The Blue Mountain Land Trust Blues Crew celebrated National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 25 with a trail work party on the Buck Creek Trail on the Umatilla National Forest, part of the USDA Forest Service. At the end of the day, nearly 90 hours of volunteer time resulted in a restored hiker path in this section of trail damaged by the 2020 floods.
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, this celebration brings out thousands of volunteers to help restore and improve public lands around the country.
The Buck Creek Trail is one of the many great scenic areas within the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness located east of Pendleton, Oregon. In partnership with the Umatilla National Forest, the BMLT Blues Crew has worked hard over the past two years to restore this trail after severe damage from storms and flooding in 2020. Earlier this summer, Dan Long of the Blues Crew and Will Fisher of the Umatilla National Forest Service went on a scouting trip to locate potential project sites for volunteers. They identified a large 20 ft. deep wash-out along the trail that was in desperate need of rerouting and rebuilding, and this area was selected for National Public Lands Day this year.
Tim Sampson and his mule Bernie transported heavy gear, tools, and supplies to the worksite, allowing volunteers to concentrate their energies on rebuilding the trail. The worksite was located on a steep side slope about 100 ft. above Buck Creek, with rocky soil and a web of tree roots adding to the complexity of the day. The crew used pickaxes, Pulaskis, tread hoes, and iron pry bars to accomplish the work, demanding strenuous endurance and perseverance.
The Blues Crew will plan future efforts to enhance this section of trail for stock passage and finish clearing the remainder to its connection with the Lake Creek Trail.