In This Issue:

New Newsletter Format
Looking Back on Ten Years
Highlights of the 2008 WV Schedule
Director's Cut

New Newsletter Format

In 2007, Wilderness Volunteers celebrated its tenth anniversary, and throughout those ten years and into its eleventh, WV’s mission has remained the same, service to America’s wild lands.  However, during its lifetime, WV has strived to improve operations. A perfect example of how WV has improved is its superior website which we continually hope to make even better. In an effort to move with the times and leave a smaller carbon footprint as well as communicate more effectively with the WV community, WV will no longer publish a paper newsletter. Instead, WV will distribute a twice yearly electronic newsletter, the first of which is below. We hope this change proves to be a positive one and welcome your feedback.

Robin Bland and Gayle Marechal, Editors

Looking Back on Ten Years

by Vince White-Petteruti, WV Board President
In 1997, John Sherman, Debbie Northcutt, and I met in Flagstaff to discuss the possibility of creating a new organization that would allow a wide array of folks from different backgrounds to “Give Back” to the wild lands across America, and after many long hours of discussion and planning, Wilderness Volunteers was created. In its first year, WV offered ten trips, primarily led by John and Debbie. Since then, the organization has grown to over forty-five trips a year, placing over 525 dedicated trip participants across the country who volunteer their time to care for our public lands. In addition, the cadre of leaders has grown from a handful to over 100. Through the combined efforts of our Executive Director, our generous supporters, and WV Board members' dedication of time and resources, the organization has been able to keep trip prices affordable for a wide range of individuals--from students to retirees to professionals. (read more)

Highlights of the 2008 WV Schedule

by Robin Bland
Along with many popular projects from previous years, there are several new offerings in the 2008 schedule including two new trips in the Eastern US. In addition, there’s a “Gen XY” trip for younger volunteers, projects for novice backpackers and trail workers, and challenging backpacks for hardcore wilderness junkies. Click on a trip name for more information.

The Pemigewasset Wilderness in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is one of the most extensive roadless areas in the eastern United States. From June 22-28, a WV crew will establish a basecamp to work on trails among beautiful hardwoods and rugged peaks. Options for the day-off include hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Volunteer for this project to experience New England backpacking at its best!

Volunteers in their twenties and thirties should check out the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness Gen XY Trip (July 27-Aug.2). The Bells are among the most dramatic and recognizable peaks in the Rocky Mountains, and on this trip you’ll be part of a younger volunteer trail crew working with the Forest Service in a beautiful wilderness area.

Celebrate July 4 with WV in the North Fork John Day Wilderness area of the Umatilla National Forest in Oregon (June 29-July 5). A bustling gold mining area in the 1800s with old mining structures still visible, the NFJDW features 150 miles of trail, old mountain ranges, remote river systems and lots of wildlife. After a four mile backpack along the North Fork John Day River, volunteers will set up camp and work on waterbars and clearing downed trees from the trails. Hiking, fly fishing and wildlife viewing are options for the day off. For beginners with a sense of adventure, this will be a great trip.

Volunteers looking for a backpacking challenge should consider the WV project in Idaho’s Bighorn Crags, River of No Return Wilderness (July 13-19). Few places in America match the sheer magnitude of this wilderness area. The 6,300 foot canyon carved by the Main Salmon River is deeper than the Grand Canyon. WV’s crew will do trail repair in the heart of the fabulous Bighorn Crags where the trout fishing is excellent and wolves often serenade hikers to sleep.

Bordering Yosemite National Park along the Pacific Crest, the Hoover Wilderness in California’s Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest is a spectacular piece of the High Sierra with soaring peaks, glistening lakes and lush meadows. After a challenging backpack to basecamp, the WV crew will repair a section of the Robinson Creek trail destroyed by a rockslide. On the free day, volunteers can climb Matterhorn or hike into Yosemite. Forest Service horses will lighten our backpacks a bit by carrying tools and food. If you’re in good shape and looking for a challenge, this August 10-16 trip may be for you!

In August 2008, WV will once again visit the Tetons! The Jedediah Smith Wilderness adjoins the western boundary of Grand Teton National Park, stretching almost to Yellowstone in the north. From August 10-16, a WV crew will camp at 9,000 ft. to do trail repair and enjoy the steep Teton summits, magnificent glacier-carved basins, and abundant wildlife including elk, moose and bears. Free-day options include hiking the Teton Crest Trail, fishing in basin lakes, or just relaxing in the wilderness solitude. Forest Service horse packers will carry in tools and food.

September brings another WV project in the East. The wild and lovely Mount Rogers National Recreation Area with its 5,000 ft. bald summits is often called the “rooftop of Virginia”. Visitors from the West describe it as Montana’s Big Sky country transported to the Blue Ridge Mountains. WV volunteers will backpack two miles and camp among Mount Rogers’ sugar maples, yellow birch, and Fraser fir. The work project will include turnpike construction and is suitable for novice backpackers and experienced hands alike.

This is just a sampling of the great projects that make up the WV 2008 schedule. For more information, please visit the website! But hurry, trips are filling fast. Come join us in Giving Something Back in 2008!

Director's Cut

by Debbie Northcutt, Executive Director
Science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein once wrote: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

That is quite a list.  From time to time all of us will face problems that can't be addressed with a laptop and a cellphone. In a genuine emergency, having some basic manual skills could be the difference between surviving comfortably and being totally helpless. Wilderness Volunteers not only gives people a way to become stewards of their public lands, but also to learn new skills that might come in handy in other situations. (read more)