Project Name: Frank Church Wilderness Immersion 

Dates: July 23- August 3

This is a 12 day trip, designed to provide volunteers with an opportunity to be completely immersed in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. This location was selected in part because of its remoteness and its beauty but also for the difficulty to do trail work here in a traditional 5-7 day project. We’ll fly to Chamberlain Basin in the heart of the huge Frank Church Wilderness and backpack to some of the most remote country in the lower 48 states. We’ll be resupplied by pack string halfway through the project as we clear trails to seldom visited and beautiful places like Harlan Meadows and Hida Point. 

Because of the unique nature of this long project and the remote location, we ask interested volunteers to fill out an application. Wilderness Immersion applications are due March 23rd. ITA staff and crew leads will process and inform folks by April 4th if they are selected as a volunteer. Please read entire project and difficulty description before applying.  

Project information is subject to change. Crew leaders will communicate via email. Failure to respond to your crew leader may result in being dropped from the project. See our FAQs, reach out to your crew leader, or contact ITA staff at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org if you have questions. 

Trails: Chamberlain Trail # 1, Hida Ridge/Hida Point #27, Harlan Meadows # 28 

Itinerary: This is a 12 day project. Volunteers will join a pre-trip Zoom meeting/planning session in the months prior to the trip. Meet in McCall early July 23rd to fly in. From here, we’ll backpack up the Chamberlian trail, moving camp as work allows. Approximately five days into the trip, a packer takes our resupply and meets us in the backcountry. By August 2nd, backpack back down to the airstrip for an August 3rd flight back to civilization.  

Food Provided by ITA: No  

Crew Leader: Jess Evett and Tom Dabrowski  

Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: Flying from McCall 

Trail Map: Click for trail map and elevation profile  

Refundable deposit: $50 - Due if selected as a volunteer  

Why do I need to pay a deposit? We’ve had trouble with people backing out of trips at the last minute which can really affect the productivity of the overall project. By charging a refundable fee, volunteers are less likely to cancel their reservation. Refunds will not be given to volunteers that do not show up or cancel their reservation. Exceptions will be made for medical reasons or unforeseen circumstances. Volunteers can choose to donate the deposit to ITA. All donations are tax-deductible and will go towards maintaining trails throughout Idaho. If you require assistance in paying for this fee, please contact us at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org and we will waive the cost.  

Difficulty Rating 

The difficulty on the project is not so much the distance or work, but the duration of the experience! You do not have to be an expert thru hiker to join, but you must be willing to participate in the pre-trip preparation to ensure your success and safety.  

Experience with backpacking and being in good hiking condition with broken-in and tested gear is mandatory for this project. This is a remote backcountry project so injuries such as sprains and blisters or even extreme fatigue from not being properly conditioned can quickly become a big safety issue. It is expected that volunteers will begin training for this project upon acceptance.  

You will be asked to prepare 12 days’ worth of backcountry meals prior to leaving. Crew leaders can help advise during the pre-trip meetings, but ultimately you are responsible for your food. 

You will be spending 12 days with no access to any normal comforts, no hot showers or bathrooms, sleeping on the ground, rain or shine, etc. It will be awesome and life-changing! 

You will be out of direct contact with friends and family for ten days. In an emergency, either at home or in the field, there is no quick way to return to civilization. If there were an emergency, crew leaders will have satellite messengers to coordinate evacuation if necessary. 

Flexibility is also very important, as trail projects of this length rarely go perfectly according to plan A. You will be expected to work together as a crew and, if necessary, through InReach contact with the Forest Service and ITA staff, to help brainstorm solutions and overcome obstacles as a team.  

Reading all required information, communicating with your crew leaders, and arriving at the project 100% prepared is crucial to this project. Crew leaders reserve the right to ask you not to participate at the trailhead if they feel you show up unprepared (for example, brand new boots out of the box not broken in or arriving with not enough food). If you read all these instructions, please put “I heart Harlan Meadows” at the beginning of your application. 

If having the right gear to be safe and comfortable is a limiting factor, volunteers may apply for scholarships to purchase gear they need through the Splattski Outdoor Access Fund. 

Volunteer Spots: 8