Project Name: Loon Creek – Youth
Dates: July 20-26
ITA’s Youth Trail Crew Program provides opportunities for youth ages 14-18 to learn about the outdoors while building and maintaining hiking trails in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment.
This will be year four of ITA’s youth program working on the Loon Creek Trail! This year, we’ll start at Chinook Campground off Warren Wagon Road north of McCall and we’ll hike into camp past Loon Lake. Pack stock will help bring in gear and food for the week. We’ll set up a base camp next to the creek, and each day work down the Duck Lake Trail. At the end of the week, packs a little lighter after eating and working hard all week, we’ll backpack back up to the Chinook Campground.
Several different groups over the years have been working on opening this section of trail between Loon Lake and Twenty-mile Trail. And while great efforts have been made to chip away, the middle section is still really brushy with lots of trees to cut out! Fresh blowdown. relentless brush, and tread work means there is still lots of meaningful work to be done here to open what is certain to be an appreciated and well-used trail.
With guidance from crew leaders, volunteers will be involved in all aspects of camp life. This includes camp set up, water and sanitation, and ensuring tools are accounted for. Volunteers will learn and are expected to adhere to Leave No Trace best practices and project safety expectations set by crew leaders.
ITA’s youth projects are completely free for volunteers to join and all food is provided. Gear can be borrowed from ITA if needed with advanced notice or youth may apply for scholarships to purchase gear they need through the Splattski Outdoor Access Fund. See our Youth Program page for more info.
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: Duck Lake Trail #84
Itinerary: This is a Sunday-Saturday weeklong project. Volunteers will join for a pre-trip Zoom meeting before the project. Drop off Sunday afternoon and we’ll camp at the trailhead for an early start Monday. Gear packed into camp, returning each afternoon with a potential day off mid-week. Saturday, backpack back to the trailhead for mid-day pickup.
Food Provided by ITA: Backpacking Dinners available
Crew Leader: Kasey Rose, Eric Messenger, and Brenda Magnuson
Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: 1 hour 15 minutes from McCall
Trail Map: Click for trail map and elevation profile
***New for this year***
Youth trip sign-ups will be open until March 17th. Although early sign-ups will be prioritized, ITA leadership and staff may adjust the final crews to maximize trip experience and provide opportunities for the greatest number of youth participants. To help facilitate trip assignments please sign-up for your preferred trip and include alternate trips you could participate on, should the preferred trip not be available. You will receive notification of trip assignment via email prior to March 31st.
Difficulty Rating
You do not have to be an expert in backpacking, but you should be in good hiking condition with broken-in and tested gear (even if it’s tested in your backyard!) 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. If you are unsure about the proper gear or about preparing for a trip, please reach out to trails@idahotrailsassociation.org.
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: 12
