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These people make trails happen By Lee Juillerat Nov 08, 2022 01:00 AM A A 6 View all photos Linda Krawczyk and Heather Berg use a crosscut saw in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness. [Photo courtesy Andrew Benedetti] It takes just seconds for a hiker or equestrian to pass along any small section of a miles-long backcountry trail. But it might have taken a half-hour, an hour, a day or a week of work by one or several people to make that small segment of trail passable. Maintaining trails in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, Mountain Lakes Wilderness, Trinity Alps or other backcountry areas involves more than just tossing or kicking a few fallen limbs or rocks from the trail. Anthony Benedetti is tasked with overseeing trail maintenance for 100 miles of wilderness trails on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. But he can’t do it alone. He relies on help from individuals and several local volunteer groups, including the High Desert Trail Riders, Klamath Trails Alliance, Klamath Basin Outdoor Group, Southern Oregon Nordic Club and others. “I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped support the trails program for the Fremont-Winema National Forest,” Benedetti said of the assistance. “I appreciate all of the hard work that local clubs perform every year to help us maintain hundreds of miles of trail in wilderness and nonwilderness areas.” As example, he said the Klamath Trails Alliance supports the Brown Mountain and High Lakes trails, along with Spence Mountain and Moore Park, with leadership from Grant Weidenbach and Drew Honzel of Klamath Falls. The KTA also co-adopted the Rye Spur Trail in conjunction with the High Desert Trail Riders of the Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon. Help came from others. He noted the Klamath Basin Outdoor Group, led by Bill Van Moorhem, “helped us with maintenance on the Pacific Crest Trail and Ranger Springs this season. They’ve been using our trails for years and want to give back by volunteering manual labor to keep our trail system in great shape.” Likewise, he said, Betty Applebaker and Ron Stewart of Klamath Falls, representing the High Desert Trail Riders, help coordinate trail projects and pack support for trail volunteers. Pack animals help the effort “In early July, we were clearing the Cold Springs, Sky Lakes, Isherwood and part of Cherry Creek Trail with pack support into Natasha Lake,” he said. “Ron Dobry, Jim Loyd of Klamath Falls along with Rik Jensen and Gary Roberts from Ashland helped me clear the previously mentioned trails. Without pack support, we wouldn’t have been able to basecamp and work the surrounding trails as efficiently.” Benedetti said the Trail Riders also provided pack support on several day trips to help clear the Cherry Creek Trail. “We needed to use our grip hoist to remove a huge — about 5 feet in diameter — Douglas fir from the trail. That equipment weighs around 150 pounds. Having pack stock to carry the load makes the job doable. Thanks to the High Desert Trail Riders and their four-legged friends for making our lives easier.” Benedetti said other volunteers such as Heather Berg, a retired Fremont-Winema district ranger, of Klamath Falls, and Linda Krawczyk of Grants Pass “provide trail expertise to help manage trails to standard. Heather, Linda and Jennifer Little from Klamath Falls and KTA helped clear the South Rock Creek Trail.” Members of the Southern Oregon Nordic Club, including Kevin Wood, recently did trail work on the Petunia, Pit View and McLoughlin trails on a snowy day. They also stocked the Summit Shelter, a backcountry cabin used by cross-country skiers and snowmobilers, with wood and a splitter provided by George Gregory of Lake of the Woods Resort. As a wilderness technician for the Fremont-Winema, Benedetti noted, “I am the only person designated to conduct trail work on our forest, but I do get help from fire staff, range technicians and other departments like the integrated resource crews. Still, managing trails is a huge challenge. Volunteers that help us with crosscut saw projects, brush work and water drainage maintenance are crucial to keeping our trails open for public use and enjoyment.” Clearing a section of the PCT During a recent day outing in the Blue Canyon Basin of the Sky Lakes Wilderness, Benedetti was joined by four Basin Outdoor Group volunteers to clear a section of the Pacific Crest Trail south of Island Lake. For a while the group wondered whether there would more trail clearing than kicking or tossing aside some bothersome rocks and limbs. There was a sense of relief when after more than three miles of hiking the group found a large, 24-inch diameter tree blocking the PCT. It was time to put the equipment the volunteers carried in — a crosscut saw, folding saw, blocks, axes, loopers, Pulaski, Katanaboy saw and Macleod — to work. Hard, time-consuming work. Benedetti said the PCT is a high priority because it’s heavily traveled by a variety of users, including thru and section hikers. The tree blocking this section of the PCT was a true obstacle. Unlike some trail-blocking trees where user paths have been created around the obstacles, there was no obvious diversion, an indication the tree likely fell in recent months or years. Although hikers could climb over, it was too tall for horses. Using an ax, Benedetti whacked away to break off the bark. That done, out came the crosscut saw, with Benedetti and volunteers taking turns sliding it back and forth. Slow and steady. Before the sawing finished, rocks and branches were pushed under one side of the fallen tree to use as pivots. Gathering on the uphill side, teamwork gradually angled the cut section off the trail. The folding saw and Katanaboy sliced off branches while the Macleod was used to clear the trail. Then it was on to another fallen tree, one with large limbs that had to be trimmed before it was sliced in two with the crosscut saw and eventually pivoted off the trail. With some minor work, the trail was clear. A passing hiker or equestrian would never notice any disturbance. The trail-clearing process repeated itself a few more times. Some obstacles required teamwork; others needed only one or two people. “Really it’s the volunteers that are making the biggest difference,” Benedetti said after calling a halt to the day’s efforts. Yes, there were still more obstacles farther along the trail. More work for another day. How to help The 2022 season is winding down — groups like the Southern Oregon Nordic Club are still clearing trails and stocking cabins with firewood — but help is always needed. “If you are interested in helping out the Fremont-Winema NF in trail maintenance or developed recreation,” Beneditti said, “contact me at 541-885-3440 or email me at [email protected]. Thanks everybody that made the 2022 trail season a success.” Reach freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected] or 541-880-4139. Volunteers move a trail-blocking log. [Photo courtesy Anthony Benedetti] Volunteers from the Klamath Basin Outdoor Group relax after a workday. [Photo courtesy Andrew Benedetti] With assistance from High Desert Trail Riders, a grip hoist is used to move a large log from a trail. [Photo courtesy Andrew Benedetti] Bill Van Moorhem, left, and Anthony Benedetti use a crosscut saw to cut fallen tree. [Photo by Lee Juillerat] An early snowstorm didn’t prevent volunteers from clearing trail. [Photo courtesy Southern Oregon Nordic Club]