Hitch 7 South Zone Trails
SZ Trails was back at it along Knapp Creek Trail outside of Stanley, ID. Braving 20 F nightly lows and pestering horseflies, we wrapped up work on a causeway previously started by the last SZ crew and shored up a highly eroded bank on one side of a stream fording either several timber check steps, some with diameters of up to 16 inches. After finishing up the last check step, we received a call from Central Idaho with an order to return to Salmon ASAP, and so packed up essential gear and hiked out 5 miles to the trailhead with in 2 ½ hours. We spent the night as guests at the Cape Horn Guard Station before waking up bright and early for the long ride to the Salt Fire Incident Command Post to rejoin our fellow evacuees. On the whole, the hitch was a success, with our Forest Service contact expressing his satisfaction regarding the completed work, and also dealing with the unforeseen circumstances of our early departure.
