WWA Spring Projects Steward the Backcountry

This June marked the the 6th annual trail stewardship project at Mores Mountain.  Fifteen hardy volunteers made the early morning drive up the winding mountain road to the remote trailhead.  And with expert guidance from Boise National Forest crew leaders Nick Lichtenstadter and Brent Freeman, the team was clearing brush and snags in no-time.

Other successes from this full -day project included replacing trail kick-bars, sign repair and erosion mitigation. As one of Boise’s closest backcountry skiing areas, Mores Mountain sees sustained use year-round.  And with consistent support coming from the US Forest Service, SnowSchool at Bogus Basin, and Boise REI, this Winter Wildlands Alliance project has grown into annual tradition. Huge thanks to all the volunteers who came out!

The multi-year success of the Mores Mountain project has laid a foundation to expand WWA’s stewardship efforts in the Boise National Forest.  Earlier in May WWA, the Boise National Forest and Idaho State Parks and Recreation teamed up to re-plant trees around the burned Idaho City Yurt system.  This effort came in response to the Pioneer Fire of 2016 that burned over 190,000 acres of forest.

Huge thanks to our awesome volunteer crew who braved the rugged terrain to plant hundreds of trees over what turned out to be a very long day! Dramatic evidence of the Pioneer fire was everywhere (see photos below) and we will look forward to returning in years to come to check in on our Douglas Fir and Ponderosa Pine starts!

Interested in volunteering for one of our stewardship projects? Click here!

A freshly planted Douglas Fir start!

Winter Wildlands Alliance Operations Manager Brittany Jones helping to keep winter wild with the Mores Mountain volunteer crew!

The brush clearing team heads out.

Getting trained-up on proper tree planting technique.

A quiet moment during the tree planting project.

The view from the Stargazer Yurt!

400 trees planted by this crew!