It’s hard to believe the YCP season is already halfway through! The summer may be flying by, but the crew has already put in serious work—and there’s plenty more to come.
The week kicked off with a boat ride across Jenny Lake, where the crew helped the park’s trail team haul heavy buck-and-rail fencing material up to Hidden Falls. The fencing will be installed later this summer, but for now, it needed to be carried half a mile uphill from the dock. It was no small task, and with multiple trips required, it made for a solid Monday morning workout.
From Monday afternoon through Wednesday, the focus shifted back to the Leigh Lake portage project, where the transformation continues to take shape. One group peeled more logs for the retaining walls, while another kept working to improve the trail grade down to the lake. The old 30% slope is now well on its way to being replaced with a much more accessible ramp, thanks to careful excavation and strategic soil movement.
On Tuesday, Trails Supervisor Tyler Bittner joined the crew on site and gave a live demo of the Microblaster, a tool used to break up large rocks in the trail corridor. Let’s just say it was a highlight of the week. Any day with trail-safe explosives is a good one in the world of trail work. By Wednesday afternoon, the team had successfully shaped the slope and set the first posts for the new retaining walls!
Thursday brought a change of pace with a visit to Uhl Hill alongside the park’s wildlife biology team. The crew helped survey a golden eagle nest site and searched for signs of wolves in the area east of Elk Ranch Flats. While they didn’t spot any wolves, they did observe a variety of birds, including a trumpeter swan family with four cygnets.
After the wildlife adventure, it was back to Beaver Creek for some pre-fab work. The crew wrapped up the week by building out the matting that will become the tread surface of the new Leigh Lake portage ramp—a satisfying way to close out a productive and well-rounded week.
With the season halfway through, the crew’s momentum is strong and their impact is growing. Stay tuned for what’s next!
