Volunteer Vacation - Bitterroot National Forest, MT

Join American Hiking Society for a week of building & maintaining trails in exciting locations across the country. Volunteer Vacations foster public land stewardship and provide volunteers the opportunity to give back to the trails they love, meet new people, and have a great time doing it! Crews consist of 6-15 volunteers accompanied by a crew leader. Volunteer Vacations involve backpacking or day hiking and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. Tools and supervision are provided by the host agency or organization. Experience nature up close. Travel to new destinations. Meet other outdoor enthusiasts. Take a vacation that nourishes your body & your spirit. Get Out. Give Back.

Project Specifics:

Come enjoy the magnificent mountains, the serenity of wilderness, the miracle of spring flowers, majestic big game, and the sounds of birds here in the Bitterroot Mountains! Explore nature and support trails in this 1.6 million acre forest in southwest Montana and Idaho.

Join this project in the heavily glaciated, rugged peaks of the Bitterroot Mountains. Volunteers will work with experienced wilderness stewards from the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation to clear trails using crosscut saws, axes, and handsaws. For a third consecutive year, this collaborative effort will continue to open the Big Creek Trail #11 from Big Creek Lake to Packbox Pass (at milepost 13.8) on the Montana-Idaho border. This trail threads through a scenic Montana canyon and offers a pristine Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness experience. Secondary tasks may include brushing back overgrown vegetation, cleaning drains, and improving the drainage of trail tread. Time permitting, Volunteers will clear the South Fork Big Creek Trail #118, a 3-mile trail running along the southern shore of the lake.

Big Creek Trail #11 winds about 2.5 miles alongside a shoreline with little elevation change until it begins to climb to Packbox Pass. The climb to the pass is steep with multiple switchbacks, gaining about 1300 feet over 2 miles. Depending on trail conditions, including the number of downed trees, the daily hike to the worksite could range from 0.1 miles to 3 miles. From the trailhead the first 8 miles are moderate, winding along the well-traveled creek through a forested area and gaining about 1530’ in elevation. The mile-long climb to the lake is fairly steep, with multiple switchbacks and an elevation gain of about 700’. The last mile to basecamp along the lake has little elevation change but narrow footing in places.

During this trip, Bitterroot National Forest’s average high temperature is 80°, and average low temperature is 56°.

Accommodations: Volunteers will camp at one of several sites on the western shore of Big Creek Lake with immediate access to the Big Creek Trail #11. The crew will be car camping at the Big Creek Trailhead on the evening of Tuesday. There is a pit toilet and picnic table on site, but it is not an established campground and has no running water. On Wednesday, volunteers will hike into base camp approximately 9.8 miles to a primitive backcountry site. These backcountry campsites have no amenities; the group will dig a latrine and the host will provide water filters for group use. Pack support will be provided to carry group gear, food, and tools. Volunteers will carry their own personal gear. SBFC supplies group cooking gear including tables, a tarp, two burner stoves with fuel, pots, pans, utensils, plates, bowls, mugs, etc. Volunteers need to supply their own tent and personal camping gear including sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backcountry gear, a swimsuit, and towels.

Trip Cost: $425 per person

Volunteer Experience: While trips do not require prior trail maintenance experience, all of our projects require participants to be in good physical condition and will involve 30-40 hours of physical labor during the week.

Find More Information & Register Here: https://americanhiking.org/volunteer-vacation-trip/bitterroot-national-forest-mt-volunteer-vacation-2024/