Week 8
Week 8 was a big one for YCP—the annual backcountry hitch! The crew spent four days and nights at the Lower Berry patrol cabin in northern Grand Teton. They were tasked to complete maintenance projects on the remote trail system nearby and spend the evenings enjoying the solitude of the northern end of the park.
On Monday, the group was shuttled across Jackson Lake with all of their food and overnight gear, along with all of the tools needed to complete several trail projects for the next few days. YCP spent the afternoon setting up camp at the patrol cabin, which included pitching their personal tents and assembling their kitchen and wash station for the week.
The YCP crew hiked up Webb Canyon on Tuesday and rebenched a half-mile section of trail. They also removed 17 trees from the route, which gave the group experience using crosscut saws. YCP was working in an old burn area and they were able to learn about fire ecology and wildland firefighting careers.
On Wednesday, YCP hiked up Owl Creek Trail (which included a river crossing!). The group clarified some of trail junctions and rebenched sections of the trail to make them more defined and easier for hikers to navigate. YCP also addressed tread issues and brushed vegetation on over a mile of the path.
The crew packed up their belongings on Thursday morning and made sure to leave their campsite better than they found it. They shuttled gear back across Jackson Lake and celebrated their successful week in the backcountry with pizza from Leek’s Marina.
The backcountry hitch is always a highlight for YCP participants and this year was no different. The crew members had a lot of fun with each other and while working on trails and learning about backcountry camping!
Week 9
The YCP season is starting to wind down, but the crew is working harder than ever! This week, YCP completed a bridge project on the west side of Jenny Lake. As we all know, Jenny Lake sees lots of foot traffic and even horses on occasion, so the goal for this bridge was to replace it as efficiently as possible. Fortunately, another NPS crew had been able to pre-fabricate the bridge offsite the week prior, cutting, peeling and notching the logs.
On Monday and Tuesday, YCP staged the materials on-site and demolished the old bridge. The crew began putting the new bridge together on Wednesday. They were able to install the wing logs on the downhill approach and kickrails, and then the group hauled lots of soil to fill the trail leading to and from the bridge, creating a nice grade for hikers and horses.
YCP finished the week by putting the final touches on their bridge and removing all of the old bridge material and their tool cache from the job site. This project was very rewarding for the group to see the entire effort from start to finish. They also learned a lot about bridge construction! Paul and Karen Beatty, two local physical therapists, met the crew at their new bridge on Thursday afternoon to discuss health, wellness, and fitness—essential pieces to a happy and healthy job and life.
It is hard to believe, but there is only one week left in the 2024 YCP season!
