Our crews were busy this past week in the southeastern Sky Lakes Wilderness on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The group of 21 staff and interns dispatched to the area on August 10, and returned August 17.
This Wilderness was new to our 2026 interns, and offers a change of pace from what they’ve been used to the past several months. The crew was tasked with working in a mostly unburned area and would encounter far more members of the public than they were used to, especially given the proximity to the popular Pacific Crest Trail. This was exciting, given that most of the interns had spent their summer working in remote burn scars.
“I think they really enjoyed getting all the visitors,” says Sam Zimmerman, a second-year staff member.
But greener trees and new faces certainly didn’t make the work any easier. The crew had a tall task ahead of them.
“There was some anxiety over the work,” recalls program manager Trevor Meyer. “There was a lot of ground to cover … It really was kind of the Sky Lakes 2026 challenge.”
But despite the mileage ahead of them, Trevor says that the crew rose to the occasion and “got creative,” often taking some big risks.
The 21-person group split into two crews. The first, led by Cole Boback, hiked up the Nannie Creek Trail, removing brush as they continued along the Sky Lakes Trail to Lake Margurette. They then cut 31 logs on the Snow Lakes Trail and PCT, and in just two days brushed the 2.5-mile Divide Trail. This work opened up a stunning loop that offers views of the lake basin below.
Cole’s crew then doubled back to lend a hand to the second crew, which was led by staff member Grace Andrade. Together they brushed and logged the Cherry Creek Trail towards Trapper Lake. Then they split once more, and began working the Sky Lakes trail from opposite ends, meeting in the middle on the last day with a “golden spike” moment to finish off the trip.
“The interns were pretty motivated to meet up with each other,” Grace says. “Overall it was a really solid hitch.”
Read the full Stewardship Report from this hitch at explore.siskiyoumountainclub.org.
We would be remiss not to thank the Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon: High Desert Riders Chapter. Members of the organization, led by Betty Applebaker, organized a supply drop to lighten the load on our interns’ backs. We are grateful for our partnership with this organization, and hope to continue collaboration on future trips.
Now, many of our interns are leaving for home, having finished their terms in the Wilderness Corps program. “We’re going from a big 21-person crew to a crew of 10,” says program manager Tiffani Ayres.
But the interns who remain will be taking on a new hitch on Saturday, diving into one of the most unique projects of the summer on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. Stay tuned for more updates soon!
