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Trail Crew

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Upcoming Crews

West Elwha turnpike, small crew. Feb 21. (full)

Nothing else currently scheduled but keep checking back. More coming soon.

May 1-3 (Friday-Sunday)

Lower and Upper S. Fork Skokomish, annual maintenance and campout at LeBar horse camp.

Link will be made live when the date draws closer, this posting is to help you save the dates. You will be able to attend all the days or just one. Keep in mind the Sunday date will be used ONLY if it turns out there is a lot of work that we can't do in two days. Otherwise this is just Friday-Saturday. This is the annual event we share with Buckhorn Chapter of BCHW. They will get the campground spruced up while we tend the trails. Amazing dutch oven dinner will be provided on Saturday evening.

**SAVE THE DATES** (note from Rebecca)

I have some date ranges during which there will be backcountry crews in the Olympic National Park next summer. These will be made into live signup links once I nail down the locations - most likely early spring.

The reason for posting these so early is so folks can plan, because I know many people have other conflicting obligations, trail crews, etc. I'm blocking out some times. Two of the locations are nailed down. The June trip's location is still to be determined.

** The Wynoochee Pass trip cannot have stock support. I am hoping to locate the other two trips so that we can use packers. As always, the Tullers will pack us in and out.

** I made all of the trips 7 days for now as a place holder. Obviously, that might wiggle in one way or another by a day or two once we know the locations and the needs.

** Also, know that I never "require" anyone to make it all or nothing. If you can only make part of a trip, that's cool and we will put you to work for the time you're there.

A final important note is the requirements that must be met in order to join on these extremely rigorous backcountry crews.

> You've done at least a few GWTC crews so we know each other.

> You are experienced in the backcountry.

> You would be able to independently hike in or out if your dates don't align with the crew's start and stop dates.

> You can hike high miles with weight and deal with long days and sometimes hot weather.

June 20-26 TBD but most likely clearing the Duckabush again from the ONP boundary to as far west as we can make it.

July 18-24 Wynoochee Pass / Graves Creek / Sundown Lake trails. (We tried to do this last summer but the fire closures made us move the crew to another needy trail). This is a lot of work. Many trees to logout and horrendous brush. Gorgeous, rugged area. Needy, neglected trails.

August 5-11 Hoh Lake trail, which takes off from near Olympus Guard Station at mile 9 of the Hoh - This trail needs a lot of work, and the Hoh would be a great one to get packed in by the Tullers because the ONP crews will clear that early in the season.

Future Crews

Here is what you have to look forward to (that we know of at this moment)

Winter 2026
- West Elwha: General maintenance is done. Next up is two special project spots. Stay tuned.
Spring - Fall 2026
- Smokey Bottom (ONP, formally known as West Lake Mills). One or two separate days. Late May or early June, to try to coincide with the lupine blooming in the reclaimed Elwha valley.
- Little River (ONP), a top-down logout. Will have to be in July to avoid snow at the Hurricane Ridge level. One day with a second one as needed.
- Elwha-Hurricane, one day to finish up the brushing and tread work that we were going to do last fall before the shutdown.
- Slab Camp, Deer Ridge, Lower Big Quilcene, Lower and Mid Graywolf (ONF) - check for and do annual maintenance.
- Lower and Upper S. Fork Skokomish (ONF) annual maintenance.
- Mt. Muller (ONF) - annual maintenance.
- Lower Big Quilcene (ONF) 366-foot re-alignment of a steep section at mile 3.3. Jolley Creek log-bridge replacement. Both are pending Forest Service approval. Will schedule once approval is granted.
- Quinault Nature Trails around the lodge area. Usually 4 days (do however many you want) and usually involves group meals if you want to partake in that. This is usually early April. Watch for date confirmation and signup sometime soon.
- Duckabush - a major push to try to remedy some problematic areas for stock passage.

In case you need inspiration ... a poem from Graywolf Trail Crew member, Sonya Langford, written on the Appleton Pass backcountry crew on about day 4 out of 6 ...

Trail Crew

I'm a wolf now

A Gray Wolf to be exact

The pack brought me in

To climb and brush, pack and laugh.

They said Come along, arms open wide

Hiking and toiling for hours

We stand side by side.

The rugged trails we love

These forests we revere

Make us face our shortcomings and fears

All the long rehearsed stories

We have in our heads

Sometimes bringing dread.

All the I can'ts and I won'ts

All the Nevers. Not me!

Can fade into the past

When we don our packs

Choose our tools, and tackle the trail

Whatever it holds

Gray Wolves finish without fail.

The miles add up

When the work lies ahead

But the path soon reveals

where footfalls will tread,

Opening vast wilds

For intrepid explorers who dare

Enter this timeless wilderness

Where Wolves have shown skillful care.

For each trail, pass and peak

Everyone has stories

Retold each evening

All their foibles and glories.

They aren't here for money, or for fame

But their pride in their efforts

Pushes me to up my game.

For all who want adventure

And love these remote places too

They can now access spaces

To feel grateful, renewed

With a sense of awe and wonder

They can enter this wild realm

All because the Gray Wolves

remain at the helm.

Sonya Langford

Appleton Pass August 2025

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