The first few months of my time as a Mt. Adams Institute, Public Lands Stewards (PLS) AmeriCorps member have flown by- filled to the brim with stunning places, infinite amounts of mosquitoes (yikes!), and plenty of hard, rewarding work. Continue Reading…
When I discovered conservation work a few years ago, the entire trajectory of my life was changed. I jumped, whole-heartedly, into a lifestyle that was both simple and also incredibly fulfilling. Continue Reading…
Upper Lyman lakes in the Glacier Peak Wilderness area is a truly sublime glimpse into Washington’s high alpine. As little as one hundred years ago, these lakes were nonexistent, and instead were covered by the Lyman glacier, now almost completely receded onto the side of Red Mountain. Continue Reading…
It has been barely over a month since I began the internship with Mt. Adams Institute. After spending a winter in Bozeman, MT, I became accustomed to so many luxuries that I didn’t realize how detached I was becoming to the natural world around me. Continue Reading…
The Lake Chelan area that we have been working on has a large number of trails, from short hour-long trips to destinations that can take 3 days of hard work to get to. A significant amount of our time is spent on one 30-mile stretch of trail and its branching trails. Continue Reading…
At the start of every hitch, backcountry ranger Aaron Mines travels by ferry to a small town called Holden Village. From there, he begins an 8-day trek to various parts of wilderness to conduct trail maintenance and make visitor contacts. The following is an introduction to the unique town that serves as a launching pad for our Public Lands Stewards serving in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Continue Reading…
I arrived at the docks early — eager to begin what would be my first tour as a backcountry ranger. Moored before me with engines running was the Lady of the Lake, a one-hundred foot passenger boat specifically designed the make beach landings along the fifty-five mile inland fjord named Lake Chelan. Continue Reading…