The high country is beginning to fill with snow.  Fortunately our wilderness rangers Rachel and Adam put on wrap on their season in October.  They are both back in their respective homelands of Michigan and New Jersey (Adam made it back in time to document the impact of Hurricane Sandy). As MAI’s inaugural summer interns, they did an incredible job!

By the numbers,

1. Adam and Rachel hiked over 576 miles of trails on the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest.  While covering that ground, they performed trail maintenance, cleared trees and other trail impediments and hung trail signage.
2. Adam and Rachel educated 492 forest visitors about Leave No Trace principles, wilderness regulations and safe backcountry travel.
3. Adam and Rachel cleaned and/or eliminated 154 backcountry campsites (they eliminated those that were improperly sited).

And when wildfire struck the forest, they both diverted from their normal duties to help the Forest Service respond to the incident.

MAI could not have found better people to rise to this wilderness challenge.  Thanks Adam and Rachel.  Well done!

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