Hitch 11 - Ridgecrest BLM [1]
We worked in Tylerhorse Canyon on Ridgecrest BLM land. With the aid of Dick Blizzard, who packed in a poinjar, and Pete Fish who showed the crew how to use it, we removed a large rock outcropping on the trail. In addition, we closed off 2 cutoffs on the trail and we benched the tread for a half mile of the PCT just north of Tylerhorse Canyon in the Ridgecrest BLM district. Another volunteer, Barney Hope, joined us and added an invaluable enthusiasm to the crew on our final hitch as the SCA PCT 1 Crew.
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Hitch 10 - Ridgecrest BLM [7]
We worked at Bird Spring Pass in Jawbone Canyon on Ridgecrest BLM land. Despite rough weather - snow, wind, and cold - we installed 2 large skree rock walls in some very heavily damaged drainage areas on the PCT.
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Hitch 9 - Ridgecrest BLM [11]
At Weldon Peak in the Ridgecrest BLM section of the trail, we did a basic maintenance run. We bucked out one large tree and maintained 4 miles of the trail south from Robin Bird Spring.
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Hitch 8 - Palm Springs BLM [15]
We brushed the trail for 3/4 of a mile on the PCT about 6 miles north of the Mission Creek Preserve. In addition, we installed 2 drain dips and repaired a water bar. The hardest part of the 3/4 mile that we brushed was a 40' riparian section that skirted Mission Creek. It was so overgrown that it took the four of us half a day to fully restore that section of corridor so that stock could pass. There are numerous sections like that little 40' stretch on the PCT in the Mission creek area. In addition to our short hitch in Mission Creek, we also worked at Whitewater Preserve for a day with volunteer Pete Fish. Together with Pete, we instructed many agency partners from the Forest Service and BLM in just exactly how we go about maintaining the trail. It provided us an excellent opportunity to express our thanks to the land management agencies for their support of our program, and to express our hope that they continue such support.
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Hitch 7 - San Bernardino National Forest [19]
The two SCA PCT crews installed 6 check steps, 2 retaining walls, and we brushed the trail near Devil's Hole in the San Bernardino National Forest. We had practice using the grip hoist rigging machinery however, we were not able to complete the retaining wall we used it for as the wall was too big for our short hitch.
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Hitch 6 - San Bernardino National Forest [23]
On our 6th hitch we worked at Gobbler's Knob in San Bernardino National Forest. Both of the SCA PCT crews worked together to do basic maintenance on the PCT for about 4 miles of trail south of Gobbler's Knob.
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Hitch 5 - Angeles National Forest [27]
In our first hitch in Southern California we worked at Little Jimmy Campground in the Angeles National Forest. We did basic maintenance on the trail, brushing and benching it, and we also installed 2 skree retaining walls. Over the weekend, we had the great opportunity to work with 20 high schoolers from the Environmental Charter High School out of Los Angeles. It was an awesome experience as we had the chance to engage urban youth in doing work in the great outdoors.
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Hitch 4 - Gifford Pinchot National Forest [32]
Lance Holdt and his wife, Doc Wesselius and Debbie Wesslius and James Loothoie, packed us in the 4 plus miles to Snowgrass flats for our first hitch outside of the Inyo. We were in the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washingtons Gifford Pinchot National Forest. There we maintained 15 water bars, installed 4, maintained 1 check step and installed 1, and we put in 2 large check steps at the stream crossing to make it safer. Additionally, we put in 2 large turnpikes over very wet areas of the Lily Basin trail. Though it rained for 11 of the 16 days we were there, the crew had good spirits and did a great job.
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Hitch 3 - Inyo National Forest [37]
This was our final hitch at Purple Lake in the Inyo National Forest. In addition to the 3/4 mile of trail we maintained, we installed 2 rocks steps, 2 timber water bars, 1 rock water bar, 483' of rock wall, and we removed 16 large rocks from the trail.
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Hitch 2 - Inyo National Forest [42]
This was our first hitch working with volunteers and with their help we did 20 feet of benching, 11 rock check steps, 12ft long rubble wall, felled 2 trees, 5 foot long timber wall, and we removed numerous tripping hazard rocks, and bucked up one tree.
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Hitch 1 - Inyo National Forest [47]
We hiked the PCT between Duck Creek and Tully Hole in the Inyo and cleared small rocks of off the trail, lopped that section, installed 3 check steps, 1 water bar, and scouted out projects or our next two hitches at Purple Lake.
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SCA PCT 1 Hitch Schedule [52]
SCA PCT BLM SUMMER CREW HITCH SCHEDULE
July 5 Crew Arrives
July 6 - 10 Orientation in Scotcher Pasture
Inyo National Forest
July 12 – 17 Work Skills Training at Sotcher Pasture
Inyo National Forest
July 21 - 30 Hitch 1 at Purple Lake
Inyo National Forest
August 4 - 13 Hitch 2 at Purple Lake
Inyo National Forest
August 18 - 25 Hitch 3 at Purple Lake
Inyo National Forest
August 30 – September 14 Hitch 4 at Snowgrass
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
September 22 – October 1 Hitch 5 at Little Jimmy
Angeles National Forest
October 11 - 20 Hitch 6 at Gobbler’s Knob
San Bernardino National Forest
October 25 – 29 Hitch 7 at Devil’s Hole
San Bernardino National Forest
November 1 – 6 Hitch 8 at Misson Creek
& Whitewater Preserve
Palm Springs BLM Field Office
November 11 – 18 Hitch 9 at Weldon Peak
Ridgecrest BLM Field Office
November 22 – December 1 Hitch 10 at Bird Spring
Ridgecrest BLM Field Office
December 6 – 10 Hitch 11 at Tylerhorse Canyon
Ridgecrest BLM Field Office
December 11 – 14 Program Wrap-Up & Crew Departure
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SCA PCT 1 Crew [55]
The SCA PCT 1 crew is comprised of 6 aspiring conservationists. We work closely with the Pacific Crest Trail Association, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. In partnership with these agencies, we travel to varied regions on the PCT to maintain and protect it. Our program started in the Inyo National Forest, continued in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington, and finishes up in Southern California on various USFS and BLM lands.
Our work includes heavy duty rock work, brushing, and other basic maintainence. The crew is learning a lot about trail work, agency partner relationships, leave no trace ethics, as well as community building. Our 5-1/2 month program will undoubtedly leave indelible marks on all of us.
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Brendan Taylor - Project Leader [59]
My name is Brendan Taylor and I am the project leader for the SCA PCT 1 Summer Crew. I am 26 and I was born and raised in Blue Bell, PA. This is the third crew I have led and will be the last one I lead, at least for a while. These crew’s are unbelievably valuable experiences. I have learned so much about leadership, community building, trail building, the great outdoors, and much more. It will be difficult not leading the next PCT crew in the winter, but I am prepared to take on new challenges, and there is no doubt in my mind that this crew and my previous two crew’s have readied me for whatever comes next. I know I will look back on being an SCA project leader fondly and I will forever value the relationships I have built with the different agency partners and even more so with my crewmembers.
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Alex Bacha [63]
My name is Alexandra Bacha and I am a 26-year-old Florida native. I graduated from the Florida State University’s Recreation and Leisure Services Administration program with a Bachelors of Science in 2008. Through my involvement with FSU Campus Recreation, I led numerous outdoor recreation trips in North Florida and on trails in the Southeast. I followed my passion to Dayton, Ohio where I got my first taste of trail work while interning for Five Rivers MetroParks. These experiences fueled my interest in conservation/trail work and led me to be a part of a SCA residential conservation program through AmeriCorps. This Pacific Crest Trail Crew is the fourth SCA program I have participated in; I started with the New Hampshire Conservation Corps in 2009, and then the Florida Trail Association Spring Crew and the Hoover Wilderness Summer Crew in 2010. During my time spent on the trails, I realized how blessed I am to be able to hike to work instead of fight traffic and to enjoy my lunch by a pristine stream instead of in an office. It is the people I meet while working on these types of projects that really make it worth it. To share a common love for the outdoor resources in which we use to appreciate and take in nature.
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Brianna Cheek [66]
My name is Brianna Cheek and I am from Vancouver, WA. I am 20 years old. I have always wanted to travel but could never find the funds or time to do it. The Christmas of 2009, my cousin came down from Alaska with crazy talk of working in the forest and being a wilderness ranger. I took his computer and looked up everything I could about getting into the field of conservation. The most accredited source seemed to be the SCA. I signed up for every thing that interested me…over a hundred internships. Trail work seemed to be my way in. From here, I plan and re-plan my future and would love to do more internship's and become a crew leader with the experience I gain. However, as for long term, I hope to be in one of the regional offices in administration assisting the company’s expansion.
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Nettina Conkey [69]
My name is Nettina Conkey. I was born in a teepee one morning thirty years ago in far northern California. When I was 18, I read about the SCA in a magazine. The article about the SCA inspired me to do the high school crew in Zion National Park, Utah. I have since done the SCA residential program in Bear Brook, New Hampshire, and an AmeriCoprs Program in South Carolina. I am enjoying the SCA/PCTA trail crew that I am currently on. It is great to be out working on the trails again. In the future, I would love do more with the SCA, possibly as a Project Leader. Some of the things that I like to do are cooking and baking, anything outdoors, particularly hiking and camping. I also like to learn about the plants in a given area. I delight in designing and making hand sewn quilts. Well, that is a little bit about me.
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Nicholas Mattson [72]
My name is Nicholas Mattson. I hail from Mount Vernon, WA and I am 19 years old. I am pursuing my B.A. in environmental studies. Since joining the SCA, I have furthered the realization of how much of a role I want the environment to play in my life and career. I believe in nothing, everything is sacred. I believe in everything, nothing is sacred.
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Evan DeVane [75]
My name is Evan DeVane, I am from Huntington Beach, CA, and I am 19 years old. I joined the SCA to see the PCT, fix trails, and be in the outdoors. I expect to see amazing places and further my outdoor education. I will be going back to school to study botany and environmental studies. I would love to do another SCA internship in another field other than trail work in the future.
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