MCC crews do a lot of clearing of downed trees over the trail.  We refer to these projects as "cut and run," because the crews clear as many trees as they can in a day, and move camp along the trail according to their progress.  Clearing these trails is often one of the first things managers do in the early summer, and one of the most important pieces of maintenance to keep trails open for the public.  Many of our field crews work in specially designate Wilderness Areas where mechanized equipment is not allowed (think chainsaws).  They must use primitive crosscut saws, hand saws, and axes to clear trees off the trail.  This crew spent their season working in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a protected 1.5 million acre area south of Glacier National Park.  One of the crew members, Gray, perfectly describes how the long days create shared comradery on a crew:

"We cruised down the trail, we sized up binds on the go, and we got real dirty. The hand bucking required patience, and the long days required endurance. Adversity through the hitch just seemed to breed comradery and motivation among the crew. I say this personally and I know my crew mates share the sentiment; we feel like we won the crew lottery." 

Thanks for all the hard work back there!

This Crew worked closely with the Bureau of Land Management to widen trails to accommodate adaptive bikes. This project allowed people with disabilities or limited mobility to be able to access the trail that previously was not wide enough for the adaptive bikes.  They improved and dug new tread, and used large rocks to anchor the trail and provide stability. The crew constructed and improved a mile and a half of this trail for not only people who use adaptive bikes, but the Newcastle and mountain biking community in general.  Thanks for the great work and helping to provide access for all!

The two main goals of trail maintenance and construction are to keep dirt on the trail and to keep water off the trail.  Much of the work we do on trails can be distilled down to these two concepts.  This crew worked with the Bridger Teton National Forest to rehabilitate a trail that was muddy and impacted by water.  The crew spent the first part of their hitch building a turnpike (the picture above), a structure that raises the surface of the trail to provide a dry walking surface, and route excess water off the trail through a culvert underneath the structure.  This requires cutting trees for the structure and hauling large amounts of rock for fill.  The crew also dug drains and put in water bars in an area prone to groundwater seepage.  Because of their work, this trail is not only a better, drier experience for hikers and stock users, but will also increase the longevity of the trail.  Thanks to the crew for their hard work! 

On this project, a Northern Rockies crew was working to create an American Disability Act (ADA) trail in Glacier National Park.  This trail will provide more accessible hiking options in GNP for people with different disabilities.  There aren't a whole lot of ADA trails within National Parks, and trails like this help provide access to a wider audience.  The crew here is using “StaLok” paving material that creates a durable surface suitable for wheelchairs, but also a surface that is still natural soil, just enhanced. The soil's strength is increased and equal to that of asphalt while still retaining flexibility.

Check out this video of the process!

This crew worked with the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest to take on the task of clearing borders for the National Forest in order to establish a distinct line between the private properties and the forest.  The process involves utilizing survey equipment to determine the property boundary, and then using chainsaws to clear a 6 foot corridor between private and public lands.  One of the crew members described the project as challenging yet rewarding:

"Navigating through the dense trees to find the line of sight from post to post was a challenge. Creating a 3-foot clearing on either side of the line also turned out to be a little trickier than we imagined. The area we worked in looked like a game of pickup sticks for giants.  Though difficult, it was satisfying to look back and see the clear lines we made."  

This is another continuation of a previous years' project.  Projects like these help MCC develop really strong relationships with our partners year after year!   

This crew was working with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) to remove barbed wire fence along a wildlife corridor and replace the barbed wire with smooth wire that allows for animals to pass through more easily.  The NPCA manages the Yellowstone Pronghorn Antelope connectivity program from the Yellowstone Field office, and focuses on protecting and restoring habitat and migration corridors. The goal of this specific project was to connect the Yellowstone National Park Pronghorn herd with other regional herds - essentially working to increase the genetic connectivity between pronghorn populations. The fence that was getting removed was not wildlife friendly and pronghorns were not able to roam freely in their habitat with this barrier in the way. The new fence is a suspension fence and is wildlife friendly, the bottom wire is smooth so if anything crawls under it they are far less likely to be injured. The fence also has suspension posts that allow more give and flexibility making it easier for pronghorns and other wildlife to migrate more safely and increase their chance of survival.