Katie Burbridge
Wilderness & Trails Intern
Puddin Mountain Trail | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
July 29-August 5, 2026
To say I was looking forward to this volunteer hitch would be an understatement. Not only would this be my first time in the Bighorn Crags of the Frank Church-River Of No Return Wilderness, but someone I knew personally would tag along in the volunteer group.
Very personally. My dad.
Katie hiking back to camp after a day of work!
Some people, understandably, might find the idea of their dad coming to their workplace for 8 days stressful. But I was ecstatic! For one, my workplace this week is in the breathtaking Idaho wilderness surrounded by glacier lakes, granite mountain ranges, and little ground squirrels you don't see back home in Virginia. Second, dad and I go on hiking and backpacking trips all the time and share a passion for nature. I think the only person who was more excited about this than me was him.
For both of us, this hitch was full of a lot of firsts. For starters, dad had never been packed in by mules for a hike before, and I got to excitedly point out how silly and cute they were. Before this summer, I had never seen a mule before and was delighted when they looked like horses with disproportionately large heads and noses. I think dad appreciated this visual too.
The morning reflection at Welcome Lake
Secondly, because this hitch was with volunteers, we had group meals provided by SBFC. Over the summer, I had developed a simple but effective meal plan for each hitch: snacks for breakfast, tuna for lunch, and summer sausage with sauce and either stuffing or Spanish rice for dinner. Simple, consistent, lots of protein and carbs. So you can imagine my surprise when our camp cook made backcountry pizza, jambalaya, breakfast burritos, and even no-bake cookies throughout the hitch! Dad and I agreed to take notes on her cooking to try and improve our own back home.
My dad looking out at Welcome Lake in the morning
By far my favorite experience this hitch was getting to look out at Welcome Lake every morning while dad drank several cups of coffee. Shockingly, glacier lakes are not a thing in Virginia (actually, natural lakes aren’t a thing in Virginia either). So every morning before work, we walked out and took it all in: the reflection of the mountain mirroring the real thing in the perfectly still water, the mist drifting off the lake as the day started to warm, the moon slowly hiding behind the rugged mountain peaks. The view never got old. I think both of us are going to cherish those memories forever.
Getting to share these memories with my dad and the rest of the crew is an experience I will never forget. I think this being my last hitch is poetic in a way- I started this internship nervous and unsure how to do anything, with dad being my biggest supporter. Now I’ve ended it by getting to show him how much I’ve grown both as a wilderness intern and as a person. I hope I get to have more experiences like this and can continue to grow. And who knows, maybe I can pass on the trail crew torch to dad and he can continue the work I started. No pressure, dad.
My dad and I on our way to the worksite.
Glen Allen, VA
University of Mary Washington: Environmental Science and Conservation Biology
Ever since spending her formative years exploring, hiking, and camping in the Virginian forests, Katie has had a passion for protecting wilderness. Now as a junior in college, Katie is seeking an experience and connection with nature that she has never had before. By traveling across the country and joining the SBFC internship team, Katie plans to learn more about trail maintenance, habitat management, and conservation tactics. Katie plans to use her experiences and shared knowledge with the SBFC team to further her lifelong goals of protecting the earth's natural wonders.