The Forestry Crew is back with a second blog post! Over the past two weeks, we traveled to Goat Lake and the Seed Orchard, camping at each location. Goat Lake was our first week of camping, and we got off to a strong start with a beautiful spot on the riverbank. For three days, we hiked the Goat Lake trail, cutting back brush and debris as we went. Our second day took us to the top of the trail, where we enjoyed a scenic lunch with views of the lake and the snowy mountains rising around its shore. We also spent half a day moving the backcountry toilet located halfway up the trail, giving us a break from brushing and a chance to learn more about backcountry bathrooms and LNT principles. If you’re ever able to make it out to the Goat Lake trail (which we all highly recommend), we hope you enjoy the freshly brushed trails and handy toilet!
The Seed Orchard offered a reprieve for our legs, which had clocked close to ten miles every day during our Goat Lake hitch. However, the Seed Orchard provided challenges of its own as we managed high temperatures and long days of removing volunteer trees and underbrush. The US Forest Service manages the Seed Orchard and is currently restoring it in order to harvest valuable seeds, which Forest Service Rangers can then plant in deforested areas. This is especially important as wildfires become more common and wipe out larger tracts of forest. We appreciate the opportunity to return the Seed Orchard to its original state and found satisfaction on the last day when we looked at the progress we had made. We cleared out several rows, and will be back in two weeks to continue our efforts.
In addition to work, the Crew spent the evenings chatting around campfires, cooking delicious meals, participating in educational programs, and playing the guitar. Camping allowed us to immerse ourselves in each location and grow closer as a Crew. We cannot wait for more adventures over the course of the season!
Keathley P.B., Forestry Crew Intern