James Perkins
Wilderness Ranger Fellow
Payette National Forest | Frank Church Wilderness
James is spending the summer immersed in the Frank Church Wilderness, based out of the Chamberlain Guard Station. He does not have access to internet, therefore, his blog post was a handwritten synopsis of his summer.
For those who don’t know my situation, I’m fully immersed in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. I’m stationed at the Chamberlain Guard Station, 27 miles from the closest road. Life out here is amazing.
Our first hitch was a much needed wake up call: hiking 4 miles uphill and then another 4 to our camp. Our first hitch we saw wolf prints bigger than my hand, and wild cutthroat trout (too bad I didn’t have my rod!).
Our second hitch we hiked around 40 miles around beautiful mountainsides and got to camp near a lookout station!
On our third hitch, we hiked down to the Salmon River, but we had to deal with 10 miles of switchbacks with no water when we hiked down and up. However, taking a dip in the cool Salmon River made up for it.
James at a lookout station in the Frank Church Wilderness.
When we aren’t on hitch, I’m usually fishing, reading, or exploring. The fishing here is amazing; thanks to Jerry for the lures. I have caught a good amount of rainbows and cutthroats, and I saw steelhead swimming up the stream, which was so cool! Overall, being at Chamberlain Guard Station is a treat and I am grateful!
JAMES PERKINS
Payette National Forest | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
University of Wyoming
Major: Wildlife Management
James is from Charlotte, North Carolina, but has lived in Wisconsin and Chicago for a couple of years. He is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School and avidly hikes and camps in his free time. James is passionate about wilderness because as an undergraduate pursuing a bachelor's degree in wildlife management at University of Wyoming, he finds it important to educate himself and protect the natural environment.