Meyers Cove is a remote but popular access point to the Frank Church Wilderness, and ITA has been working in this area for several years. This year, two volunteers will have the chance to work and ride with a Forest Service packer, Raina Phillips, for a week. The crew of three will help pack in another ITA crew, then work trail in the same area for the week, providing pack support to the other crew as needed. Volunteers on this unique trip will learn about living with and handling stock in the backcountry using Leave No Trace practices, packing techniques, and trail work.
**Note: volunteers must have experience riding and handling equine to participate in this trip. No experience packing or traveling with stock in the backcountry is required, but for safety reasons volunteers should have experience riding. Long days in the saddle can be as tiring as long days backpacking if one is not accustomed to riding!
Trails: West Fork Camas Creek #128, Pole Creek Trail #129, Woodtick Ridge Trail #131
Itinerary: Meet at Meyers Cove Everett Decora Trailhead Saturday evening for an early start Sunday. There is a pit toilet and camping at the trailhead. Meet Raina Sunday morning and pack up gear for the ITA crew headed up West Fork Camas Creek to work out of the Pole Creek base camp. Deliver gear and either head back to the trailhead for an early Monday start in another direction or make camp on the trail for the night. Monday-Friday, work up the trails and return to a camp each evening. Depending on how far the other ITA crew works, there is potential to return and bump their camp further up trail to West Fork Lakes or Woodtick Summit. Otherwise, work trails with Raina for the week. Saturday, pack gear back to the trailhead, and the other crew will hike out (depending on the trail work progress, another packer may retrieve the other ITA crew, leaving Raina and her volunteers to work other trails). All head home.
Note: this trip will require extra flexibility on the part of the volunteers, as trail work and effects of a 2022 fire are not 100% scouted.
Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: Approximately 2.5 hours from Challis
GAIA Map: West Fork Camas Creek Trail
Difficulty Rating
Volunteer Spots Available: 0 of 2
If there are no volunteer spots available, click “Sign Up” to get on our waitlist for this project!
