the wild long before I ever saw a wilderness. As a child growing up on a Michigan farm, the woodlots became forests and the clouds on the horizon turned into mountains. In high school, I was the girl who still climbed trees. My heroes were Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and David Brower. My senior research paper was an adolescent treatise on the benefits of wilderness. Then I moved West and finally met the real thing; it was even better than I had imagined. While many of my excursions into wild places have challenged me, I have never been disappointed by the experience.
That background is one of the reasons I enjoy working for FSPW. We don’t “work for wilderness” just to please ourselves. We have great volunteers, we work together and collaborate, and we do it for everyone’s benefit, no matter their occupation or where they live.
At the same time, we have the fun and satisfaction of a job well done. The most immediate stewardship project is Saturday, July 28th, when we help out the Cabinet District with three different projects. We will meet at Blacktail Creek Trail #997 (past Big Eddy on Hwy 200) at 9 a.m. Mountain time (8 a.m. Pacific time), then split into three crews — one crew will do some trail work, the second will look for weeds in Bull River on Pillick Ridge Trail #1036 and the third will help place information signs at trailheads in the Clark Fork and Bull River valleys. As usual, Sandpoint folks will meet to carpool in front of Super Save Drug by the fish shack at 7 a.m. Pacific time. Contact trails@scotchmanpeaks.org for more information.
The Star Peak Trail has made an amazing amount of progress over the last two workdays. Come join the fun on August 3rd and August 17th. In addition, the Montana Conservation Corps will be back at Spar Lake the week of August 6th. If you want to meet some great kids and spend a day or two with them, let us know!
The Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek (August 11th and 12th) and the Bonner County Fair (August 21-25th) are just around the corner. We will walk in the parade at Trout Creek and set up a booth at both events. It’s a great chance to help FSPW and not even break a sweat. Hang out at the booth. Talk to people, hand out maps and newsletters, and smile. Contact trails@scotchmanpeaks.org to participate.
See you on the trail!
