Training trail crew leaders in the art of packing

By Ellen Ginda, with Jim and Sue Forsman

Four crew leaders joined the PCTA staff for a summer in the Cascades. Starting July 6, Justin Brimer, Ian Connelly, Wes Jones, and Jennica Tamler have been leading PCTA’s Skyline and Sasquatch volunteer vacations in the Oregon and Washington backcountry. These are week-long trips in the high Cascades that supplement the work of regional trail maintainers by tackling major tread erosion problems on the PCT.

Jennica Tamler, Justin Brimer, Ian Connelly, Snickers, Sue Forsman, Jim Forsman, and Wes Jones gather for a training in the art of working with packers and pack stock.

Jennica Tamler, Justin Brimer, Ian Connelly, Snickers, Sue Forsman, Jim Forsman, and Wes Jones gather for a training in the art of working with packers and pack stock.

Justin Brimer, of Mosier, Oregon, is returning for his second season as a crew leader with the PCTA’s volunteer vacation program. Hailing from Alabama, Justin has led trail crews in all four corners of the country and previously worked for the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service as a professional trail builder and crew leader. Justin works as a journalist in the off-season, plays a mean mandolin and enjoys searching for edible mushrooms and soakable hot springs.

Ian Connelly grew up rambling around the backwoods and harbors of Freeport, Maine. He moved west to Portland, Oregon, in 2011 to attend Reed College, from which he graduated last spring with a degree in Chinese Literature. He’s spent two seasons guiding sea kayaking trips in the San Juan Islands and a year doing trail work and habitat restoration in the Reed College Canyon. He’s stoked to be joining the PCTA team this summer.

Wes Jones, returning for his second PCTA season, hails from the brittle scrub of Southern California.  When not working for PCTA, he earns his living as a backpacking guide, organic farmer, pizza thrower and hot sauce brewer. His connection to the outdoors is motivated by a desire to preserve and regenerate wild spaces in the pursuit of passing along a love for wilderness that spans generations. Movement is his meditation.

Crew leaders Ian and Wes put their packing skills to work, adjusting loads on Katie the mule. Each load must be carefully packed, weighed, balanced and secured on stock.

Crew leaders Ian and Wes put their packing skills to work, adjusting loads on Katie the mule. Each load must be carefully packed, weighed, balanced and secured on stock.

Jennica Tamler comes to PCTA from Moab, Utah, where she helped to build sustainable homes for low-income families. She has worked with and led trail crews in upwards of 10 different states, including projects on both the Appalachian and Continental Divide trails. She is a certified dry stone mason, a musician and a lover of all things wild. She also loves goats, particularly the mountain variety.

PCTA’s Skyline and Sasquatch volunteer vacations wouldn’t be possible without the support of volunteer packers and their stock. These teams carry all the tools, kitchen equipment, food and other supplies in and out of each backcountry basecamp, leaving crew leaders and volunteers free to backpack with only their personal items.

Jim Forsman leads the pack string into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Thank you Backcountry Horsemen and volunteer packers for supporting trail maintenance projects on the Pacific Crest Trail!

Jim Forsman leads the pack string into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Thank you Backcountry Horsemen and volunteer packers for supporting trail maintenance projects on the Pacific Crest Trail!

Justin, Ian, Wes, and Jennica are working with volunteer packers on each of the nine volunteer vacations this season. At the beginning of summer, Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon volunteer packers Jim and Sue Forsman trained these crew leaders in the art of working with packers and pack stock. The training was held at Williams Mine trailhead in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, just west of Mount Adams in Washington. PCTA Regional Representatives Dana Hendricks and Bill Hawley were present and mentoring.

Here’s how Jim and Sue described the day:

This exercise was to familiarize the crew leaders with a basic knowledge and understanding of the packing process and the kind of gear a packer may have.  The leaders will have a better understanding of how to communicate with their packer ahead of time concerning number of stock, weight of loads and just how much to expect from the packers. They will be better able to direct their crew in assisting the packer with the loading of supplies and equipment. The job of the packer is to support the maintenance crew by transporting camp gear. The packer can also give support by packing water, building materials and gravel to the job site.

We met the crew on June 27 at the trailhead. The group had a safety meeting and we told the crew how to approach and work with equine stock. The crew leaders already had their food, kitchen, tent, tools and supplies loaded, weighed and balanced in coolers and boxes. All we had to do was load the gear (with crew help) onto the mules and head up the trail.

The next day we rode back to camp to pack out the gear.  Once again everything was well stowed and weighed. The loads on each mule were balanced with no rattles!  (Rattling gear can really irritate a packer.)

On July 8 we will be packing in for a crew of 12. They will be in for a week doing trail maintenance in the Three Sisters area.  Jennica Tamler will be our crew leader for this job. We look forward to working with her and the PCTA volunteers. They are always a great group of people to meet.

Volunteer packers and their stock carry all the tools, kitchen equipment, food and other supplies in and out of backcountry volunteer basecamps, leaving trail workers free to backpack with only their personal gear. Here Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon volunteer Jim Forsman trains PCTA crew leaders how to load and adjust toolboxes.

Volunteer packers and their stock carry all the tools, kitchen equipment, food and other supplies in and out of backcountry volunteer basecamps, leaving trail workers free to backpack with only their personal gear. Here Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon volunteer Jim Forsman trains PCTA crew leaders how to load and adjust toolboxes.

Thank you Forsmans!

Want to join Justin, Ian, Wes, and Jennica out on the trail this season? Space is still available Aug. 19-25 and Sept. 2-8 on Mount Adams. Visit our volunteer schedule for more information.

Author: Ellen Ginda

Ellen is PCTA’s Volunteer Programs Coordinator. She works in PCTA’s Sacramento office, supporting the volunteers who dedicate their time, energy and passion to the trail.