Trail work is slow going. It doesn’t take long for an MCC Crew to realize that. I’ve spent many minutes cleaning out a drain, hours brushing a switchback, days building a structure. But these past two hitches, that is, for a whopping 160 hours, my crew worked at what any trail dog would call a snail’s pace, patiently retracing our steps over a mere 600 feet of trail.

For the previous eight years, MCC crews had been converting the Swiftcurrent Loop Trail into a wheelchair-accessible trail, and we continued their work for a ninth season. This 2.6-mile gently meandering, mostly flat trail is situated in Many Glacier, in the northeast portion of Glacier National Park, and is the beginning of the more challenging Grinnell Glacier Trail. Hundreds of tourists walk it every summer day, a good portion of whom seek out an easier route, with little risk and extraordinary views. The project seeks to expand the trail’s accessibility, welcoming park visitors of varying physical abilities who otherwise would have little to explore.

Jaison Ashbaugh, a 2014 MCC Alum and the East Side Trails Volunteer Coordinator at GNP has led this project for the past few years. His energy and passion for trail work and sharp focus on efficiency and quality shone through as he worked alongside my crew every day, through every step of the process.

First, we widened the section from around three-and-a-half feet to five-and-a-half feet, slicing through a steep slope with our picks and Pulaskis, uncovering boulders that we broke with a hammer drill and wedges. We essentially built two new widths of a normal-sized trail next to what was already there.

Next, we fine-tuned the heck out of our new tread, prying out every tiny emergent root and rock, leveling the trail bit by bit with four-foot levels and an eye for detail. Meanwhile, we carted over 40 tons of material from the trailhead 0.7 miles away in power buggies labeled “Whiteman” (a never-ending source of jokes).

On four action-packed paving days, we laid down the Stalok, a waxy mixture of crushed rock that, when rolled over with a compactor, hardens into what feels and looks like pavement. This process itself had the six of us rotating through tasks like clockwork under Jaison’s guidance. As soon as he compacted it, we could walk on our newly paved walkway, completely transformed from the path it had been when we arrived, and we could invite the park visitors to do the same.

Two more MCC teams will continue where we left off, one this year and one next year, completing the loop. The entire ten-year project is funded by the Glacier Conservancy, the fundraising partner of the park. Essentially, the park submits requests for work, and the Conservancy reaches out to donors. Accessibility work is becoming more and more popular, and it looks like other projects like this one are in Glacier’s future. For instance, a backcountry boat-access campground is being built on Lake McDonald, and Stalok is being used at Goat Lick Overlook. The park is discussing connecting the Swiftcurrent Loop Trail all the way to Lake Josephine, but as the existing trail has a steep grade, this would involve a major reroute.

Despite the slow pace, it was very exciting to be part of a decade of powerful work toward making Glacier more accessible. If you’re in the area, check out our trail and let us know how it holds up!