Field Program

A Haiku:

Spring in Montana
Suddenly it is winter
Trail work still gets done

For our first hitch in the Beartooths, we had the opportunity to clean and build lateral drains on the Face of the Mountain Trail near Red Lodge. At first, it felt like summer had finally arrived…and then Montana did what Montana does best. We went from sunny days straight back into winter, if only for a day.

The snow at camp ended up being really pretty (and insulating), so nobody froze in their tent. The Forest Service also lent us a wall tent with a wood stove, which made for a warm and cozy place to dry out and recover after long days hiking up to the worksite.

At times, the snow was flurrying so hard that you could barely see the valley below. Thankfully, the ground never fully froze, which meant we were still able to keep working! Before long, the weather cleared and the mountains shifted back toward summer. We wrapped up our work on the Face of the Mountain Trail after installing several lateral drains designed to help mitigate heavy water flow and protect the trail corridor.

After finishing that project, we moved on to Mt. Maurice, where we learned how to cut, peel, and install waterbars, drains, and check steps. It was a nice change of pace from digging drains and gave us the chance to focus on more precise trail structures designed to move water off the trail effectively. We also spent time rerouting and benching a section of trail that had been heavily impacted by the recent fire & trail erosion.

Overall, it was a smooth first hitch. We tested our limits in the elements, learned a lot from Allie and Adam with the Forest Service, and got a great introduction to the work ahead. We’re excited to keep building our skills and are looking forward to a summer full of hard work and adventure here in the Beartooths.