Friday, October 29, 2010

Mule grows Pumpkins for Blacksmith’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale!
What do 100 pounds of pumpkins and a 1150 pound mule have in common? The answer is the 2nd annual rendition of Custer’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale from Blacksmith Brewery.
For the past two years, Custer, a mule with a talent for farming and a penchant for good micro brews, has been growing Sugar Pie Pumpkins for Blacksmith’s seasonal ale - a job which sometimes entails protecting his treasures from the occasional black bear, fox, chicken, turkey or sticky-fingered neighbor.

Some of the 200 pumpkins that Custer grew for Blacksmith’s Imperial Pumpkin Ale.This year, with the help of his co-farmer Nick Kaufman, Custer grew almost 200 pumpkins. Mike Howard, Blacksmith’s capable brewer, and Rachel, Nick’s garden-crazed daughter, hand seeded and roasted pumpkins for the ale. Ever the philanthropist, Custer donated his extra pumpkins to the Missoula Alliance Church, whose own fundraising pumpkins had been destroyed by vandals.
When Custer isn’t farming or drinking Mike’s tasty brews, he can be found packing loads in the Bob Marshall and Selway-Bitterroot Wildernesses. Custer hopes that Blacksmith Brewery patrons will enjoy and savor the all-natural blend of his lovingly nurtured pumpkin and spices as much as he does.

Happy trails and happy drinking!

Custer and co-farmer Nick Kaufman pose in front of corn and pumpkin patch

Some of the 200 pumpkins harvested

Roasting pumpkins for Custer's Imperial Ale

Rachel gives the hard-working farmer a greatful kiss

Custer inspects the camera


Groups Collaborate to Accomplish Important Restoration Work on Blodgett Overlook Trail.
By Rachel Kaufman

The Blodgett Overlook trail received a much needed restorative makeover Saturday October 2nd when volunteers with the Selway-Bitterroot Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to connecting the community to wilderness through stewardship projects, closed off environmentally detrimental switchback cutoffs with educational signs, pulaskis, shovels and good clean muscle power.

The Blodgett Overlook trail is a popular 1.5 mile hike west of Hamilton in the Bitterroot Mountains. The trail switchbacks gradually along mostly open hillsides. Unfortunately, recreators eager to shorten their hike, have taken shortcuts between the switchbacks, creating several steep trails that go straight up the mountain side. Cutting switchbacks leads to many negative consequences for wildlife, aquatic health and the ecological integrity of the forests.

Cutting off switchbacks removes existing ground cover which leads to erosion. Erosion of sediments and pollutants into streams and rivers can damage aquatic habitat by covering spawning sites, destroying food sources and reducing water clarity.

Erosion also reduces the amount of nutrients available for native plants. The loss of ground cover, top soil and the soil compaction reduces the amount of nutrients available for plants. It also decreases a soil's infiltration and water holding capacities, as well as permeability for root growth. These conditions reduce native plant’s ability to re-vegetate. In some cases, non-native species may establish and further stress a native plant community.

Wilderness Steward, Rachel Kaufman and volunteers Kelsey McMullen and Alisha Caspary began their restoration work by digging three sign post holes at the beginning and end of two of the most eroded and lengthy cutoffs. They installed temporary signs that implore hikers to stay on the trail. The Forest Service will replace the temporary laminated sign with more permanent routed oak signs in the future.

They rested little in their restoration efforts despite the unusually hot October sun. Alisha used a Pulaski to loosen compacted and gullied soil in a 250 foot long cut off. Kelsey and Rachel scrounged the nearby hill side for downed trees and woody debris to cover the loosened soil. The cover will prevent hikers from walking on the fragile soil as well as shade and shelter germinating seedlings from sun and heavy rainfall. Their efforts will create a more complex surface that will slow water runoff and prevent erosion.

Over time, if hikers stay on the trail, the area will regenerate and a more natural and healthy ecosystem will prevail. “The views are more spectacular from the trail. If you take the established trail instead of the cutoff you may walk a little further at a more moderate incline but you will also be treated with a unique view of the hanging glacial valley of Canyon Creek,” commented Rachel. She also noted that volunteers and committed recreators can make a huge difference on our public lands by spending a day volunteering with the Selway-Bitterroot Foundation. Visit www.selwaybitterroot.org.

Selway-Bitterroot Foundation

2010 Report for the Bitterroot National Forest
Hours:
Staff Hours: 570
Intern Hours: 500
Volunteer Hours: 559

Campsite Monitoring:
Campsites inventoried: 91
Outfitter Campsites Inspected: 11
Campfire rings removed: 91

Campfire ratings:
0: 25
1: 17
2: 15
3: 14
Trash Removed lbs: 100.6

Trail Work:
Downed Trees Removed:
0-6: 606
7-10: 391
11-24: 170
25-36: 20
36+: 1
b
Trail brushed (mi): 39.51
Trail rocked (mi): 39.51
Tread repair (ft): 137.5
Waterbars: 349

Restoration
Mortar: Part of Southern wall of St. Mary Lookout
Paint: Ceiling of St. Mary Lookout.
Switchback cut off: 200 feet on Blodgett Overlook

Signs
Inventoried: 34
Installed: 3 (Blodgett Overlook)

Individual Hitch Reports

May 14 — Blodgett Canyon Trail Brushing with Montana Wilderness Assn. (Blodgett Creek, BNF)

The Montana Wilderness Associations, age 30 and under service group, the Ridgerunners, met with SBF Wilderness Steward, Rachel Kaufman, to clear and brush the first 3.5 miles of Blodgett Canyon trail. The group focused on loping the young lodgepole pine and spruce trees that were crowding the trail corridor.
Comments: There is still regenerating trees in the first mile before and after the bridge at mile 3.5 that could be brushed.

May 19 — Wilderness Skills Trail (Bass Creek, BNF)
The SBF Lead Wilderness Stewards Rachel Kaufman and Eric Melson helped to teach 5th and 6th graders from around the Bitterroot Valley about public lands, wilderness and Leave No Trace ethics with the BNF at The Wilderness Skills Trail.


June 5 — National Trails Day: Rock Creek Trail Repair with Montana Wilderness Assn. (Lake Como, BNF)
The SBF staff and five interns partnered with the Bitterroot National Forest and the Montana Wilderness Association’s Ridge Runners as well as community volunteers for a day of hard work and celebration on one of the Bitterroot’s most popular trails. They completed part of an ongoing turnpike project by constructing over 90 feet of turnpike on the Rock Creek Trail along side Lake Como.

June 10 - Kootenai Creek trail clearing (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF staff and interns cleaned water bars and brushed 4 miles of the Kootenai Creek trail.
Comments: An old stove was found about 1.5 miles past the Wilderness boundary, left side of trail in an old Outfitter camp right before the creek. Large Pipo’s flat spt. Stove is behind big tree on the left.

July 6 to 11 — Indian Ridge to Watchtower Pass Trail Opening (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman, three interns and community volunteer, Anne Marie Scott opened nearly 30 miles of trail extending from Indian Creek Trailhead to Watchtower Pass on the state line.
Comments: The group left about 200 logs down in the area between Cooper Point and point where the trail leaves the eastern side of T29N R15E, Sec 20, NE quarter.

July 7 Baker and Gem Lake campsite clean up (Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Director Rob Mason and the Montana Wilderness Association’s Ridge Runners’ volunteers spent a day reducing and containing campsites as well as removing campfire rings.

July 12 Boulder Creek Brushing Campsite (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns brushed and cleared the first three miles of the Boulder Creek trail.

July 27-28 — Scimitar Ridge Trail Opening (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman joined BNF Wilderness Ranger Charlie Mabbott and his dynamic duo of mules, Reba and Lightening Bug to clean water bars and clear trail on Scimitar Ridge.

August 3-5 Bass Creek campsite inventory and cleanup (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns Ben Stein and Stephen Countryman inventoried and cleaned campsites at Bass Lake.

August 6 to 7 — St. Mary’s Lookout Maintenance (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF staff Rachel Kaufman and Rob Mason joined BNF Wilderness Ranger Bill Goslin, Stevensville District Ranger Dan Ritter and BNF Historian Mary Williams to discuss repairs and restoration needs for the lookout. The group painted the ceiling to match the lookout’s historic color scheme and mortared portions of the structure’s fragile foundation.
Comments: The mortar work is not nearly finished. The western wall is complete as is about 1/3 of the southern wall. The eastern and northern wall need to be completed. The interior of the lookout needs a lot of work as well. The walls need to be repainted, the furniture repaired or restored and the stove polished. Most of these latter observations were made my Mary Williams.

August 8-9 –Kootenai Creek campsite inventory and cleaning (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns Ben Stein and Stephen Countryman inventoried and cleaned campsites at Kootenai Lakes.

August 8-10 — Kerlee Lake Campsite restoration and inventory (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman inventoried and restored campsites along the Tin Cup Trail and at Goat and Kerlee Lakes.

August 10-11 — Little Rock Creek campsite restoration and inventory (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman inventoried and restored campsites along the Little Rock Creek trail and at Little Rock Creek Lake.

August 18-20 Chaffin Lakes campsite inventory and cleanup (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns Ben Stein and Stephen Countryman inventoried and cleaned campsites at Chaffin Lakes. .

August 16-19 --- Indian Creek trail clearing (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns Drew Wenderborn and Bart Gutke cleared trail 36 to Shoefield Creek.

August 15 to 21 — Blodgett Projects w/ Sierra Club & Bitter Root BCH (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
In one of the SBF’s first weeklong collaborative stewardship projects, Sierra Club volunteers, Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen and Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman, successfully completed the opening of Blodgett Creek trail from mile 7 to Blodgett Lake and to Blodgett Pass.
Comments: The trail through 7, 9 and 10 mile meadow is very deeply trenched or braided. It would be a good week long volunteer project for a large group in the future.
Blodgett Pass trail was littered with large boulders by a spring avalanche. Detailed pictures and notes were given to Nick Hazelbaker and Bill Goslin.
Two old stoves were found at mile 7 camp. This information was given to Bill Goslin.

August 22-24 Little Clearwater trail clearing (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF interns Ben Stein and Stephen Countryman cleared the beginning of the Little Clearwater trail.

August 22 – Sawtooth Creek Campsite inventories (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF intern Drew Wenderborn inventoried and cleaned campsites up Sawtooth Creek.

August 23-24 – Canyon Creek Campsite inventories (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF intern Drew Wenderborn inventoried and cleaned campsites up Canyon Creek.

September 10-12 — One Horse Lakes Trail Opening with the Montana Wilderness Association Ridgerunners (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF staff Rachel Kaufman and Rob Mason joined MWA Ridgerunners’ volunteers to open the One Horse Lakes trail. The group also cleaned up campsites at Carlton Lake.
Comments: There are well over 500 trees down from Little Carlton Lake to South One Horse Lake. This may be a good place to send interns in 2011 for an 8 day hitch.

September 14 —Two Buck Springs Campsite Inspection (Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman joined BNF’s Marty Almquist to inspect Two Buck Springs Outfitter Camp in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

September 20-22 — Eakin Ridge and Harrington Ridge Campsite Inspection (Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman inspected Eakin, Mormon and Harrington Ridge outfitter campsites in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

September 28-29 — Salmon River Campsite Inspection (Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, BNF)
Lead Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman inspected Elkhorn and Snake Creek outfitter campsites in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

October 2 — Blodgett Overlook trail restoration with Montana Wilderness Association (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman and Montana Wildereness Association Ridgerunners’ volunteers closed off environmentally detrimental switchback cutoffs with educational signs, pulaskis, shovels and good clean muscle power.
Comments: There is more restoration work to be done on this trail as well as brushing and tread work. This may be a good day project. Also, there are three sign posts installed within the first .5 mile with temporary restoration signs on them. Nick Hazelbaker commented that he would have Dave Lucas make more permanent wooden signs for these posts.

October 13-14 —Storm Ridge Campsite Inspection and waterbar maintenance
(Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)

Steward Rachel Kaufman joined BNF employees to clean waterbars and inspect the Florida and Storm Creek Outfitter campsites in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

October 15 —Camus Lake Campsite Inventory and Restoration ( Camus Lake, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman inventoried and cleaned campsites at Camas Lake.

October 18-19 — Blue Hole and Shoefield Campsite Inspection (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBF Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman and volunteer Stacey Miller inspected Blue Hole and Lower Schoefield Outfitter campsites.
Comments: Several trees have fallen down on Scimatar Ridge since it was cleared earlier this summer. The first one is about 35-40” in diameter. The outfitter trail along Schoefield Creek also has about 10 trees down that are causing reroutes. Some of the reroutes are old and well established.

October 21-22 — Boulder Creek Campsite Inspection and Reconnaissance (Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, BNF)
SBW Wilderness Steward Rachel Kaufman and volunteer Stacey Miller inventoried campsites along Boulder Creek, at Pickle’s Puddle and at Boulder Lake. The duo also located and documented two trash caches left by careless hunters around Pickle’s Puddle.
Comments: Details of the caches were given to Amanda. The Boulder Creek trail has had three trees fall since it was cleared earlier this summer. All should be passable to stock but are creating detours nonetheless.



Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Selway Bitterroot Foundation needs your junk!

As you may know, I am working for the Selway Bitterroot Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on connecting the community to Wilderness through stewardship projects. The Foundation recently procured a shop area where we can store and work on our tools. We are in need of many things to outfit our shop, and most of it might be something you or someone you know would consider junk. I would greatly appreciate if you would read through the following list and consider if you or an acquaintance might have an item that you could dust off and donate to us.

work bench,

heavy duty enough to attach a vice

vices

metal or wood free standing shelves

metal lock boxes

peg boards

storage and organizational equiptment i.e. plastic boxes etc.

old free standing kitchen cabinets

tape measure

hand or electric strew drivers

wrenches

hammers

hand saws or electric saws

square

5 gallon buckets

scrap lumber

metal cabinet with locking ability

shop light

hardware, screws, hooks for peg board

plastic bins

old rags

electric heater

power strip

extension cord

saw horses

locking casters

sandpaper

electric sander

trash can

broom

Friday, April 02, 2010

On April 6th, I will embark on my latest adventure to Nepal. I will be there for a month. While there, I will meet up with my good friend Sarah Patrick. We plan to do a 16 day trek to the Annapurna base camp in the Himalayas. We are also planning to volunteer with the Sister's of Charity. Sarah has been to the Everest base camp during a prior trip so when she leaves, I intend to see Mount Everest and learn as much as I can about Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hopefully, I will get the chance to update here while I am there but if not, I will surely update when I get home!
Namaste

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Mom and I in AZ somewhere

Canyonlands

Nicolas Cage in Sedona


Mike and I Christmas Eve

Mike and I at Lost Trail Powder MT

Things that have happened since my last post...
Well, it's hard to say because, I have kept very poor track of my activities in my calendar and have not been very structured in what I do in general. The things that stick out the most in my memory are:

1. Buying a new road bike with some college graduation money. The thing is slicker than snot and weighs about that much too! I have been on some hair raising rides down the old east side highway and some much more relaxed rides around town. Can't wait to do my first half century!

2. New Years Eve: I spent it with my best good friend Katy Jones and her hubby. We did some First Night activities including a masquerade ball where I waltzed with the Mystery Guest. Lator, they revealed the mystery Guest's identity to be the local celebrity weather man Mark Heyka! What fun! We rang in the New Years at the Union Club with Tom Catmull and the Clerics, my favorite local band.

3. Down hill skiing is something that I haven't done in years but Mike's enthusiasm prompted me to dust off the old straight skies from the 90s and hit some runs. I am glad to say that skiing is much like riding a bike and I was plowing down runs and over moguls in now time. We combined one awesome ski day with a stay at Lost Trail Hot Springs...glorious.

4. Mom and I took a three week road trip south to Tuscon and beyond. We hiked and hiked and hiked and hiked. We hit worse weather in Utah and southern Arizona than we had all winter in Montana. We woke to frozen zippers and frosty sleeping bags more often than we did to nice warm morning sun. We explored some places that we didn't get a chance to explore like the Superstitious mountains and the Chiricuah mountains. The most eventful hike and the highlight of the trip was in Sedona Arizona where we passed the famous Nicolas Cage. We have only a fleeting photograph of him but his image is burned in my minds eye: black leather jacket, cowboy boots, black leather cowboy hat, black jeans and dark sunglasses and a walking stick. He was talking to his young wife about her father. It was his voice that really gave him away. Nicolas Cage! On a hike! In cowboy boots! Need I say more?
We also went to Lowell Peak Observatory and Kitt Peak observatory where we were able to view Mars and the mood and Orion's Nebula. We had some pretty good beers and some pretty bad beers. We had some good margaritas and some bad margaritas. We saw the Phoenix Suns kick the 76ers butt and we made some kick ass guacamole!

5. My foot is great! I have been dancing, hiking and even running with little to no discomfort.

6. I am going to Nepal in two weeks to meet up with my darling good friend Sarah Patrick. We are planning to trek in the Annapurna for two weeks and then volunteer for another. Then I plan to see Mount Everest and do some yoga! Wish me luck!