In Defense of Government Whimsy
In a sea of very serious calls-to-action for very serious problems, I offer a more modest one: inject more whimsy. Add a little flair. Allow things to be imperfect.
“Dolly’s Song:” A film about legendary crosscut sawyer Dolly Chapman
“I had heard about Dolly Chapman for years the same way folks hear about Paul Bunyan. The one woman who sharpened crosscut saws for all of the west coast.”
Photographer Spotlight: Michael Fitch
Quiet honesty and cool precision: the photography of Colorado trailworker Michael Fitch.
In Memory of Meichen
A tribute to trailworker Meichen Plumhoff, from Sitka Trail Works.
The Gutting of the National Park Service
Mass firings, decades of neglect, and creeping privatization are dismantling America’s best idea.
New short film “From Dirt” is from the heart.
Watch the mini-documentary about Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, from Fish House Media.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Crew Leads
Seven habits that I think anyone on a trail crew—or any field-based team for that matter—should think about when they head into the field.
How to Get a Job in Trails
A comprehensive guide of tips and resources for getting your first trails job.
Photographer Spotlight: Steven Phipps
“Film and the backcountry just go hand in hand. Everyone’s kinda tuning out of technology while we’re there. Just very little screen time.”
“Crosscut” traverses a life-changing season through poetry.
In Crosscut, Sean Prentiss saturates our senses with the ding of a rock bar, the reek of loam, and the feeling of a well-oiled Pulaski handle.
Lessons From John McCarthy’s “Working the Wilderness”
Working the Wilderness is more than Idaho history—it’s a story about people who give a damn.
Robot
A poem by Maddi Bacon.
Where Do Federal Employees Go From Here? It’s Not On Vacation.
“In the park, I look around me at my rigorously idealistic, calloused-palm colleagues; at the harrier hawk that tips and swivels in a curling updraft. There is no wealth like this; the power of loving it is unassailable. These are real. The email isn’t real.”
Photographer Spotlight: Seth Foltz
Trail crew member and photographer Seth Foltz spent the 2024 season on Mt. Shavano, capturing incredible moments with his camera in between swings of his pick-mattock.
Counting Steps: Riley Dunn Studies Stairs on the Appalachian Trail
Riley Dunn hiked the 2,192-mile Appalachian Trail, and counted every stair in 3,605 staircases along the way.
Smokey’s Lost Brethren: Obscure and Forgotten Mascots of Land Management
A roundup of PSA mascots who never quite made it as big as Smokey Bear.
Dietary Hitches
“For the longest time, I avoided anything to do with the backcountry because of my diet. “
The Trail Worker’s Essential Reading List
Tent time in the backcountry means lots of time for reading, and backcountry trail workers are voracious readers. What books are on their reading lists?
Maddi Bacon: Illustrating Impact
I wanted desperately to do work that would really make an impact in a real and tangible way. And trail work gave that to me. It felt immensely impactful. All of the sudden, I had interesting things to make art about again.
Essay: Imagineering Cultural Landscapes
A trail says, “This is where you want to go, trust me. I will take you there.”