The goal of the SCA/USFWS Trails Inventory program is to provide the Fish and Wildlife Service with a comprehensive and accurate inventory of all trails on USFWS sites across the country. This is certainly an ambitious project as there are over 600 USFWS sites nationwide. This project will take us to every corner of the country, to high mountains and low deserts through bayous and fjords. We are all extremely excited for this opportunity as it provides the chance to perform an important service to the USFWS, expand our own knowledge and expertise, and experience many different parts of the country for the first time.
Hitch 4- Massachusetts and Puerto Rico
The Hitch 4 Bravo Team, consisting of Stefano Potter, and Toji Sakamoto, spent June ambling around Massachusetts, and taking a week long adventure to Puerto Rico. Highlights from the mainland work included hiking a trail below the high tide line during high tide, being attacked by seagulls at Monomoy NWR, and finding one of the most spectacular refuges of either of our trips so far; Wapak NWR. Wapak had spectacular trails that went precipitously up a mountain whose summit held rocky outcroppings and stunning vistas. We finished the day of GPS work with sore legs, and smiles from finally getting a good hike while working.
After finishing up work in Massachusetts, we hopped on a plane for Puerto Rico. PR was an interesting combination of beautiful beaches, clear warm emerald ocean water, garbage eating wild horses, packs of stray dogs, noisy campgrounds, relentless heat and hummidity and spectacular hikes through a tropical rain forest. After finishing up work at Cabo Rojo NWR we did a brief tour of the island and headed back home to Boise.
