BABYFOOT LAKE TRAILHEAD, OR -- Megan Rangel-Lynch hoists a 60-pound backpack over her shoulders and tightly fastens the wasit-strap to her torso, her eyes wince, and she begins the 10-mile journey into Oregon's Wild & Scenic Chetco River canyon. The 22 year-old from Southern California breathes heavy and offers a deep sigh: "Back again."
Megan's story of backpacking and working 26 miles across the 180,000-acre Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area is told through the 28-minute documentary, "A Long Way to Nowhere," directed by communications staff member Vince DiFrancesco. The Club will host the domestic premiere of the film on April 4 in Ashland, OR and then go on the road with community screenings up and down the Pacific Coast.
"A Long Way to Nowhere" was featured in the Tatras International Film Festival where it received an honorable mention for best environmental film. Watch previews, get tickets, and details for the free screenings at siskiyoumountainclub.org/nowhere. If you represent a venue interested in hosting a screening or would like to review the film, reach out to the Club's executive director at gabe@siskiyoumountainclub.org.
Megan's journey is intertwined with the story of her crew, a group of young Americans who find themselves in the middle of nowhere with no phones, no technology, and up against the greatest challenge of their lives. They face rough water crossings, hard labor in areas recently exposed by wildfire, and work days that start, and sometimes end, in the dark. The film includes interviews with Forest Service employees who provide context and history.
The filmmaker captured just eight days of the crew's three-month tour restoring trails fading from the region's public lands. "I asked myself why a lot," Megans says in an interview on film. She struggles to find meaning in the work, choking up at times. "But it would take a lot for me to call it quits."
Ryan Roehl was a 2023 intern on the Wilderness Corps who had just graduated from Southern Oregon University's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). He used the 2023 season to fill a gap between graduation and reporting to the U.S. Army for full time service. Ryan admits he underestimated the work at first. "It was a bit of a slap in the face," he says. "But it's the most beautiful place I've ever been."
"I cant wait to see how it turns out," adds Megan, who plans to attend the premiere April 4, along with a handful of her 2023 crew mates. Ryan hopes to join them if he can get the time off from his day job as a tank officer. It will be the first time they've seen the film.
Dates and details: Each screening includes a short introduction and Q&A with the director
-
April 4 Premiere: 7pm at the Varsity Theatre in Ashland with afterparty to follow at Growler Guys. Tickets required and available online.
- April 10: 6:30pm at Santa Rosa REI (2715 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95407)
- April 11: 6:30pm at Point Reyes Station Library (11431 State Route One, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956)
- April 15: 7pm at Medford REI (85 Rossanley Drive, Medford, OR 97501)
- April 16: 6pm at Taylor's Sausage in Cave Junction (202 Redwood Highway, Cave Junction, OR 97523)
- April 17: 6pm at Curry County Library, Gold Beach (94341 3rd St., Gold Beach, OR 97444)
- April 18: 6pm with 7 Devils Brewery at the Egyptian Theatre, Coos Bay (229 S Broadway, Coos Bay, OR 97420)