High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew

The High Sierra Volunteer Trail Crew is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt Charitable California Corporation. We are funded by grants and in-kind donations from a number of sources including the PCTA, utility companies, individuals, private and public corporations, stock packers, and government agencies. We do not charge volunteers for any HSVTC activity; food, permits and entry fees, and use of tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) are provided free of charge to volunteers.

The HSVTC is organized into four divisions: Vital Trail Maintenance (VTM), Youth Education Program (YEP), Forest Facilities Maintenance (FFM), and the Environmental Reclamation Team (ERT).

The Vital Trail Maintenance division works on 28 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail between Kings Canyon National Park and Silver Pass. We have worked in the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests covering five Ranger Districts and six Wilderness Areas. Our activities include: logging out trails; removing brush encroaching upon trails; repair, maintenance, and construction of water diversion structures; construction of rock walls, steps, or check dams; repair signage, paint buildings, repair bridges, and construct new sections of trails. We report yearly on our PCTA projects using the PCTA Volunteer Tracking Form.

Our VTM division sponsors two types of trips:  back country pack trips and base camp trips. VTM works with the PCTA, USFS volunteer coordinators and management, and stakeholders in selecting projects and prioritizing environmental needs. Planning for these projects begins the prior year so that trips are scheduled and posted on our website (www.trailcrew.org) around February. Volunteers can view the website for trip information including dates, locations, difficulty ratings, and HSVTC contact information. Upon registering through our website, volunteers automatically receive a confirmation, and HSVTC management is notified as to who and how many will attend each trip. HSVTC has its own office and warehouse space which stores vehicles, supplies and tools. Specific volunteers manage the website; maintain, select, and load tools; plan menus, food supplies, and cooking; and handle other logistical issues. Emails are automatically sent to volunteers with pertinent information prior to the event.

Back Country Trips: These trips typically have 8 to 12 crew members, including a trained volunteer crew leader and volunteer cook, as well as USFS personnel, and usually work in wilderness areas with each trip typically lasting eight days. A stock packer takes up the communal kitchen, tools, PPE, food, and volunteers’ personal sleeping gear. The volunteers backpack their personal items and typically hike 8 to 15 miles to camp, working daily out of that base camp. Their work may include any of the previously-described trail activities. This type of trip allows HSVTC to insert a skilled crew, which performs a wide variety of projects, deep in the back country.

Base Camp Trips: These trips typically have 25 to 50 volunteers including a trip director, trained crew leaders, experienced kitchen crew and USFS personnel. They base in established camp locations and car pool each day to trailheads or work sites, returning each evening to base camp. As with the back country trips, HSVTC kitchen crew prepares breakfast and dinner, and provides food for volunteers to make and pack their own lunches. An event like this lasts 4 to 8 days, but volunteers may attend for as many days as they choose. This type of trip allows HSVTC to utilize large numbers of volunteers to make a significant impact on an area’s trail needs. 

We make extensive use of the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) process and have written job-specific USFS approved JHAs for each major task we perform. JHAs are reviewed during daily safety meetings before a crew departs for the work site, at trailheads and/or at the site. HSVTC provides PPE and requires volunteers to use it while working or carrying tools. We require long-sleeve shirts, long pants, and durable boots that cover the ankles. We also establish radio protocol and emergency evacuation plans.