Volunteers hit the trail in Sierra
Volunteers hit the trail in Sierra
By Bill McEwen / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Thursday, March 24, 2005, 5:50 AM)
A steady rain saturates the steep walls bordering the North Fork of the
Kings River above Balch Camp, but the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew
hangs around anyway.
Instead of hiking up the canyon to remove gear left by pot growers last
summer, 54 people from all walks of life watch training videos and swap
tales of the outdoors.
"I hate yardwork," says Phil Hawkins, of Fresno. "But go once, and you're
hooked."
The day before, the volunteers teamed with the U.S. Forest Service and the
California Highway Patrol to remove 1,350 pounds of drip line, pesticides,
propane bottles, tools and trash via helicopter.
"There was a lot of stooping and crawling — with the added excitement of
poison oak," says Catherine Sayers, of Clovis. The volunteers finished the
task without a scratch and celebrated with high-fives when CHP helicopter
pilot Mike Brown brought out the final load.
"From an anxiety standpoint, this is the toughest thing we've ever done,"
says crew founder Shane Krogen, owner of California Outfitters. "It
required a high level of concentration."
The Fresno-based group has helped maintain and restore trails for the
cash-strapped Forest Service since 1994. As the crew has grown, so have
the challenges. It has graduated from fixing signs and cutting away fallen
trees to installing bear-proof food boxes and making major repairs.
This year, for the first time, the crew is tackling damage caused by drug
traffickers. The Forest Service has identified 29 abandoned marijuana
sites and is counting on the crew for help.
Kevin Mayer, a Forest Service law enforcement officer, says the growers
harm the forest by stripping vegetation, using chemicals and diverting
water from streams.
"Without the aid of these volunteers, we likely would not be able to clean
up these areas," Mayer says.
Giving back to the Sierra is motivation for the crew, which totals 500
members — including some from as far away as Iowa. Volunteers say they get
more out of it than they put in.
Among the benefits for novice hikers is learning how to enjoy the outdoors
safely. Barbara Wingfield, of Fresno, is a longtime hiker, but appreciates
that volunteering allows her to go into remote areas without facing
situations she might not be able to handle alone. "We are watched over
very well," Wingfield says.
Ken Murray, of Studio City, found out about the crew while surfing the
Internet last year and now helps with training. "I'm learning new
techniques, what I would call traditional methods of using tools in the
wilderness," Murray says. Power tools aren't allowed in wilderness areas.
"The saws that we use are no longer made. We learn the proper way to use
them and to sharpen them -- knowledge you can't get except by preserving
it and passing it on."
Some things are so much fun, they beg for secrecy. Last summer, crew cook
Norman Allington, of Fresno, pulled off the Sierra Grand Slam — catching
rainbow, brown, brook and golden trout. Asked where he did it, Allington
hesitates and says, "Bear Creek. At about 10,000 feet."
To learn more, you'll just have to sign up.
Information on the High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew is available at
www.trailcrew.org or (559) 435-2626. The columnist can be reached at
bmcewen@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6632.