INTERN BLOG SERIES: Home Away From Home

Hiking into a workday

Home Away From Home

by Mary Sanders

Wilderness Volunteers 2018 Intern

The smell of fresh air was the first thing that hit me getting out of the car. The Weminuche Wilderness, a pristine area within the Rio Grande National Forest, was the location of what would be my second Wilderness Volunteer project. Dragging my oversized backpack out of the car, I was reminded of how differently my life would move, being in the outdoors.

Though the wilderness is where humans have survived for the majority of our existence, it seems more like a distant memory today. Certain cues from our senses can remind us that we have natural instinct, but in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s often drowned out.

Left, plagued trees from the pine beetle. Right, the trailhead of our worksite.

This Wilderness Volunteer project was a chance to reconnect. As a society we’ve continued to become more and more separated from nature as populations fill up urban cities, and technology continues to advance. Any opportunity to put ourselves back into nature, though seemingly more foreign, is so important. 

Whether camping or backpacking, there is an increased appreciation for the little things. Our meals were simpler, hygiene a little more limited, and sleep more challenging. While this may sound negative, it’s the contrary. The environment was changing the group's mindset, recalibrating our brains.

It only took a few days to feel a sense of belonging outside. Under the starry sky, nights became more restful. The morning routine went with the rise of the sun. The trails, reservoir, wildlife, river, all familiar, like an old friend. Even the work made more sense. Knowing how to listen when to take a break, and when to push through under the hot summer sun.

Left, our humble tents. Right, taking a break.

Miles into the backcountry, perched on a rock in the shade, I was taking a break from my hike. It was our rest day, only half way into the project, and already it felt very different being there. My mind wasn’t as reactive to the noises around me, instead I was just able to relax and watch the birds moving through the trees. The wilderness didn’t feel like is was mine, but it also didn’t feel unfamiliar.

With these moments also comes an immense respect for the state of designated wilderness areas. Immersion into these areas creates a desire for these lands to say as pristine as they are. There is such a peacefulness to untouched land. How it flows, and feels completely interconnected. It’s when humans have stepped in, and unconsciously left scars and marks, that it’s no longer the same.

Big Meadows Reservoir, right by our campground.

By the end of the trip I was somber to be leaving the mountains. Upon walking into my first gas station after the trip, feeling the A/C, seeing all the neon packaging, that felt unnatural. It’s after the removal, that the benefits of being in the outdoors truly reveal itself. With it also brings appreciation. Appreciation towards your ability to experience and be in the outdoors. Appreciation towards your ability to truly enjoy the outdoors. To take part in it.

INTERN BLOG SERIES: Why is Wilderness Stewardship So Important?

Why is Wilderness Stewardship So Important?

by Mary Sanders

Wilderness Volunteers 2018 Intern

  

The group moving one of two stringers into place with some extra hands from the Forest Service.

Taking in the distant mountains we’d soon be entering; project leader Ben Johnson and I began to address the looming project into the Never Summer Wilderness. After explaining the two other projects I was assigned to as a part of my internship, Ben simply stated that this was going to be by far my hardest project in regard to physical work. Being my first official WV project, and having very minimal trail maintenance experience prior, I was pretty intimidated. At over ten thousand feet of elevation our group would be working to complete four river crossings in the Never Summer Wilderness. Quite frankly, I had a right to be as intimidated as I was. Upon completing the trip, I struggled to recollect a time in my life I’d ever been so drained. At the end of it all however, I gained the knowledge that my work had made a much larger impact than what I had assumed before entering those mountains.

During the trip we stripped two large logs, cut them down to be walkable, and moved them to create a river crossing. Later in the week the group also created three other river crossings with the large rocks available nearby. Having only seven volunteers and one forest ranger, it was a lot of work, and we used up every single workday from start to finish. Our group being smaller than most Wilderness Volunteer groups, had to call in four more forest service workers on Friday to help with our final tasks. Through it all, we had many hikers pass us as we worked. I do not kid when I say that almost every single time someone walked by they would thank us for our work.

Crossings 1-4, starting top left.

At the midpoint of our project, we had our day off. The plan was to hike Bowers Pass, the site of where the Never Summer WV group from last year worked. The leaders from this year’s trip, Ben Johnson and Laura Sutherland, had also led that trip, and pointed out with ease as we hiked where the work had been done. The difference was amazing. Rock paths had been put into place where in years past hikers sank to their knees in mud. Fallen trees and branches that got in the way had been removed. Ben realized from walking the trail this year, their work took about an hour and a half of the hike.

Enjoying the views from Bower’s Pass.

Reflecting on the trip and the people we got to meet along the way, my perspective on trails has altered.  As the budgets for land management agencies continues to be cut, it has become more and more evident that the everyday person in turn, has more responsibility to give back. Things as little as staying on the designated trial, setting up within legal campsites, leave no trace, and obeying fire restrictions become so much more significant. When that’s not enough, because let's be honest, humans are far from perfect, this is where WV comes in. Now more than ever this work has become important, but now more than ever Wilderness Volunteers has been delivering on the job.

Announcing the Winners of the 2018 WV Photo Contest

Wilderness Volunteers is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 WV Photo Contest sponsored by: 

                                   

We received nearly 200 entries and there were so many great photos, picking a winner was not an easy job.

The grand prize winner for best photo is Rick Brickley. He has won a gift certificate for a free Wilderness Volunteers project good for the 2019 project season.

Rick took this breathtaking photo of hikers on the Glacier National Park service project.  

The Landscape photo winner is Kelly Randall. He has won a Patagonia Provisions Sampler donated by Patagonia, a coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Outdoor School Class donated by REI, a REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon, and a Miir 16 oz vacuum insulated stainless steel food canister donated by Patagonia Provisions.    

Kelly took this photo of sunrise over the South Sister on the Three Sisters Wilderness service project in the Willamette National Forest.

The Wildlife photo winner is Eric Mak. He has won a Backpacker's Pantry Sampler donated by Backpacker's Pantry,  a coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Outdoor School Class donated by REI, an REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon, and an Open Country 12-cup aluminum Camp Perk.

Eric took this photo of two mountain goats on the Wild and Scenic Salmon River service project in the Salmon-Challis National Forests. 

The Hard at Work photo winner is Randy Meier. He has won a Backpacker's Pantry Sampler donated by Backpacker's Pantry, a Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Outdoor School Class donated by REI, an REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon, and an Open Country 12-cup aluminum Camp Perk.

Randy took this photo of volunteers doing trail work on the Three Sisters Wilderness service project in the Willamette National Forest.

The On The Trail photo winner is Robert Hashioka. He has won an Patagonia Provisions Sampler donated by Patagonia, a Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Outdoor School Class donated by REI, a REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon and a 24oz stainless steel TriMax Triple Insulated EcoVessel donated by Patagonia Provisions.    

Bob took this photo of the hike in on the spring Dark Canyon service project in the Manti-La Sal National Forest.


You can see the rest of our great 2018 photo contest entries as well as photos from just about every 2018 service project online in the Wilderness Volunteers photo gallery.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS AND THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS AND EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

Don't forget to bring your camera with you on your next service project so you're ready for the 2019 Wilderness Volunteers photo contest.

DIY Series: Wine Box Handwashing Bag

In a group camping/backpacking situation handwashing is one of the most important ways we can keep from getting sick (or from spreading germs to others). It can be difficult though when you have to get some extra water and take the water/soap 200ft away from water sources. Making it easy and accessible makes people much more likely to wash their hands more often and help keep your group healthy and happy.

Wilderness Volunteers Leader Karen Peters recently brought a handwashing bag she made herself on a service project in the Superstition Mountains. We were so impressed with her bag that we asked her to share her technique with everyone!

"I love having hand washing bags set up near the kitchen and near the latrine and have had success with this DIY bag.

STEP 1: Drink a large box of wine. (Or have friends help you drink a large box of wine.)
Remove the bag. Snip off the corner opposite the spigot.

STEP 2. Use duct tape to secure the inner liner to the outer plastic bag.

STEP 3. Purchase 16 inches of nylon or other sturdy, quick dry fabric. The fabric I bought was wide enough for two bags. First use a zig zag stitch to reinforce the opening that you will use for the spigot. Next sew the edges to make an envelope to hold the bag.

STEP 4. Sew a casing for the string that you will use to hang it up on the corner opposite the spigot hole. I used a light line that I also use for hanging laundry.

STEP 5. Your completed bag should look like this

STEP 6. Stuff the plastic wine bladder into the bag. Secure the plastic with a binder clip.

STEP 7. Poke the wine spigot through the hole you created in the nylon bag. I like the twist knobs, rather than the plunger, as I think they are easier to use with wet hands.

STEP 8. Hang your completed bag on a tree, fence post.

I also like to teach people to wash their hands to a song, happy birthday or jeopardy. One recent participant told me that the jeopardy song is really long when the air is only 30 degrees!"

Karen Peters
Wilderness Volunteers Leader

Announcing the 2018 Photo Contest

The 2018 season is nearly over and it's time again to celebrate all of the great work our trip participants helped WV accomplish this year by awarding some great prizes for a few fantastic photos!

A few of our great entries from last year:

Enter your favorite WV project photos by clicking on the following links and uploading your selections to the WV SmugMug gallery in these categories:

• Landscapes (scenic photos of our nation's public lands)
• Wildlife (from slugs to bears, if it's a wild creature it's game)
• On the Trail (volunteers/hikers on trails)
• Hard at Work (volunteers working on projects)

Please be sure to add your name and the project name to the file name of each photo before uploading them. (eg. NorthcuttLyeBrook.jpg)

To view entries so far go to: https://wildernessvolunteers.smugmug.com/Annual-Photo-Contest/2018-Photo-Contest and click on the desired category.

One winner will be selected for each category as well as a grand prize winner for best photo.

Grand Prize:

• A gift certificate for a free Wilderness Volunteers project good for the 2019 project season

Best Landscape:

• Patagonia Provisions Sampler donated by Patagonia
• Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Putdoor School Class donated by REI  
• REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon
• Miir 16 oz vacuum insulated stainless steel food canister donated by Patagonia Provisions   

Best Wildlife:

• Backpacker's Pantry Sampler donated by Backpacker's Pantry 
• Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Putdoor School Class donated by REI
• REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon
• Open Country 12-cup aluminum Camp Perk

Best On the Trail:

• Patagonia Provisions Sampler donated by Patagonia
• Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Putdoor School Class donated by REI
• REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon
• Wilderness Volunteers Klean Kanteen    

Best Hard At Work:

• Backpacker's Pantry Sampler donated by Backpacker's Pantry 
• Coupon for 23% off one REI Co-op Brand Item or REI Putdoor School Class donated by REI  
• REI Gift Certificate for $10 donated by Liz Lemon
• Open Country 12-cup aluminum Camp Perk

You can enter as many photos as you like, just be sure to do so before the deadline on December 15th! 

A huge thank you to this year's photo contest sponsors:

 

Official Contest Rules:

• All photos must be taken on a 2018 Wilderness Volunteers Project and subject matter must comply with Leave No Trace ethics & principles.

• Each entry must include the photographer's name and the project it was taken on.

• The same photo cannot be entered in more than one category. Judges reserve the right to switch images to other categories.

• The contest is open to all 2018 WV project participants and leaders, except for Wilderness Volunteers staff, contest judges and their families. WV reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, entrant eligibility. 

• Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit. Awards will be selected by a panel of judges, and all decisions are final.  

• Entries must be submitted to the Wilderness Volunteers photo gallery no later than 11:59pm UTC on by Saturday, December 15th, 2018 to be eligible.

• Judges may exclude entries that do not meet the above criteria.

• Winners will be notified by email. Wilderness Volunteers is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes.

20 Years in the Making: Restoring the Escalante River

light green/ silvery leaves

yellowish olive-shaped fruit

Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a perennial tree or shrub with light green/silvery leaves that can grow to 30+ feet tall and bears yellowish, olive-shaped fruit. The young trunks and branches of Russian Olive have large 1 to 2 inch thorns. Native to southern Europe and to central and western Asia,  Russian Olive was introduced to the central and western United States in the early 1900's as a horticultural plant. It was cultivated as a hedge, to provide shade and windbreaks, and as a landscape plant for decades and can still be found at plant nurseries throughout the southwest.

thorns

yellow 4-lobed flowers

Since its introduction Russian Olive (RO to weed warriors) has escaped into the rivers and canyons of the southwest where it has become a serious threat to the native plants and animals. Thick stands of Russian Olive crowd the river banks, narrowing the river channel, trapping sediment and changing the water temperature and chemistry, and shading/crowding out native river plants. Fragrant willows, magestic cottonwoods and other native woody shrubs and trees that provide critical shelter, food and habitat to migrant birds, nesting waterfowl, deer, and elk disappear from the river banks as the Russian Olive moves in.

BEFORE/AFTER THE INVASION OF RUSSIAN OLIVE

Escalante River just above the ‘Twin Canyons’ between Harris Wash and Choprock

(left\before)    April 30, 1991 — No Russian Olive present. Photo: Bill Wolverton 

(right\after)   April 28, 2010 — 19 years later overrun with Russian Olive. Photo: Bill Wolverton

Wilderness Volunteers has been actively working to restore southern Utah's magnificent Escalante River corridor since 1998 by fielding multiple Russian Olive removal projects each year. We've coordinated over 58 week-long volunteer service projects over the last 20 years in cooperation with the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (downstream), Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (upstream), the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, and the Escalante River Watershed Partnership (ERWP).

The Escalante River runs approximately 90 miles from where the river forms at the merging of the Upper Valley and Birch Creeks to the southeast where it flows into Lake Powell. Volunteers have hiked countless miles into the far reaches of the Escalante to remove Russian Olive. They've used saws, loppers and other small hand tools to cut small RO trees and treated the stumps with herbicide to finish the job. Larger trees were trimmed back, girdled (the bark is removed from the entire circumference of the trunk), and herbicide applied to the cut. Larger RO are often girdled and left standing to minimize the amount of debris on the ground. These trees die and and eventually fall down and are washed out with natural flood activity. 

   

Just across the river from Choprock Canyon
(left\before)    August 28, 2009 — Photo: Bill Wolverton
(right\after)   May 5, 2010 — Photo: Bill Wolverton

0.25 miles above Choprock Canyon
(left\before)    August 29, 2009 — Photo: Bill Wolverton
(right\after)   October 16, 2010 — Photo: Bill Wolverton

As of late 2017, over 84 miles of the 90 mile river corridor had been cleared from the reservoir up and the prediction is that all 90 miles will have been treated by the end of 2018. This isn't the end of our Russian Olive removal efforts in the Escalante (as some areas will need retreatment) but it is an incredible milestone for a massive restoration undertaking that many didn't think was feasible when removal effort first began.

Thank you to all of the dedicated volunteers, public land agency staff, and tireless weed warriors who have made this possible. 

"Off in the east an isolated storm is boiling over the desert, a mass of lavender clouds bombarding the earth with lightning and trailing curtains of rain. The distance is so great that I cannot hear the thunder. Between here and there and me and the mountains it’s the canyon wilderness, the hoodoo land of spire and pillar and pinnacle where no man lives, and where the river flows, unseen, through the blue-black trenches in the rock."
-Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase Escalante Partners

 Escalante River Watershed Partnership 

Bill Wolverton

Tom Haberle

Jim Bowman

Amber Hughes

John Sherman

Deborah Northcutt
Bill Sheppard
Carleton Sheppard

Dave Pacheco

Misha Kokotovic

Bill Olmstead

Dan Stevens

Dudley McIlhenny

Curt Mobley

Steve Cole

Robin Rose
Brian Bondy

Jen Jackson-Quintano

Jane Butter

Stephanie Flores
Cass Hopkinson

Brian Miller

Henry Whiteside

Jeff Moorehead

John McLean

Caroline Williams

Tony Zimmer

Chris Riccardo

Don Meaders
Edward Hill

Kathryne Zaborowski

Aaron Crosby

Bill Goolsby