Carson-Iceberg Wilderness 2010

Hitch 3: July 6, 2010 – July 15, 2010
Poison Flat Trail

Lead: Brian
Food: Hannah
Documentation: Sara
Tools: Darien
Spot beacon and vehicle checks: Aaron

Total trail maintained: 15,600 feet
Total trail reestablished: 5,460 feet
Drainage structures: 10
Check steps: 12
Cairns: 5

Hitch 3, halfway through our season, had the trail crew doing an entirely different variety of work. Our main projects focused on water bars and check steps in the Poison Flat Trail instead of our usual bucking of downed trees. We restored and cleaned out 23 water bars, set 12 check steps, installed 4 new water bars, and dug drainage ditches in addition to our usual brushing and tread projects. Weather was a challenge this hitch, with afternoon thunderstorms occasionally cutting our work hours short.

A great moment from this hitch was the entire group of 6 working together to move a huge rock into a tricky placement position. For a crew to synchronize 6 tools working on one rock to simultaneously push, counter balance, hold, and nudge it into place is an impressive feat. With the season halfway finished the crew was looking strong and determined. Members continued to display an impressive work ethic and dedication to the work at hand.

The wildflowers seen while hiking through the Corral Valley trailhead appeared to be getting brighter and richer in color as the season progressed. Some crew favorites from the Carson-Iceberg were bright yellow mule's ears with large velvet leaves, pink and red indian paintbrush, alien-like mycotrophic snow plant, which derives its nutrients from fungi under the soil, and fragrant horsemint, a plant that could commonly be found underneath the downed trees we were working on.

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Hitch 1: June 9, 2010 – June 16, 2010
Carson River Trail, Gray’s Crossing, High Trail

Lead: Aaron
Food: Sara
Documentation: Darien
Tools: Hannah
Spot beacon and vehicle checks: Brian

Trees bucked: 6
Total trail maintained: 23,760 feet
Total trail reestablished: 8,855 feet

After two weeks of training in Washington, the Carson-Iceberg trail crew headed down to Bridgeport, California to begin the season. Housing for the summer was the Wheeler Guard Station located on Highway 395 just outside of town. The crew had two days to get settled, unpack, pack, prepare food for the hitch, and meet Jeff Weise, Wilderness Manager for the Bridgeport Ranger District, and Lucas Somers, a Forest Service employee who would be working on scouting projects and documentation for the season.

Crew members were each assigned a task to be in charge of for the season. The five jobs were a hitch leader, food, documentation, tools, and spot and vehicle checks. The person in charge of food planning organized food for the nine days in the backcountry. Documentation entailed keeping track of the amount and type of work that had been done each day as well as writing down the number of people we saw and animal encounters. The person in charge of tools made sure that all tools were propery maintained prior to the hitch as well as keeping tabs on their whereabouts throughout the week and a half. The member assigned to the SPOT beacon and vehicle checks was responsible for signalling that the crew was safe and sound each night with a satellite transmitter and in charge of the necessary vehicle checks in our work truck. The hitch leader made sure that all timing and logistics worked throughout the hitch.

The season began at the Carson River Trailhead with a backcountry hitch. The first three days consisted mainly of brushing and tread projects: resetting bench cuts, widening the trail, and removing false berms. Throughout the duration of the hitch, the crew worked the 4.5 miles of the Carson River Trail, as well as the connector trail to Gray’s Crossing, taking care of logging projects, brushing, restoration of damaged areas, preventing users from cutting switchbacks, and tread and drainage. Work time was cut short by long hikes to and from work projects during the day, but large amounts of progress were made. On the final day of the hitch, the crew moved up to the High Trail to buck a large downed Jeffrey Pine.

Over the nine day hitch we saw only a handful of people, but a group of four recreational horseback riders gave feedback that the trail had been opened up nicely and was excellent for riding after the logging out, tread widening and brushing we had done. An exciting moment in the hitch was seeing a beautiful black bear with golden fur, the first of many to come over the season.

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I graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. During college I worked at an outdoor gear shop, the campus climbing wall, and at a high and low ropes course. After two years at the ropes course I became the trainer for new hires and current employees looking to renew their high ropes certification. Working with my university’s outdoor organization, I discovered a passion for leading groups in the backcountry. After some time with Cal Poly’s outdoor program, including two 8-day trips to the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, I interned with Big City Mountaineers, a nonprofit that collaborates with youth organizations to lead inner city teens on backpacking trips.

In 2009, I worked as a crew leader for the Los Padres center of the California Conservation Corps, on a special program designed to give work experience to 15-21 year olds. Three weeks ago I returned from a wonderful five-month trip around New Zealand. I enjoyed hiking and backpacking and climbing there, but am VERY excited to return to the Sierras of Northern California. Our season together will be my first with the SCA Trail Corps.

I believe that the most effective crew leader is one who encourages growth in the skills and personal development of crew members, manages difficulties in a calm and reasonable way, and promotes an emotionally and physically safe working environment. I am easygoing and relaxed about many things, but take respect of coworkers and the prevention of accidents very seriously. I think it is important, especially in a backcountry crew, to allow group members to make decisions whenever possible, and to give individuals a chance to act as a leader. My goal for this summer is to encourage everyone to fine-tune previously acquired skills, learn new ones, and teach others to the group. I am looking forward to the incredible bond that backcountry teams form, and all the laughter and fun that goes along with it.

Other than the obvious (backpacking, hiking, sleeping outdoors, swimming in alpine lakes), my personal interests include riding my bike, baking, reading, struggling through crossword puzzles, and mass amounts of card games. Earnest Shackleton is my current hero.

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Aaron Sanford was born and raised in Chadron, Nebraska in 1987. He attended University of Wyoming before transferring to University of Nebraska, Kearney to pursue a degree in Natural Resource Management. In 2007 he worked for the Wyoming Conservation Corps building and maintaining trails. During the rafting season in 2008 and 2009 he worked for Buffalo Joe’s Whitewater Rafting as a river guide. It is rumored that at 6’7” he is the tallest guide on the Arkansas River. His experience as a raft guide only increased a strong dislike for cold water, especially in the snowmelt of the Arkansas, so for the summer of 2010 Aaron chose to focus on developing his trail skills with the SCA’s Carson-Iceberg trail crew based out of Bridgeport, CA. The crew’s extensive work bucking downed trees will provide ample time to achieve a life goal of mastering the cross cut saw. Some of Aaron’s goals involving the backcountry life are overcoming his fear of quinoa, which is a high-protein grain commonly eaten with trail crew meals, finding a tent that he doesn’t have to sleep diagonally in, and figuring out how to get his hands on In-N-Out four-patty cheeseburgers as often as possible before and during hitches. After this summer’s trail program, Aaron will be finishing his final semester of college in the fall and moving to Alaska in January.

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Hi all, my name is Sara Baker. I am from Wisconsin and currently am finishing my super senior year at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in Recreation Management and Spanish. I have been doing backcountry trips since I was 12 years old and begged my parents to send me to summer camp. Since then I have experienced nature in some incredible areas and through different forms of outdoor adventure. I absolutely love traveling and have spent time in Alaska, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Chile and Uruguay. I am hoping to return to South America when I graduate to further my Spanish fluency and return the vibrant culture of Latin America. I love being as active as possible. I enjoy running and practicing yoga. I also am very involved on my campus and in the community. I recently spent the year heading the UW-L Progressives and the Diversity Organization Coalition. In the words of Gandhi I want to be the change I wish to see in the world. I am looking forward to spending my summer giving back to something that has been such an affluent part of my life and experiencing as much as possible.

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