Hitch #1 – Appreciation Post!
Nick Capille
Lead Wilderness Steward
Hitch 1: June 7-14 | #4 Selway River Trail
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests | Selway Bitterroot Wilderness
Not knowing exactly what to expect, we dove into this hitch up Selway #4 Trail with anticipation. The slowly undulating walk in was a preview of what this season has to offer.
An old insulator found up trail #4 in the forest, not far from the campsite.
Eight miles later we were on a treasure hunt looking for the campsite Jack Ader, the region’s Wilderness Ranger, described as, “under the tall ponderosa with an old phone insulator hanging out of it.” Following directions given with a point on a map and an anecdote of seeing a bear at the camp is something to be appreciated. Google Maps can’t mimic the feeling of looking at a map and walking down a new-to-you trail.
Ducking under the pack bridge wires and rounding the corner, the crew started looking for the tree. Laying eyes on something described to us a day ago gave me the simplest sense of accomplishment. The feeling that moving dirt, cutting trees, and clearing trail gives you after a few hours of hard work. Moments like this I often overlook. Something about being outside away from the distractions lets me tune into the small things.
The walk back to camp after a day of work.
Much like the first hike the crew did in Montana, the Waterworks Trail in Missoula is something I have experienced time and time again. However, the crew was gasping in awe, taking photos and videos.
Seven years ago, I was in the same shoes. Recently moved to Missoula from New Jersey, the idea of mountains was foreign concept to me. Much less sleeping beneath them. The crew had reminded me of this feeling of exhilaration that these mountains and wild areas around Montana brought me.
It’s easy to grow accustomed to these views, these ways of navigating through our world. I’m exceptionally lucky to be in this field where it’s all a little bit different from the everyday. I’m fortunate have a crew that reminds me of how fortunate we are to be living here.
Nicholas grew up in a small town in Southern New Jersey close to the Pine Barrens. His first backpacking trip was in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, volunteering doing Wilderness Character Monitoring (WCM). Throughout college, Nicholas worked for the Forest Service in Wise River, Montana. After graduation he worked in California with the BLM, where he led WCM data collection. He also worked at a camp leading rafting, climbing, and hiking trips around Missoula.