photos by Trevor Meyer, program manager
29 APRIL 2025 | BABYFOOT LAKE, OR. -- Last Saturday, a blended group of staff and volunteers headed out for the Babyfoot Lake Trailhead. They worked together on the lake trail for two days. Sunday, the staff module marched out to the southern Kalmiopsis Rim, but the volunteers headed home.
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They were able to open the trail to Babyfoot Lake. One of those volunteers was Kris Sealing of Central Point who I was able to speak with after the trip. Sealing moved to Central Point from Tennessee for a job with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Before-and-after on the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail 1124 behind Babyfoot Lake
"I served in the army for eight years," he says. "Six active, two reserves." He signed up after finding our website on his search for volunteer opportunities.
Big views to the west from the Kalmiopsis Rim
"First day I spent doing a good day of brushing on the slope going up to the cliffside," he shares. Sunday he spent with assistant crew leader Gabe Smith on the crosscut. "That was definitely an experience," Sealing adds. "It's definitely a work out."
Off the clock: Volunteer Hunter Long takes a dip in Babyfoot. Yes, that's snow on the rim.
He says he came into the trip with a "bit of social anxiety" and expressed some nervousness about spending a night with strangers. "The second I met everyone, I felt instantly welcomed. Instantly meshing. It couldn't have gone better," Sealing says, noting that he has just "about everyone on Instagram now."
"Trailhead maintenance is about showing people that someone does care about this place." - Executive Director, Gabriel Howe
While this was Sealing's first trip with SMC, he's no stranger to service. After serving in the Army, "I still wanted to help. I didn't want to become a cop," he says.
Chloe Grimes of Grimes Goes Wild
Service is second nature to Sealing, who volunteers for a handful of groups including the Bear Creek Greenway Association and Jackson County Fire Department. "It's just kind of our duty. It's our planet. We could whine about politics all day, but that doesn't make any difference. Getting out there and doing something makes a difference."
Signs are coming back to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness thanks to our crews
After Sealing and his crew's work, the trail to Babyfoot is open. But the brush on the backside along the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail is thick. Crews have been gnawing on that section of the trail for a couple of years, slowly but surely opening up an approximately five-mile loop.
Home-cooked meals for volunteers. Email trevor@siskiyoumountainclub.org now to sign up for your next trip.
"I look forward to more trips," Sealing says."
We're looking for more first time volunteers to join us. Check out our calendar and sign up now.
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