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The job of a temporary trail worker for the US Forest Service is rewarding in many ways. Here are stories from some of those workers. Click on the heading to read the full story.
Karl's Story Background on the Monument Creek trail and details of the preparation and construction of the Eureka Creek Bridge, 2021-2022. Lisa's Story Replacement of the Diamond Creek Bridge in 2013. The bridge was saved from the Diamond Creek fire by the forest service. Allen's Story A typical season for a temporary trail crew. |
Jimmy's Story
From Working on Trails is a Precious Experience Jimmy Tobias, The New York Times, March 3, 2020 For three summers in my mid-20s, beginning in 2011, I worked on trail crews in the wild and rugged national forests of Idaho and Montana. Each morning, my crew would rise at dawn; we’d lace our boots, shoulder backpacks and go to work. As Forest Service workers, we had a simple duty: to build and repair our country’s public trails. Armed with picks, axes and saws, we spent our days chopping trees, hauling rocks, cutting brush, cleaning drains and constructing bridges. We received little pay or praise, slept under the stars and labored in the sun. Our reward was fresh air, wildlife sightings and campfire camaraderie. When the day was done and we sat down to dinner, our calloused hands and aching backs testified to the exertions of our public service. Those summers in the woods were the best of my life, and they have left me firmly dedicated to the roughly 600 million acres of national forests, grasslands, wildlife refuges and more that make up this country’s conservation heritage. Many of my trail worker friends, meanwhile, still work for agencies like the National Park Service. Public lands conservation is a calling, and young Americans heed it. But for how much longer? |