You don’t need permission
You can just do things. Wilderness trail maintenance is one of those things. In the spring of 2025, I decided to contribute to the trail community that had been quietly supporting every backpacking trip I had been on. I didn’t understand how, but I really wanted to do it. I was in the role of carer, so my schedule was always changing, which meant I couldn’t confidently sign up for voluntary outings. There was time, I just couldn’t schedule it, so I started by contacting different organizations via email right when their seasons were in full swing to see what I could do. I found that I needed too many 1:1s for the time everyone had available, and I noticed that no one is staffing their organization in case some random guy suddenly shows up ready to work outside of the volunteer programs they’re already busy coordinating.
After going to YouTube University for a few days, I decided which tracking work tools to purchase. What I was looking for were saws that were lightweight but durable, and that fold down but are large enough to cut efficiently. After comparing different pruners and axes, several tools were purchased. I have 3 different folding saws. The first was a Silky Bigboy pull saw, which is the one I have used the most and I love it. I also purchased a much smaller Bahco Laplander folding saw and tried a folding bow saw made by Agawa Canyon. Add some gloves, an axe, wedges, and tape to mark the location of the trails and you’re done.
First Wilderness Trail Maintenance Trip
Then it was time to go out and use the material. Wooley Creek Trail has always been a favorite. There tends to be a moderate to diabolical amount of winter flooding each year, so I drove there with a few days to play with. On the hike I used my mini trimmers to clear the brush. The short handles made bending over for each cut unnecessarily taxing on the lower back over the course of so many repetitions. A satisfactory amount of work was accomplished on the trail to Fowler Cabin, and in a few weeks the Somes Mountain Trail would require an upgrade to the mower. At the Fowler cabin I made a temporary repair to some collapsed floorboards by simply placing blocks underneath, raising them to their original height. I also trimmed the bottom of the door so it opened more than two feet, cleaned the windows, filled a couple drafty spaces, and packed up what little trash was there.
The real party happened on the way out, when I made it through about a dozen 8-10″ bleeds. After a fairly inactive winter, the walking and sawing was exhausting. I thought about how impressive what these trail teams are doing with heavier packs and a greater workload for many more days on more difficult terrain.
Hunters cabin
Getting to know Chris
Back at home, I was searching for “Klamath Mountains” on a podcast app and found a podcast with Chris Valle-Reistra. He runs KlamathMountainTrails.us and mentioned an email to contact anyone interested in getting involved in the wilderness trail maintenance community. I did, he immediately contacted me and we planned to meet up a couple of weeks later.
I’m not a chick and Chris has been running all over these mountains for as long as I’ve been alive. I tried my best not to bombard him with questions from the moment I arrived at the camp where we met and I have no idea what a good job I did, but now he’s a friend. The next morning we drove to Antennae Ridge to see Orleans Mountain Lookout and explore Somes Mountain Trail from the south. It had burned years before, so we picked our way through the brush just enough to make it passable while following an old drag trail on or near the top of the ridge. It was hot, sharp, steep, and unforgiving as we headed north toward Somes Mountain, cutting brush and tying ribbons to mark the trail. We didn’t make it to the end, which is good because I underestimated how much water I would need and had leg cramps for the last mile going up.
Not so professional advice
If you are planning to start your own wilderness trail maintenance, I suggest you start by bringing twice as much water as you would need if you were just hiking and adjusting from there. On that trip we also marked Ten Bear Trail in the Marble Mountain Wilderness and cleared logs and brush on the East Fork Blue Creek Trail in the Siskiyou Wilderness.
East Fork Blue Creek
Wooley Creek Campground Restoration
After that trip, I enjoyed the feeling of taking a little ownership of the status of some trails, as others must have done with the trails I began backpacking in the Marble Mountain Wilderness in 2005. Even if the amount of work done pales in comparison to what a trail team accomplishes, it seemed like a reasonable contribution worth making more of.
My schedule didn’t match Chris’s for the next trip, so I headed back to Wooley Creek Trail. I had noticed an old campsite on the hike on my first trip of the year to Fowler Cabin. I’m not sure what caused it, but about an entire acre of tan oaks fell years ago and buried what appeared to be a 5 star campground. The trunks didn’t grow more than 12 inches, so I thought it was a reasonable one-person job. For two days I stayed there and cut branches and trunks, uncovering and organizing the site. There is still a substantial drop between Wooley Creek Trail and the site, but the site itself was left in usable condition.
Camping restoration video:
https://youtu.be/DbMrOeyISc8?si=KVzx65ldGUXchlIy
Read about the time I sprayed my crotch with bear mace here:
https://thetrek.co/i-bear-maced-my-own-crotch/
happy paths,
Micro
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