SBFC Works Shoulder-to-Shoulder with the USFS

Ryan Ghelfi

October 23, 2025

I’ve served as the executive director of SBFC for just over 2.5 years, and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many of the current and former Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness staff at the US Forest Service.

One sentiment that I’ve heard echoed by numerous wilderness retirees is that USFS wilderness and trail crews back in the day were much more robust. One retiree said “we used to have 60 people working on trails and Wilderness on the Forest back in 1975,” and yet another told me that  “I had 20 people working for me in the Wilderness and Trails shop on my district back in 2001.” These numbers are not reflective of crews today. While the quality of our USFS partners is top-notch, the quantity is not nearly the same.

Hearing those anecdotal numbers from USFS retirees paints a vivid picture for me. All told, it’s easy to see why we are facing such a difficult situation on the ground with trails becoming more challenging to maintain each year, intervals between maintenance lengthening, rangers monitoring sites and areas less often than they once did, and a growing backlog of deferred maintenance (according to a 2018 report, the USFS trail repair backlog is $279 million). The reality is, the shrinking number of staff dedicated to these wilderness areas is no match for the (not shrinking) acreage. 

While I dream about what a fully staffed USFS trail crew in the last century could have accomplished, that is just it… a dream. Meanwhile, SBFC and other partner organizations are here working shoulder-to-shoulder with our USFS partners, accomplishing work on the ground. The USFS does not raise private funds, but we can, and thanks to donors like you, we are able to send hundreds of people into the wilderness each summer to get the job done.

This year, we hired eight full-time seasonal crew leaders/assistants, each with a breadth of experience in the wilderness and trails world. We brought on 13 Wilderness Ranger Fellows, each of whom contributed hundreds of hours of wilderness trail work and became highly adept at wilderness skills. Hundreds of volunteers came from across the country to spend their days performing manual labor on the trails and their nights camped under the stars, and teens from Idaho and Montana likewise shared their energy via trail work while learning about wilderness, backpacking, and the like.

To further support these wilderness areas and address emerging needs, we have expanded our programs in new and exciting ways. This summer, in partnership with the Salmon-Challis National Forest, we hired River Checkers and River Rangers on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers to ensure continued wilderness stewardship in these heavily visited river corridors. We also took on critical work in the Sawtooth and Gospel Hump Wilderness areas, meeting the urgent need for more boots on the ground. Meanwhile, our Youth Wilderness Program continues to grow, cultivating the next generation of wilderness leaders so that these magnificent wild places have future stewards.

So, what does the future look like? I can’t say. My crystal ball is hazy, just like everyone’s. What I do know is that the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas are essential. We need people out there working in these places, keeping our trails and connection to the country strong and sustainable. People want to be out here doing this work, grueling, exhausting, and unglamorous as it might be. I don’t know if we’ll ever have 60 people working seasonally on wilderness and trails on any given forest in the future, like we did in the past. But SBFC will be here, converting your donations into direct impact for our beloved wilderness areas.

Our 2025 season has been a resounding success. Stay tuned for all the details about all the work that was accomplished in the coming weeks in The Wildest Place newsletter and online. We were able to be successful this season because of donors like YOU.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments. Email me anytime!

Year Two of the Youth Wilderness Program

Ryan Ghelfi

September 16, 2025

The 2025 season of the SBFC Youth Wilderness Program is in the books. We still have Wilderness trail crews and adult volunteers headed into the field through mid-October. There is so much work to be done out there! But for now, I’d like to share with you, our esteemed readers, some of my thoughts and highlights from our second season of bringing local youth into the Wildest Place.

During my first year working for SBFC, I realized that we needed to take a significant step to connect the next generation of stewards to their backyard wilderness areas. I heard from numerous people that they had never been into the Frank or the Selway.  With trail access often difficult and the skills, gear, and know-how required to step into the wild not easily accessible, we knew this was a gap we could help fill.

In 2024, SBFC hired a new program director who was tasked with the challenging project of building a new program from scratch, dedicated to immersing young people in our Wilderness complex and passing along the skills needed to confidently return and be stewards of these wild places.

The program launched last summer with four expeditions, and I am excited to share that the impact in 2025 (by the numbers and more importantly the individual experiences) has been even greater.

Providing these transformative experiences for free, where a young person's willingness and desire are the primary barriers to entry, was key. I am happy to say we’ve done that. Through the generosity of many donors (of money and gear), foundations, grantors, parents, teachers, Forest Service partners, the Connie Saylor Johnson Wilderness Education Fund, and staff, this work has come together to provide nearly 50 young people with the opportunity to learn how to care for their wilderness lands over extended, multiday backcountry expeditions in 2025. The personal growth and passions ignited have exceeded my expectations.

We will share more numbers, stats, and stories over the fall about the youth program, as well as all the other stellar crews, volunteers, and stewardship work people wearing an SBFC hat have done this year. But for now, I will leave you with a new blog by one of our youth participants this season. It’s safe to say, as one of our founding members Connie Saylor Johnson said, “if you can get them out there, they’ll be hooked for life”.  We need these young people to be the stewards of these places today and for many years to come. And based on their feedback, I do not doubt that many of them will be just that.

A Hike in the Frank, Just Because

Ryan Ghelfi

July 24, 2025

Rarely do I head into the Frank Church without an express purpose. A trail to survey, or a crew to work with. This past week, two friends from McCall and I spent 3+ days covering new ground in the heart of some of the most remote corners of the Wilderness, just because.

It can be hard to find time to get out “just because,” but I always find that it’s more than worth it. This was the case for our most recent adventure.

The hike began at the Big Creek Trailhead, traveling downstream to the east, as so many adventures in this part of the Frank often do. We were surprised to find both camps near the Beaver Creek confluence full, so we continued further into the dark that evening. We had a lot of miles to cover the next day, so perhaps it was a blessing.

This trip was marked by clear, but at times smoky skies. With a couple of active fires in the Frank, we paid attention, but none of the current blazes were particularly close to our route when we departed. Day 2 took us up Crooked Creek (with much evidence of recent brushing, thanks Cold Meadows Forest Service Crew!) to Cold Meadows Guard Station, and then onto Black Lake. This massive lake lies in a steeply walled Canyon and was perhaps the finest piece of country I’ve visited thus far in the Frank Church. Hard to convey how it feels to camp in a location so remote and magnificent at the same time.

Day 3 took us from Black Lake, back to Cold Meadows, and then onto Chamberlain Basin. Just past the private inholding at Root Ranch, we came upon a massive old-growth Ponderosa next to the trail. This tree had no business being alive. It has been burned through over ⅔ of its diameter by who knows how many different fires over the centuries. And yet, we looked up and gazed upon a lifeform standing tall, proud, and nowhere near death. The feeling of awe this tree invoked is hard to overstate. If the Wilderness can teach nothing else, it’s that resilience is perhaps the most essential trait any lifeform can possess.  We arrived at Chamberlain tired, very hungry, and grateful for the places our feet had taken us that day.

Our final day was marked by seeing other humans! Not always a common occurrence. It turned out I had been corresponding with both of the groups we encountered. One couple was traveling across the entire Wilderness complex over the course of a month or so. They are still out there as you read this letter, and I wish them well on their journey. It thrills me to see people making this long trip, regardless of all of the difficulties they face along the way. The second group was a 3-generation family with four young kids in tow. The parents of the kids had both worked multiple trail seasons on the Krassel District and were now taking their kids back to show them after years away. What a special thing to do as a family!

There are many places in the West and Idaho grander and classically appealing than the Frank Church. Nearly every bit of the county we saw had been impacted by fire. The terrain is rolling and it lacks the in-your-face sheer granite walls that many people might call Wilderness “eye candy.” One of our board members told me recently that other Wilderness might be eye candy, but the Frank Church is soul candy. I love that idea, and after covering nearly 100 miles in some of the more remote corners of the Frank, I could not agree with this sentiment more.

To experience a place is to know it. And I am so grateful for the opportunity to know this part of the Krassel District, Frank Church River of No Return, and to feel intimately what makes it so special; worth caring for and about. Strapping on a pack and stepping into the Wilderness is never easy, but it’s always worth it.

More Than Just a Job

Ryan Ghelfi

May 29, 2025

Sometimes I get the sense that people who work in the Wilderness to maintain our trail systems feel like they have to explain or justify why they don’t have a “real job” yet…why they are still working seasonally, cutting logs out of the trail corridor, and digging in the dirt. I can empathize with this sentiment. I, too, at one time, felt like I needed to explain my life decisions and why I hadn’t gotten a “real” 9-5 office job.

One of our esteemed board members, Nick Hazelbaker, wrote a terrific poem entitled “More Than Just a Job.” This person spent their whole career working in the Wilderness, working on public lands for the benefit of all people. After hearing this poem read aloud, I could not agree more with the specifics and the sentiment. Whether someone spends a year or a career working in the Wilderness, those times, efforts, and memories are irreplaceable. The work itself and the value created are potent, tangible, and as meaningful as any line of work I can imagine.

Some might think I am speaking in hyperbole, but I mean every word. The esteem I hold for each person who chooses to dedicate their effort and passions to working in the Wilderness is of the highest regard. I consider these jobs to be as real as it gets, and frankly, far more than just a job. For me, having the privilege of helping lead this fine organization is far more than a job, it’s a calling that I could not say no to.

So, for all our folks at SBFC, and all those folks working in the woods, on trails, and wildlands across our whole country, the question “when should I get a real job” might need to be rephrased, flipped on its head. I think the real question ought to be “when will I choose to leave my real job behind,” because it’s safe to say, there is no job more real than working outdoors helping to preserve our nation’s Wilderness legacy.

As always, I welcome your thoughts on this topic!

This is Why We Do It

Ryan Ghelfi

April 30, 2025

There is nothing finer than digging tread with nine other intrepid souls and preserving something as invaluable as an 18- 24” wide path through the deepest recesses of the largest Wilderness in the Lower 48.

After a long fall and winter working behind the scenes in an office without windows, the fruits of that time and labor are coming to bear.

This past Wednesday, our eight 2025 SBFC crew leaders, Wilderness Program Director, and I traveled to Lantz Bar on the Salmon River and began work in the footprint of the 2024 Elkhorn Ridge Fire, maintaining and preserving the #113 Dwyer Smith Trail in the Bitterroot National Forest. This key connector is the only way to travel on foot or stock east to west in this very remote part of the Frank Church.

On our first night in the Wilderness, we sat in a circle, cooking dinner and talking about the paths in our lives that had led us all to be there, working to sustain a Wilderness legacy. One theme that emerged was that each person had a profound and lasting connection to nature and being outside as much as possible. For them, it’s a yearning and a calling more than a job. It became apparent that there was nowhere in the world any of them would have rather been.

The next morning, their first full day of trail work for the season, the day broke clear, calm, and perfect for 10+ hours of hard technical and manual labor in the low country of the Frank. So much of the tread on this trail had become thin, out-sloped, and dangerous for stock to travel across. Swinging picks, Pulaskis, and begrudgingly using the less sought-after shovel, the crew traveled three miles up the trail, gaining over 1,400 feet in elevation, and brought it back to its intended specifications. The crew had 6 days remaining and 12 more miles to go before hitch 1 would be in the books.

Midday, we sat eating lunch on a knife-edge ridge, in a sea of countless knife-edge ridges, gazing down on the Wild and Scenic Salmon River, either secretly or openly knowing that in this place, in this moment, we were all living out our grandest dreams.

The work that our people do in the Wilderness is essential. The minute details and the quality of their efforts have a direct impact on a resource that we want and need to exist for many, many years to come. After spending two days working alongside our 2025 crew leaders at the start of our 19th season of Wilderness work, what is obvious is that having dozens of people committed to this work each season in the Selway and the Frank is likely more important than the work itself. The character forged through working in the Wilderness is second to none. The deep appreciation and love for these lands and the lessons learned are lasting. For our people, no matter where they go in the remaining decades of their lives, a significant part of them will always be out here in the Wildest Place in the Lower 48. And for me, ensuring that these fine people are out here working in the Wilderness season after season is what keeps me going and returning to my windowless office day after day.

As we head into our Wilderness season, I am confident in our crews and in the Wilderness legacy they are helping shape. If you want to join us in this mission, please contribute to SBFC as we close out Idaho Gives this week. Your gift will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, helping us further our wilderness mission. If you have already donated, thank you!

We’ve got the crew. We just need you.

Ryan Ghelfi

March 26, 2025

The core of our mission at SBFC is simple: We work on the ground to steward the largest Wilderness in the Lower 48. This is what we’ve done since our inception nearly 20 years ago, and it’s what we will do 20 years from now. We are a no-nonsense, non-advocacy outfit; purpose-built to help people discover and steward one of the most special and important landscapes anywhere in the world.

The nature of the work is time-consuming, arduous, and requires massive amounts of human effort. Keeping trails passable, sustainable, and available for the public requires a special kind of initiative and resolve. Luckily for us, we have 22 individuals slated to join our ranks in April and May. Six crew leaders, two assistant leads, and an anticipated 14 Wilderness Ranger Fellows will comprise the core of our field leadership, decision-making, and muscle across Idaho and Southwest Montana. These people are passionate, hard-working, and dedicated, and they are ready to pull saws, swing pulaskis, and do what it takes to maintain our Wilderness trails and legacy.

We have well over 500 miles of trail maintenance planned for 2025, which helps us keep the promise of Wilderness for the benefit of the American people, today and forever.

Typically, as we enter the summer season of wilderness work, we have federal grants and agreements lined up with each forest in the Selway and the Frank that help pay for our crews. This year, we are approaching the summer season with potential delays on a handful of our agreements. Our team of leaders, fellows, and volunteers are ready to hit the trail in the next few months, but we need your help to make sure we can keep them going all season long.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by May 31st so that we can keep our staff and fellows on payroll, and so that through their work, we as citizens can follow through on the promise of an enduring Wilderness legacy for generations to come. This week only, a generous donor (and a longtime volunteer in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness) has offered a $5,000 match for all donations toward this goal. If you give between today and March 30, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling your impact.

We are a small, nimble, and resilient organization. We were formed nearly 20 years ago, I think for this very moment in time, when our skills, effort, and resolve are needed the most.

Thank you for your commitment to our Wilderness, this mission, and to the people who are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and get the work done out in the Selway and the Frank.

A Critical Moment for Wilderness- Federal Layoffs and What It Means for Our Public Lands

Ryan Ghelfi

February 21, 2025

By this point, many of you have likely heard news about the terminations that have recently taken place across federal agencies, including at the US Forest Service. We were disheartened to learn that the majority of field-going personnel SBFC has had the privilege of working with across our region have been let go. This same story is repeated in most districts and forests across the country. These staff were “probationary,” not in the sense that their performance was below standard, but because of their untenured time in their position (less than a year in most cases). Many of these people had worked for the agency for many years and were in a probationary period because they had recently changed their employment status from “temporary” to “permanent,” or were recently promoted. These were hard-working people dedicated to providing incredible service to the American people and our public lands.

Public lands, Wilderness, and trails, which in many cases were already significantly short-staffed due to the seasonal employee hiring freeze announced in September and underfunded for years, are going to be in a much worse situation in the coming year and beyond.

We can understand the need for increased government efficiency, but the recent actions were done with a blunt machete and with no regard for how important public functions will get done.

It’s hard to know right now what the future holds for the Selway-Bitterroot, the Frank Church, and so many other wild lands across the country. The Wilderness will still be there, but without a strong workforce to maintain access, will many get the opportunity to experience these treasured places? I don’t know.

What I do know is that it’s incumbent upon us as citizens and people who value Wilderness to ensure people today and tomorrow have the same opportunities we’ve had, to be immersed in wild places, and to have these life-changing experiences. We also need a citizenry who are passionately connected and committed to Wilderness. Right now this feels like it’s the biggest open question. How much do we collectively as citizens value Wilderness and public lands? We are about to find out.

What I can tell you is that SBFC is here for the long haul. We will weather this storm and will continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with people who care about Wilderness. We will fight to keep our trail crews, volunteers, and youth headed into this wild country, keeping trails open, and the dream of Wilderness alive. If this period of time tells us anything it’s that we cannot take Wilderness or public lands for granted. It’s our job to build the next generation of wilderness constituents and to continue to bring more people into the Wilderness tent.

Were you affected by the federal employee firings? Do you have thoughts about the impact on our federal lands? I want to hear from you. My inbox is open… email me.

The Intersection of Wilderness and Technology

Ryan Ghelfi

January 15, 2025

Wilderness exists as a line on a map. It’s a line that also exists in reality, though it’s not always apparent when you cross it. Once you traverse the line, rules and feelings change. Change from a chainsaw to a crosscut, from a vehicle to foot, from loud to quiet. Another thing that generally changes when traveling from the front-country to the backcountry is cell phone reception. Of course, cell phones (particularly smartphones enabled with the internet) are a new thing in the last generation, but they are ubiquitous. In many Wilderness areas, a lack of cell service causes phones to become a lot less useful and distracting– until recently.

You can now use a cell phone to send SOS emergency text messages via satellite (which a Garmin In-Reach also does). You can also carry a Starlink in your backpack and take the internet anywhere, even in the deepest canyons and highest peaks of the Selway and the Frank. Traditional cell coverage continues to expand quickly. These changes are happening in real time. This is a big deal, and it will change the way we interact with wilderness.

Soon, it will require a conscious choice to leave the connected world behind, even 20 miles from the nearest road. Many of us now bring our cell phones into the Wilderness to take pictures, use offline maps, and listen to downloaded podcasts. These changes have already been monumental and have, in many ways, eroded the Wilderness experience. I am personally guilty of each of these things. But now, the decision about how to use technology in wilderness will be even more consequential over the coming years. Once there is widespread cheap satellite connectivity to the internet, we will have to actively choose to unplug. Otherwise, emails and texts will never stop pinging at us, even when we are 6,000ft deep in the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

I had a very engaging conversation with one of our supporters recently. This person spends many days helping people to experience the Wild and Scenic beauty and awe of rivers across the West. He told me a story about guiding in the Grand Canyon. In the past, there was no cell reception at the put-in. The night before the trip launched, all the guides would gather to get to know each other, play music, and talk about the upcoming trip, just as you would expect.  One recent season, the magical experience of connecting with fellow guides before a 17-day journey on one of the world's greatest rivers was shattered by, you guessed it, the internet. People were on their phones– talking, texting, and watching movies. That wonderful wilderness experience went by the wayside, with technology replacing camaraderie

There are many risks to Wilderness and our experience of it. But I think this is the most significant risk we currently face. There are countless others, and I don’t intend to diminish them. But soon, the choice of how we interact with Wilderness and each other will change, and we will have to decide how to reckon with it. So far, our society has been relatively unsuccessful in restraining ourselves when it comes to using addictive technology. Now is the best time for all of us to impose some personal guardrails.

We’d like to hear from you. What do you think about this topic? How has the use of technology already changed your experience of the Wilderness? What are you concerned about? Or do you feel like we are making a big deal about nothing? SBFC is a leader in Wilderness, but we are nothing without our many members, supporters, mentors, and guides throughout the region and the country. Together we will forge ahead on this grand Wilderness experiment.

Legacy Gifts

Ryan Ghelfi

December 17, 2024

Nothing is certain in this world. News of the US Forest Service seasonal worker hiring freeze has been spreading rapidly. We still don’t know what this will mean on the ground in the Wilderness areas we love over the coming years, but it’s likely not great news.

The Selway-Bitterroot Foundation (our name was changed to the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation in 2012) was born in 2006 out of a need for increased on-the-ground stewardship in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Many of the trails were degrading, and the workforce needed to maintain this massive area had been deficient for decades.

Over the past twenty years, SBFC has made significant strides in addressing these challenges, but the task remains immense. Despite our efforts, Wilderness users continue to witness an urgent need for more dedicated people to keep these areas accessible, maintain essential Wilderness skills, and preserve our human connection to these wild places.

SBFC can play a more prominent role in this narrative. It’s within our collective power. I rarely discuss money in my regular dispatches from the director's desk. It’s not the subject that people are the most excited about, but without it, none of our work— whether it’s trail restoration, youth expeditions, or volunteer projects— would be possible.

This is not a call for donations, but rather an invitation to think about our collective legacy. What kind of world do we want to leave for our children? How do we want them to engage with the Selway-Bitterroot and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas?

It’s a bit personal, but I’ll share this: At 36, creating my own will hasn’t been top of mind. Yet, with three kids, I know it’s an overlooked responsibility I must address in 2025. Reflecting on mortality, legacy, and finances has made me consider what I value most. And ensuring that others can experience this Wild country— whether in the Selway, the Frank, or other Wilderness areas in the American West— is something I deeply care about. That’s why I’ve decided that SBFC and other key organizations will be beneficiaries in my will.

Here is my ask: If you haven’t already, consider including SBFC in your will or trust. A simple step today can guarantee the long-term viability of these remarkable places, regardless of political winds. And if you’ve already taken this step, please let me know. Your commitment and motivation are invaluable to us, and I would love to hear your story.

Opening pathways for all to discover and steward the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return is at the core of what we do, and who we are today, and it will continue to drive us forward. I want to thank each of you for coming on this journey with us.

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The Selway-Bitterroot Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and our Federal Tax ID is 27-2868220.

Board of Director's Update

Ryan Ghelfi

November 13, 2024

An impactful nonprofit organization needs a strong board, period. Without committed board members who govern, direct, and help raise funds for the mission, any organization will slowly wither away like an unprepared hiker deep in the Frank under a hot August sun.

Four long-time board members retired from the SBFC board at our November meeting in McCall. They have all transitioned to ambassador roles and will continue to help us achieve our mission (without attending quite as many meetings). I would like to highlight each of these amazing people.

John Lloyd from Ketchum, Idaho served six years on the board. John is an avid outdoorsman and is one of the few people to have hiked all of the Idaho Centennial Trail. His love of the Wilderness and extensive time hiking and volunteering in the Frank Church-River of No Return has helped SBFC in so many ways.

From his first pack trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness at the age of fourteen, throughout his career as a medical doctor in the U.S. Military and during his fifteen years of invaluable service on the SBFC board, Chuck Miller, of Hamilton, Montana, has held a strong commitment to the concept and public enjoyment of Wilderness. Never lacking in energy, he enhanced his effectiveness on the board through his leadership role in backcountry horsemen chapters and his long days of project packing support and trail maintenance work in the Wilderness.

Nancy Feldman from Boise, Idaho served seven years on the SBFC board, two as the board chairperson. Nancy never let anything slip and was steadfast in her leadership of this organization. Our organizational policies have improved dramatically as she’s been the governance committee chair for the past three years. She and her husband Murray (also a former board member) have hosted events at their home and have always had a place for me to stay when I am working in Boise. I expect I’ll be visiting them for many years to come!

There is no one I called more often during my first year on the board than Joni Stright. Joni is from Boise, Idaho, and served on the SBFC board for six years. She was the board treasurer and helped see SBFC through so much, including the tumultuous COVID-19 era. When I arrived, I had a great deal to learn. We’ve made many changes, and Joni’s mentorship and advice have been invaluable as I navigated difficult situations.

Finally, we had a significant changing of the guard this November. As the ED, I work most closely with the board chair. Jim Heidelberger held this role for the past three years, and he’s done such an admirable job. His humor and wit are balanced by a steadfast work ethic, always chasing down every loose end, not to mention spearheading the largest SBFC volunteer project of 2024 (maybe ever) at Big Sand Lake in the Selway-Bitterroot. Jim passed the gavel, but he will remain on our board, for which I am grateful.

Taking Jim’s place as board chair is Shawn Donley, of Stevensville, Montana. Shawn is fairly new to the SBFC board, but he’s jumped in headfirst. He participated in four volunteer trail projects last season and has taken to learning the ins and outs of this sprawling organization. We are thrilled to have Shawn leading the charge for this dynamic board.

We welcomed two new board members in November as well: Ron Anderson of Ketchum, Idaho and Chris Lundy of Stanley, Idaho. We are grateful for their time, treasure, and talent!

From the staff and board, we want to thank each of these people for their dedication to the Wildest Place, and for doing more than their share of work to connect people to Wilderness. Our future, and the future of these amazing places, is brighter because of their efforts.  

The Impermanence of Open Trails (Sept. 2024)

Ryan Ghelfi

September 5, 2024

When we are laying out our season of work in the winter and spring, we set up some ambitious goals. One of our primary organizational objectives is to help keep trails open and Wilderness accessible for the public. As any who have volunteered or spent a season working on a Wilderness trail crew know, it’s a monumental task.

This season we aimed to clear the trail between Elk Summit and Blodgett Pass. The 13 miles connecting the Idaho and Montana portions of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness had not been cleared of downfall in five seasons. In any forest, but especially going through burned sections of forest, this meant that there were thousands of trees down across the trail. A trail in this condition is not passable to stock and is extremely difficult for any hiker to navigate.

So it was with great vim and vigor that our crews and volunteers set out across multiple hitches in July, clearing those thousands of trees. After our crews hiked out from the area on July 24th we could say the cross border route was open!

But here’s the thing: “Open” is a very tricky and time-sensitive word when it comes to Wilderness trails. On the morning of July 24th, the trail was clear of trees. But as our crews went to bed in Missoula to begin their days off on the night of the 24th, Mother Nature had something other than “open” in mind.

Throughout that night, winds reached speeds over 100 mph in locations across the region. Large live trees were ripped from their roots. Massive sections of forest were blown down like matchsticks. The Moose Creek Ranger Station was heavily damaged by trees that had stood through dozens of windstorms over hundreds of years.

Our crews awoke to a different world. And the trail from Elk Summit to Blodgett Pass had been “open” for merely 12 hours before being affected by the storm, with hundreds of trees down on recently cleared sections of trail. One of the Forest Service trail folks we work with regularly said a funny thing to me recently that resonated. When people ask him if a trail is open he says, “I will only guarantee a trail is open for 24 hours after it's been worked.” Maybe 24 hours is too generous.

It makes you reckon with the question “Why are we doing this work?” Certainly, every tree we cut on every hitch is a tree that will not have to be cut later. But I think there is a more important point buried underneath. To me, as our 2024 season is gradually winding down, I’ve discovered a different purpose, one that Mother Nature cannot take away. The work itself is the point. The Wilderness is a place where our connections to nature hold fast, and where the nature of the work remains as it was 100 years ago. A place where our human limits and resolve are tested, and where we must endure through all sorts of difficult circumstances. For the people who choose to work in Wilderness, opening trails for others, whether they be paid or volunteers, the work itself (paychecks aside) is the goal; it’s not merely a means to an end. The fact that hundreds of people choose to continue to work to keep trails open in the Selway and the Frank with us each summer gives me hope that we as a people are strong, resilient, and continuing to move forward in the right direction without losing our connections to the past.

Thank you for supporting this work, whether by volunteering, making a donation, or cheering on our crews. We appreciate you!

P.S. Due to some good fortune and timing, we were able to send multiple crews and groups of volunteers back to Elk Summit during August. As of August 21, the trail from Elk Summit to Blodgett Pass was clear of trees yet again. I have not heard of any big windstorms since. So I suggest you lace up your hiking boots and go see this amazing and wild country. Now is always the best time.

Four Crews in Four Days: A Whirlwind Wilderness Adventure (June 2024)

Ryan Ghelfi

July 17-21, 2024

We are in the heart of our Wilderness season with dozens of people on numerous crews in the field all across the Frank and Selway. Even for me, with all the data, spreadsheets, and communications at my fingertips, it’s a lot to track.

Last week I was fortunate to carve out four days to get out on the ground. The logistics were perfect with four of our crews and 36 individual people in close enough proximity for me to visit in quick succession. In the middle of my second year at SBFC, I remain confident that there is no substitute for getting on the trail with our crews and seeing what is happening in the Wilderness firsthand.

What I saw on this past week's swing was nothing short of spectacular. First, I visited Ian and Emma, who were leading six 13-14 year olds on our second Youth Wilderness Expedition at Walton Lakes. The trail down to the first lake was in decent shape, but brushy and the group took the task to heart opening up the trail corridor on day two. On day three I joined them and we began scouting the trail that continues to the upper Walton Lakes. This trail was buried under deadfall and the crew made fine work reopening half a mile of beautiful tread, creating possibilities for the future. We will come back next year with another youth expedition to continue the work where they left off. I was thrilled to see these teens relishing the work and their time in the wild, bugs and all. This was the perfect location for this age group. This crew rocked it!

Next, I hightailed it over to Big Sand Lake out of Elk Summit where the Whisky in the Woods crew from Moscow had been posted up and cutting out hundreds of logs for the previous 15 days. Over 20 volunteers in two separate groups came out to bring back numerous trails in the area. Five intrepid souls stayed for a full immersion of 17 days. This crew was packed in and out of the woods by multiple packers, including the Binninger family of Landgrove Coffee fame, as well as Nez Perce-Clearwater NF Packer Pete! SBFC Wilderness trail crews teamed up with the whisky crew to create multiple “super crews” and it shows.  Over 33 miles of trail were logged out, and the number of trees removed from the corridor was into the thousands. Near the end of the final hitch the crew made it all the way to Blodgett Pass from the Idaho side which was a big win!  More downed trees remain on other important connections; we look forward to clearing them all next summer.

In addition to SBFC trail crews and the Whisky crew, another crew of retired smoke jumpers from the National Smokejumper Association spent five days bringing the Bridge Creek Trail back to life, also near Elk Summit. This was heavy deferred work, and the crew earned every inch of trail reclaimed. Their efforts created numerous opportunities to find solitude and helped the crews that followed them to get into the country where they’d be working.

I met one of the crews that followed (Wyatt, Rowan, Clarrine, Ian, and USFS trail specialist Nick H) as they were sitting down to dinner on the lee side of some 10-year-old pines, the only shade in town. They were cutting 100+ logs a day, and the contrast could not be more stark. As I was hiking towards them I came upon an unworked section of trail. My pace slowed to a crawl and I came out bloody as I navigated a few hundred uncut logs over a couple mile stretch. (Our stellar team cut these later in their hitch). Seeing (and feeling) this night and day difference tells a story in real terms like no blog post or hitch report ever could.  

Finally, the fourth crew I visited on my tour in the Northern Selway was the CatRock Ventures youth group from New York City led by SBFC trail crew Lead April Eling along with Wilderness Ranger Fellows Jack, Caroline, and Emma. This crew picked up the work where last year’s CatRock group left off on the One Horse Lake Trail on the Bitterroot National Forest. We were excited to complete this project, reopening this primitive trail for the first time in many years. The trail provides access to one of the most beautiful basins I’ve seen in my time at SBFC. This crew learned a ton and worked hard. Through their efforts, the public has a terrific opportunity to experience this corner of the wilderness. Solitude and unparalleled beauty are hallmarks in this tucked-away corner of the Bitterroot.

My whirlwind tour is just a small sample of the full body of work that all our crews have performed this season thus far. Our staff, Wilderness Ranger Fellows, and volunteers  are accomplishing an incredible amount, and providing the public with the ability to connect to our wildest places. We need these places now more than ever. Each time I have the opportunity to work alongside our people and see firsthand what it takes, I come out invigorated and eager to keep pushing forward and building momentum. The SBFC community is moving mountains (and logs) out there, and I am so grateful. Alas, the work never ends… we’ll keep at it so that people today and forever can experience and enjoy the Wildest Place.

SBFC Board Meeting Recap (May 2024)

Ryan Ghelfi

May 30, 2024

The third weekend in May is a very special time for SBFC. This was the case in spades this year. We had our annual Missoula board meeting, where 17 of our 19 board members attended in-person, with 2 more tuned-in remotely for full attendance. It’s stunning to me that we were able to bring our whole team together in this way from all across this wild region.

Our board of directors has grown a great deal in the last two years. Eleven of the 19 current members have come into the fold since 2022, and the energy is palpable. Their fresh perspectives, paired with the institutional wisdom and ideas of the tenured board members, make a strong team. The skills, experience, and passion in this group are incredible. We have members from Boise to Missoula and all points in between. People are engaged and eager to help chart the course for the years ahead.

At the same time as the board meeting, our Wilderness Ranger Fellows had just finished up their first week of training with our program directors and crew leads. This group has traveled from across the country to learn, live, and work in the Wilderness this summer, and we could not be happier to see them growing and adapting at a rapid rate.

All told, when you consider our whole team, we are 57 strong. It’s astounding and humbling for me to think about all of the people who put so much of themselves into SBFC, our mission, and the Wildest Place in the Lower 48.

This week our seasonal crews are out on their first training hitch together as leaders and Fellows. They are working to maintain and improve trails branching off of the Main and Middle Fork Salmon Rivers, deep in the heart of the Frank Church-River of No Return.

These are the people and this is the work that will maintain Wilderness values, character, and access for the decades to come. Our season in the Frank and the Selway is upon us. Together, we are up for the challenge.