Ryan Ghelfi
May 6, 2026
Growth is good, generally speaking. In our case, this means having the ability to hire more Wilderness field staff and interns, recruit more adult and youth volunteers, and foster connection and direct impact at higher levels across our landscape than ever in our history. I am grateful for the opportunity for SBFC to serve in the ways we do.
For me, our growth has also created a stronger sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). Over the next six months, we will dispatch nearly 80 unique hitches, covering hundreds (perhaps over 1,000) miles of the wildest trails in the lower 48. And I want to take part in every single one! The classic Executive Director paradox is ringing true to me. If your organization is successful, it becomes harder to take time away from the office, out in the field with people doing the actual work!
That said, I’ll continue to find all the ways of joining as many of our crews as I can each season, including this one. Below is a short list of a few hitches I would love to join this season. The list is not exhaustive.
Hitches I Wish I Could Go On:
#041 North Cottonwood Creek heavy maintenance with the Whisky Crew! This group will dispatch for 2.5 weeks into one of the remotest parts of the Frank, working 35 miles from the nearest road, high in the Krassel District Payette NF. I would bet money that the crew will cut over 1,000 trees during their hitch.
#606 62 Ridge More heavy maintenance on a high divide North of the Selway River. We’ll dispatch multiple crews, carrying on where Idaho Trails Association crews leave off throughout much of June, with the aim of opening this important Idaho Centennial Trail corridor, in partnership with the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest and Idaho Parks and Recreation.
#306 Big Creek Divide This spur trail leading from Big Creek Lake to East House Lake is a route that has been on SBFC and the Bitterroot National Forest trails specialists' minds for a while. It requires a great deal of human effort, so we’ve planned back-to-back volunteer hitches in August to improve this historic route. I’ve traveled the main Big Creek corridor once before, and it’s truly a gem.
Numerous trails, Crags Opener I’ve only touched the Northern edge of the area known as the Bighorn Crags in the Salmon-Challis portion of the Frank Church. This high altitude zone, dominated by granite and dozens of mountain lakes, is sought after by many. Getting in early and making sure all of the system trails are ready for the public is a high priority and, one which we are excited to play a role in this year. Not many things I like more than spending time with good people, hiking big miles, and cutting all the trees out of the corridor along the way.
#311 South Fork Lolo This will be our third season putting in massive effort at the farthest northern tip of the SBW. An all-women’s volunteer project and the first-ever SBFC alumni (past staff and interns) will take part in the fun on separate hitches. Each year, hundreds more trees fall across the route, the good old 2 steps forward, 1 step back routine. I believe this is the year when our efforts will finally reach “the finish line” (even if it just means we need to come back again next year, which is always the case with Wilderness trail work!). Since I am neither a woman nor an SBFC alumnus, I won’t be on either of these one-of-a-kind hitches.
All 10 Youth Wilderness Expeditions While I do occasionally get the opportunity to visit our youth Wilderness expeditions, I will never experience what it is truly like to be 13 years old, carrying a backpack and tools, ready to spend a week working and learning in the Wildest Place. But hey, maybe my kids will as they get older. To me, that would be as good as it gets.
For these hitches and so many others, the drive time just to get to the trailhead is substantial, no matter where you live, and that’s just where the hike begins. Each hitch will be its own story, its own place in the world, its own adventure waiting for those who are answering the call. The work makes a difference to the public, to the Wilderness resource, and most importantly to those on the ground making it happen.
Growth is good, but for me, it makes the FOMO that much stronger. It’s a cost I am happy to bear. I can’t wait to hear all the stories, read all the hitch reports, and heartfelt blog posts, each week, all season long. I’ll report back from the field as I make it to visit quite a few, but not all, projects this season!
Now I’d love to hear from you! Where will the trail take you this summer? Or where do you wish you could go?