Forest Service News Release
Several trails within popular wilderness areas look very different these days. Thanks to an agreement with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), crews have spent their summer gaining valuable employment and life skills.
For several weeks, a crew of four hardworking individuals have worked on the Hume Lake Ranger District to improve the accessibility and navigability of the district's most popular wilderness trails. The SCAs have been diligently clearing brush, removing logs, repairing damaged trail features, and much more. Their summer consists of sleeping in remote locations, working as a team, and accomplishing the goals set before them. The specific work areas have focused on trails within the Monarch and the Jennie Lakes Wilderness areas. With funding provided by the Great American Outdoors Act, priority work has focused on deferred maintenance within both wilderness areas.
The Western Divide Ranger District's SCA crews have worked on the Wishon trail to reestablish ease of access to a popular fishing area/river access. The Bear Creek trail had to be completely dug out, and a mess of oaks and pines cut off the trail. Long Meadow Trail continuing work started by the National Park Service and working all the way to Summit Lake, removing 30 plus trees off the trail, increasing ease of access for hikers and packers alike. Next, the crew will be back in the Golden Trout Wilderness working on the Lewis Camp trail, providing much-needed maintenance to Trout Meadows.
The SCAs will continue working in the Hume Lake Ranger District and the Western Divide Ranger District for the next couple of weeks.
The Hume Lake Ranger District consists of 195,606 acres of forests, peaks, lakes, and the deepest portion of Kings Canyon. It contains 13 Giant Sequoia Groves, multiple wilderness areas, miles of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) routes, and hiking trails.
The 319,491-acre Western Divide Ranger District offers nine developed campgrounds (including group sites), rental cabins, developed day-use areas, 296 miles of trails, 338 miles of off-highway vehicle routes that provide miles of winter-time ski or snowmobile routes, and much more to enjoy. Visitors don't want to miss meandering along the Trail of 100 Giants, scenic views from the top of Dome Rock, or perhaps a backcountry hike into the Golden Trout Wilderness.
To learn more about the Student Conservation Association, visit their website at https://thesca.org
For more information, please email SM.FS.SequoiaNF@usda.gov and follow us on the Sequoia National Forest Facebook at SequoiaNFor visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/Sequoia for current information.
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