By Adrian Knowler
The Mountain Times
A committed group of volunteers has been meeting almost every week this summer to restore access to the Salmon River Trail in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
The crew of volunteers was one of many such groups organized by Trail Keepers of Oregon, or TKO. The team hiked about five miles into the wilderness area in mid-July with saws and other hand tools to clear and repair the trail that has been blocked by downed trees, many of which are believed to have fallen down during the previous winter’s historic ice storm.
The July 18 maintenance event marked the eighth time this season the group, led by volunteer crew leader Hope McKee, has set off to improve the trail for hikers and backpackers.
This year, TKO is celebrating its 17th anniversary, and the organization is looking to expand its conservation and educational efforts by bringing on volunteers who want to give back to Oregon’s extensive trail system.
Founded in 2007 by Mt Hood area volunteers who initially maintained trails independently, TKO has grown into a pivotal organization focusing on trail maintenance, education and community engagement.
TKO works closely with the Forest Service to ensure trails in Mt. Hood National Forest are clear and safe for hikers and backpackers.
Many of the group are hikers and backpackers themselves, and volunteer as a way to give back and ensure continued access to Oregon’s great outdoors. For others, it’s their primary way to get out and enjoy the trail system, all while socializing and staying active with some hard work that McKee calls “type two fun,” slang for an activity that’s challenging and uncomfortable while it’s happening, but feels rewarding afterwards.
McKee works as a massage therapist out of her home four days a week, and leads volunteer crews for TKO on another two days. On Sundays, she often cleans trash out of the Columbia Slough with her husband Paul.
The group recently spent three days and nights camping in the Salmon River Wilderness in an effort to get closer to their goal of fully clearing the trail.
McKee decided to camp several miles into the wilderness area to save the trips out and back with heavy equipment.
“I have a mental list of things I want to do,” she said. “I was getting frustrated with how little we were getting done so we spent three nights out here, but we’re still coming.”
As the group hiked in, backpackers and hikers passed and thanked the volunteers for their work.
Assistant crew leader Karen Campbell got involved when she joined her husband, who is a long distance trail runner, on a maintenance event. He was required to participate as part of his registration in a race, but Karen ended up getting hooked, and now volunteers weekly.
Volunteer Denis Kervella ran into a TKO group last spring while hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, and was immediately intrigued.
“It was an easy sell,” Kervella said. “I always loved the outdoors and I retired last summer, and I ran into the crew that was really friendly and it seemed like they were having a lot of fun. I go backpacking and appreciate trails that are well maintained. I just felt very comfortable talking with them. Three days later I signed up for my first volunteer trail party, and now I try to go once or twice a week,” he said.
TKO’s mission includes educating volunteers on chainsaw and crosscut technique and other skills required for safe and effective trail work, according to Vito Perrone, the organization’s stewardship manager and SAW program coordinator.
He said that the Forest Service only has about a half dozen staff dedicated to trail work, so most of the work is done by volunteers.
He described TKO as a “training hub” for other volunteer groups, including those for mountain bikers and trail runners who want to provide trail upkeep. Forest Service rules require volunteers wielding saws to be properly certified, a need that experienced sawyer Perrone and TKO are happy to meet.
Perrone said that the group formed in 2007 when a number of volunteers got together to maintain the Vista Ridge Trail because it was being overgrown and lost to debris. Soon after, the group organized and started coordinating with the Forest Service. Since then, they have expanded to maintain trails all over Oregon, with many in the Mount Hood area. Perrone hopes others will join them in the work, and said that no experience is required. Projects vary from location to location, with some being friendly for children and families, like parks in Sandy and Troutdale.
After five trail events, volunteers earn their own green helmet with their name on the front. At the July 18 event, the crew of nearly a dozen were made up of all returning volunteers.
McKee says it’s the relationships formed during hours on the trail that bring volunteers back week after week. McKee even packs out specific snacks for her crew, and knows their tastes and dietary needs. She jokes that bribing her crew with chocolate keeps them hooked.
“I have a real affection for the people on my crew,” McKee said. “If I don’t see someone for a while I’ll send them a text to check in because I really care about them. We just have fun, we joke and laugh and we get to know each other really well.”