Field Program

After a three-month hiatus, the Greater Yellowstone Saw Crew (now worthy of the title) returns to Jackson Hole to put their Stihl 362s to work in Grand Teton National Park. At long last, the NPS funding for a fuels-reduction hitch package had been approved, the word of which reached us as we were in the midst of a morning OSHA deep in the backcountry of Northern Yellowstone. Perhaps never has an in-reach message been celebrated with more anxious joy derived from months of anticipation than the one that our regional director sent us… “You finally get to be a SAW CREW!”

Now on our third fuels-reduction project, the crew has attained a skillful level of productivity with the chainsaws, in a way that is truly frightening to nearby trees. Dead-standing lodgepole pines, hung up subalpine firs, and especially 20 to 30-year-old regeneration quaked in fear as we rolled into the park in our precious Ford F-250, Truck Norris. As we crested Teton Pass and descended into Jackson Hole, we all felt a wave of nostalgic reflection as we considered the extent of our season beginning and coming to a close in the valley of the Snake River. The sentiment was quickly replaced by a growing sense of excitement as the majestic Teton Range came into view. We quickly settled into the groove of the hitch, cutting thousands of small-diameter trees and felling dozens of dead-standing snags, while constructing roughly 100 burn piles in the name of creating a protective fire break around a small neighborhood of employee housing. It was an honor to complete this important work at the base of the Tetons, and rewarding to engage in pleasant interactions with the grateful residents, despite our exceptionally disruptive power tools coming alive at 8 AM.

As much as we adore the addictive power that comes from inhaling wood chips and gasoline fumes while ripping through wood like a knife through our PM’s brownies, the chainsaw possesses a dark side. Unfortunately, our beloved crew member Cody succumbed to the all-too-common fate of the constant vibrations of a 20-pound machine wearing down the tendons in the forearms, and we had no choice but to send them home (upon staying, they would have worked themselves into an even worse injury). We hope they make a speedy recovery, as our crew is incomplete without all six!

Despite our fragmented crew and broken hearts due to Cody’s departure, we still enjoyed a fantastic week in the renowned park. Undoubtedly, the greatest achievement of the hitch was our PM Allie finally gracing us with her presence, after months of begging for a visit. Other highlights included a trip into Jackson to experience local bluegrass mainstay One Ton Pig, innumerable moose encounters, sunbathing on the shores of Jenny Lake, and consuming diabolical amounts of creamy soups that subsequently may have caused the removal of the porta-john at our work site.

In all seriousness, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in the Tetons and are ecstatic to have the opportunity to return for one more hitch, hopefully in full force. As I reflect upon the full circle of our season, bookended in the Jackson area, I feel an immense amount of pride for how far we have come as a working unit. Even more powerful is the sense of admiration and fraternity I feel for the five humans I’ve had the pleasure of spending the long days of summer alongside.