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Back Country Horsemen of Idaho, Inc. Newsletter
Summer 2020
BCHI—Service Organization or Riding Club? 3
Ad: Innovative Golden Wings Horse Shoes 6
Ad: The WYO Ranch Gelding & Production Sale 7
Developing a Trail Clearing Coalition 8
Check Out Foundation News—and Help Out 10
Using Chapter Acronyms to Identify Pictures 10
2
Rod Parks—CHAIRMAN 208-791-3246 [email protected]
Chris Reed—VICE CHAIRMAN 208-596-1222 [email protected]
Debbie Samovar—SECRETARY 208-245-3041 [email protected]
Kay Ryan—TREASURER 208-398-8993 [email protected]
Bill Conger—PAST CHAIRMAN 208-369-0768 [email protected]
Marybeth Conger—NAT’L DIRECTOR
208-369-0769 [email protected]
Aline Brinkmann—NAT’L DIRECTOR 208-521-3480 [email protected]
Vacant—ALT NAT’L DIRECTOR
Gary Kalmbach—PUBLIC LANDS-NO
208-962-7260 [email protected]
Curtis Elton—PUBLIC LANDS-SO 208-484-8598 [email protected]
Tim Palmer—PUBLIC LANDS-East 208-604-2736 [email protected]
Chris Reed—WAYS & MEANS 208-596-1222 [email protected]
Marybeth Conger—EDUCATION 208-369-0769 [email protected]
Karen Kimball—EDU CO-CHAIR 208-772-2434 [email protected]
Alice Millington—BROOMTALES 208-475-4107 [email protected]
Debbie Samovar—CALENDAR & MAILING LIST COORDINATOR 208-245-3041 [email protected]
Steve Didier—RECRUITMENT 208-451-0146 [email protected]
Jill Nebeker—WEBSITE 208-922-4370 [email protected]
Corey Dwinell—INSURANCE 208-661-4265 [email protected]
Bill Holt—FOUNDATION CHAIR 208-398-9825 [email protected]
www.bchi.org
View from the CHAIRMAN’S SADDLE I don’t know where to start! 2020 will be a year that we will talk about and remember for many years. Never in my years, and there have been a few, has there been so much up-ending of our normal routine to deal with issues as a person, in this country, and the world.
Many times I have commented to friends and family how lucky we are to live in the Pacific Northwest of this great country. It has never been truer than this year with the Covid-19 epidemic. We are so fortunate to have so few cases in our area compared to the rest of the country.
Treasure Valley BCH needs to be commended by all of you for all the work they put into plan-ning for the March 2020 Annual BCHI Convention. Just weeks before the meetings, with eve-rything ready to roll, their plans were totally rocked by the COVID virus that showed its ugly head. They had to make the decision to cancel or continue and they sure made the right deci-sion to cancel, as little did we know at that time how bad it was going to get. They are resilient and have agreed to host the BCHI Convention at the same place in Nampa March 2021.
This year will be the hardest on retaining members and expanding with new memberships that BCHI will ever experience. Just because we cannot get out on chapter social rides, socialize at chapter meetings, and volunteer projects, does not mean that we cannot stay in touch with members. This is a great time to call those members who you have not seen in a while and see how they are doing. See what you can do to get members actively involved when our state starts moving forward on a course to recovery. Of upmost importance is to keep in touch with any new members and let them know that they are important to you and that you can’t wait to see them on the next project.
Another item that has come up: “All cooperators need to have permission to start work on the Forest and need to submit a Covid-19 plan for review by the Safety Officer and approval by Forest Supervisor. These can be simple plans, just need to address your working operations and compliance with Government Orders and CDC recommendations.” You need to have this submitted well in advance of your projects. Contact the Safety Officer for the national forest you will be working in and they can give you guidance.
I hope you all are aware that Sawyer Certification Cards and First Aid Cards that are expiring this year have been extended so you are still qualified with an expired card to perform your volunteer projects. This interim directive (ID)—effective April 9, 2020 through October 9, 2021—extends sawyer certifications that have expired or will expire between October 1, 2019, and October 1, 2020, for not more than 1 year. This ID replaces direction currently contained in FSM 2350 section 2358.21, which provides that sawyer certifications expire 3 years after their effective date. Sawyer certifications that have expired or will expire between October 1, 2019, and October 1, 2020, are hereby extended for not more than 1 year. All reevaluation requirements for sawyers and sawyer evaluators are hereby waived during this timeframe. The extension of sawyer certifications that have expired or will expire between October 1, 2019, and October 1, 2020, is necessary due to the COVID-19 pandemic and (Cont. top pg.3)
Front Cover— In front is Pat Enneking leading his pack mule, followed by his young grandson, Trevor Stroisch, and his son, and Trevor’s uncle, Kenneth Enneking. Both back & front covers—Members of the Back Coun-try Horsemen of North Central Idaho.
MISSION STATEMENT To perpetuate the commonsense use and enjoyment of horses in America’s back country & wilderness. To work to ensure that public land remains open to recreational stock-use. To assist the government and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resources. To educate, encourage, and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of these resources by horsemen and the general public. To foster and encourage the formation of new Back Country Horsemen state organizations.
For more information about Back Country Horsemen of Idaho state chapters, visit us on the web at:
www.bchi.org
Broomtales is the membership newsletter of the Back Country Horsemen of Idaho, Inc., a non-profit service organization, and is published three times a year—March, June, and October.
Back Country Horsemen of Idaho, Inc. P.O. Box 513
Salmon, Idaho 83467
3
Education ReportBy Marybeth Conger, Education Co
Our access to public lands is being challenged. The time is now, to make a donation to the Backcountry Horsemen of America Legacy fund to protect and preserve our access. Read about this trail experience in Arizona to see why.
“The Grand Canyon is a land that inspires our spirit. Exploring this precious resource on mules with Backcountry friends is aa lifetime”, says Marybeth Conger, Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho’s roving reporter.
April 19, 2019, Bill and Marybeth Conger, along with Doug and Teri Argo, met at the Grand Canyon’s Village South Rim which isabout 7100 ft. The temperature was 79 degrees. After getting weighed in (there is a 200 lbs. limit and Bill was sweating it) checked in at the Bright Angle Lodge. Many photos of the sunset and rock forms at the South Rim were taken by the group. The Grand Canyon is one of the most inspiring landscapes as it overwhelms one’s senses.
April 20, 7:00 am:adventure began. Anyone who might have been thinking about the trail height, stopped, due to the breathlayers which are windows into time. The group shared the Bright Angle trail with many hikers. At times these encounters were quite close on the trail, but the mules weren’t bothered by anything and all users extended courtesy. About 3 hours later, thwere getting close to the bottom and started seeing the Colorado River, which for the past 5 or 6 million years has carved thyon. The temperature was rising and all drank plenty of water on the trail to keep hydrated. They traveled through a very londark tunnel to get to the stock bridge that passed over the Colorado. The mules thought nothing of this tunnel. They arrived Phantom Ranch about 3:00 pm which is at the bottom of the Angle Bright Trail on the Colorado River. Some ancient Indian ruinswere seen, showing how the Grand Canyon has sustained people for thousands of years. The temperature now was 90+degress. The cabins even had air conditioning, so this roving reporter is giving the rooms at Phantom Ranch a 5served at 7:00 pm which was a fabulous Steak dinner with all the fixings.
April 218:00 am the group had stated back to the Rim on the South Kaibab Trail. Our trail boss let us choose where to ride in the strlong as Bill rode behind him so they could share packing stories and jokes. Mike pointed out a lot of memorable sites along ttrail, even some fossils. The view on this trail really showed the geologic layers of the Grand Canyon. The mules were given stops on the way. After many Kodak moments, the group arrived at the South Kaibab trail head and each becomes a member of the renowned order of the Master Mule Skinners of the Grand Canyon Trails. There are some things in life, that are hard to dscribe, but experiencing the Grand Canyon on a mule allowed all of us to see how the geologic process played out over time showing the size, color, and dazzling erosional forms along the rugged landscape of the south side of the Grand Canyon. Ouraccess to these Public land trails is being challenged. Your support with a donation to the Backcountry Horsemen of America lcy fund can and will make a difference.
website | map | passport
the resultant requirement for social distancing that has caused the cancelation of sawyer classroom and field training, and asso-ciated evaluations that are needed for sawyer recertification. This came out April, 8, 2020, “Effective immediately, in-person recertification training in First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and Blood Borne Pathogen is waived for a period of 12 months from the date of this letter. These courses may be required for some field-going employees, including wildland firefighters, sawyers, and Emergency Medical Services, and Law Enforcement personnel. This waiver applies only to those that have already completed initial qualification training in these courses.”
Keeping accurate records of your volunteer hours will be especially important this year, as with many of the state and federal lands being closed or restricted to day use only, we are already behind with our scheduled volunteer activities. Chapter meetings have even been a challenge for many of us with audio or visual meetings being the only safe way to meet.
Riding your stock with friends and family is a great way for social distancing. May you all have a great summer enjoying your stock in our beautiful back country.
Insurance Coordinator and Public Land Positions Filled
Grateful is the word that comes to mind for the service of three outgoing, and outstanding, coordinators, all of whom have worked years in their former positions to further the mission of BCHI: Bill Conger recently stepped down as Insurance Coordina-tor, and Phil Ryan (South) and Rod Parks (North) were our Public Lands Coordinators. “Thank you for your service.”
In the saddle now are members Corey L. Dwinell, who has stepped in as BCHI Insurance Coordinator; Gary Kalmbach and Curtis Elton, who have volunteered for the Public Lands-North and Public Lands-South positions, respectively; and Tim Palmer, who fills the newly created position of Public Lands-East Coordinator. “Thank you for volunteering.”
Rod Park BCHI Chairman
Phil
Rob
Bill
Corey, PHBCH
Gary, BCHNCI
Curtis, BBCH
Tim, ERBCH
Back Country Horsemen—a Service Organization or Riding Club?
There seems to be a growing movement with BCHI folks who keep pushing for a change in direction for our organization. As a former National Chairman, State Chairman, and multiple-time Chapter President, this is very concerning to me!
Every Chapter that applied or is applying for inclusion into the State and National Organization does so with the full knowledge and acceptance of its members that they and the chapter must agree to, and abide by, the mission and purpose of Back Coun-try Horsemen! There is some variance in the wording of chapter mission statements versus the state organization’s, but they all have these five core principles:
The purpose of this organization shall be: To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses [and mules] in America's back country and Wilderness areas. To work to insure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use. To assist the various government, state, and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resource. To educate, encourage, and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of the back country resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage. To foster and encourage the formation of new state back country horsemen organizations.
In short, our framers envisioned a service organization dedicated to righting the impacts, that had been created by earlier stock users, through education and service to the wilderness and backcountry re-source. They saw this direction as the best way to ensure future use of pack and saddle stock on pub-lic lands. This narrowly-focused mission has been incredibly successful. Chapters have always man-aged to combine destinations and fun outings along with work projects. But the focus has been and needs to be in line with the mission of BCH.
To those members who have difficulty with service to the land, giving back, and stewardship and want to devote themselves to just trail rides, play days, and the like, I say, have at it. But do so outside of Backcountry Horsemen. If, however, you do enjoy riding and camping in the backcountry and would like your children and grandchildren to enjoy the same opportunity, then multiply your voice and effects through Back Country Horsemen! Steve Didier
Recruitment Coordinator
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Work begins on the Historic Kirkwood Ranch Bridge in Hell’s Canyon —BCH of North Central Idaho - Story by Joe Robinson
(Editor’s note: The Kirkwood Creek Bridge is located at the Kirkwood Ranch, approximately 5.5 miles south of the trailhead at Upper Pittsburg Landing. It is a popular destination for boaters, rafters, hikers, and stock riders, visited by 23,000 people each year, according to the Big Country News out of Lewiston, ID. Kirkwood Ranch (a historical landmark) was the home on the Snake River in Hells Canyon for Grace and Len Jordan, their three kids, and thousands of sheep in the early 1930s.)
BCH members left Pittsburg Landing on a USFS jet boat to Kirkwood Ranch on March 11, 2020. Our task was to remove the planking on the Kirkwood Ranch bridge and save it for re-use. However, it soon became apparent that nothing was salvageable. And, so the work began…
As the heavy 3inx12inx10ft planks were removed, one by one, our work deck was shrinking over the still present Kirkwood Creek. Caution prevailed until all planks were piled up for the burn pile—all this within one & a half hours. Then the decision was made to remove the really rotten stringers, about six of them. The stringers were either 2inx12inx12ft or -14ft long, nailed together. HEAVY!!! We pried them loose from both abutments and snaked then across to the burn pile side. Forest Service personnel used the Kirkwood riding mower and trailer to remove junk material to the burn site.
We ate lunch and were in the jet boat by 2pm for our approximately 6-mile ride back to Pittsburg Landing on the beautiful Snake River. Plans are for the National Recreation Area (NRA) to rebuild the bridge with metal stringers and wood planks.
Members present were: Roger & Janice Inghram, Dale Cooper, Joe Robinson, and Ron Schnei-der. They were accompanied by USFS personnel Mike Ball, River Mgr; Cathy Conover, Rec Tech; John Newman, River Ranger; and Joe MacIntosh, Rec Tech.
The work begins, and progresses.
Rotten stringers had to be removed. Bridge completely removed.
A Day on the Divide Creek Trail in Beautiful Caribou-Targhee NF —Eagle Rock BCH - Pictures and Information from Tim Palmer
On National Trails’ Day, June 6, ERBCH member Tim Palmer set out on the Divide Creek Trail to clear trail. Bad weather was in the forecast, and there were a few rain showers, but it was a good day. The trail was “basically in good shape”, no downed trees, but Tim said that, “From mile four-through-six, we did a lot of tree trimming, and had some garbage clean up in a couple of spots. “There was a lot less snow than last year.” The “we” in this scenario was Tim’s crew: Finn, his dog; Jack, his packing Percheron; and Dolly, his breeding-stock paint riding horse.
The Divide Creek Trail, #111, is in the Caribou-Targhee National For-est near Dubois, ID. Tim used a tripod to capture the picture, above, of himself and his “crew” at Divide Lake. In the picture, at left, the rock formation is known as the Amphitheater. The Divide Creek Trail is 13-miles round-trip.
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Umatilla National Forest Trail Clearing —Twin Rivers BCH - Story by Rod Parks
Living in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, Twin Rivers BCH does a lot of riding and volunteering in both Idaho and Washington. Since Asotin County in Washington state is only in phase 2 for Covid-19, Twin Rivers BCH could not schedule a chapter-sponsored project due to social distancing regulations. Some of us wanted to ride this loop trail, and we knew the Forest Service trail crew had not cleared it this year; so, on June 10th, we headed out ready to log it out.
The Ranger Creek Trailhead is 28-miles southwest of Asotin WA. The ride is down Wenatchee Trail #3137 and up Indian Tom Trail #3119, then riding three miles on Forest Service Road #4304 back to our trailers, about a five-hour ride when the trail is clear. Six of us ended up cutting out ten trees, do-ing some brushing, and clearing rocks in a small slide area. The weather could not have been better. Everything at this elevation was green with lots of wild flowers. We have plans to take this loop ride again this fall.
The Annual Clearing of the Wagonhammer Trail Complex —Salmon River BCH - Story by Celeste Bingham
An annual event by the Salmon River BCH is clearing in the Wagonham-mer Trail Complex located 20 miles north of Salmon, ID. The chapter has been maintaining these trails for over 25 years. This year, five members—Chris French, Dana and Heidi Tucker, Dolly Thomas and Celeste Bing-ham— rode a 16-mile loop, of which the first half is not forested, but an absolutely beautiful ride through the wild flowers. Once we entered the timber, we cleared 16 downed trees and addressed brushing as needed along the trail. We cleared Big Silverleads (Heidi lopping branch) and con-tinued to Upper Wagonhammer (Dana and Chris with log) clearing down to Trail 137; then, we were out of the trees)
On a side note: Several wolf-killed-elk were sighted along the trail. We encountered a father and son camping, and when asked if they had seen any wildlife, they reported they had seen three wolf pups earlier that morning and had heard howling while camped. Wolves have been a big problem in the Wagonhammer area over the past several years, devastating the elk herd, since being introduced to Lemhi County. This picture: Salmon River chapter members ride in the Wagonhammer Trail Complex.
Above: Dana Tucker and Chris French move deadfall. Below: Heidi Tucker brushes while Dana steadies her horse.
Members of Twin Rivers ride the trail. Above: Linda Weatherly clears the sawed downfall. Below: Rod Parks handles the chainsaw while Brad Alboucq hammers in the wedge.
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Clearing the Hitt & Sturgill Peaks’ Area in Payette Nat’l Forest —Squaw Butte BCH - story by Rob Adams
On Saturday, June 20, 2020, nine members of Squaw Butte met at the Hitt Mountain Trailhead in the Payette National Forest in the morning. This trailhead is about 15-miles southwest of Cam-bridge, Idaho, on the Idaho side of Hell’s Canyon. The purpose of this project was to do trail maintenance on a number of trails heading out from the trailhead. And, surprise, when some of the members, who had arrived on Friday, took a quick ride, they dis-covered that the Morel mushrooms were up after all the rain, big and plentiful. So, morel hunting became the focus if there were no down trees in the way.
Above: David Benson walks up the steps of the Sturgill Peak Lookout. Below, left: Tom Zahradnicek takes a picture of Sharie Fitzpatrick in front of the Brownlee Reservoir on the Snake River in Hell’s Canyon.
The nine members broke up into three groups to explore the trails of the Hitt and Sturgill Peaks area . Trail maintenance was per-formed as downed trees or other issues were encountered. Some members came upon patches of morels which were found in a number of areas after the wet June we have had. The total dis-tance of this loop is 11.2 miles with a 4,000 foot elevation change. The highlights of this ride are the great views, wild flow-ers, stream crossings and the fire lookout! We removed five trees during our ride and found many morels.
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The Panhandle chapter of Coeur d’Alene completed a step-over horse gate installation at a trailhead in North Idaho. They worked alongside members of the Panhandle Nordic Ski Club to accomplish this project on National Trails’ Day, June 6, 2020.
The Nordic Ski Club maintains this trail system in the winter, grooming it for cross-country skiers and snowshoers. The 9-foot gate was installed across Jeannette’s Jaunt Snowshoe Trail, which is located directly below the main parking lot. It is an established trail, but was very hard for horses to access on a series of steep switchbacks. The trail ties into other trails to make nice loops for hikers, bicycles, and horses alike. The gate will keep out motorized traffic, while allowing horseback riders access to a lower trail in the 4th of July Pass Recrea-tion area in the Panhandle National Forest east of Coeur d’Alene. The gate was built with a $200 grant from the BCHI Foundation that the chapter had received during the virtual Foun-dation meeting held in March.
Five chapter members and two ski club members worked about 1.5 hours on the project. Three chapter members also cleared downfall along a section of the trail with chainsaws and nippers.
Panhandle & Nordic Ski Club Partner to Install Step-over Horse Gate ...with a little help from a BCHI Foundation Grant
—Panhandle BCH - Story & photos by Joni Lueck
A wheelbarrow was used to haul all supplies and equipment to the trailhead.
Chapter and club members pose with the newly installed gate.
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Lamar Creek Bridge, Destroyed by Pioneer Fire, “Re-Built-to-Last” —Boise BCH - Story by Scott Nichols
On Saturday, June 13th, the Boise Chapter spent the day on the Crooked River Trail near Idaho City, Idaho. In the summer of 2016, the Boise National Forest, located north-east of Boise, Idaho, experienced the huge "Pioneer" wild-fire that burned for more than two months. During the fire, most of the bridges and campgrounds in the Mores Creek Summit, Beaver Creek trail system, and Banner Ridge trail system were destroyed.
Hank Ray, the Idaho City Ranger District Trails & Recrea-tion Manager, prepared a rehabilitation plan, conducting NEPA analysis and submitted grant proposals for bridge replacement projects. In the fall of 2019, Hank received approval to begin the projects. The Boise Chapter had also contacted Hank Ray in 2019 and made plans to provide the "construction labor" component.
This spring (2020), Hank coordinated with his fire crews in late May and early June and had the bridge materials delivered to the site and founda-tion work substantially completed. As our construction date arrived, South-west Idaho was scheduled to be hit with two big storm events that were predicted to drop nearly an inch of rain. Hank was optimistic and reported that he "only expected some light showers". The BCH volunteers were skeptical at best; in Southwest Idaho, we only get about 11 inches of pre-cipitation annually, so an inch of rain out of one storm is....a lot of water in the desert! Saturday morning at 7:00 AM, our biggest concern material-ized and Southwest Idaho was hit with a huge rainstorm, thunder, light-ning, and high winds; it looked like a tropical storm.
Our trailhead meeting time was 10:00 AM, and a number of chapter mem-bers, along with Hank Ray, were expecting help, so we left Boise and headed to the project. At Mores Creek Summit, the clouds broke up and the weather was relatively clear and dry. With raincoats, mud boots, and a few tools, we walked a half-mile down to the bridge site. Within 30 minutes, we had 20 folks on site—members, family, friends—and Hank Ray was explaining the subtleties and tricks to installing three 18-foot long beams (5"x18"), and installing two layers of bridge decking. Because we had an excellent turnout, we completed the project in about 5 hours.
Hank noted that the bridge is designed to be higher than the 100-year flood event and can support more than 120#s of snow per square foot. Unless it is destroyed by another fire, it looks like the Lamar Creek Bridge will be in service for years to come!
20th Annual Fall WYO Quarter Horse Ranch Sales
Arena & Ranch Broke Gelding & Production Sale
Saturday, September 19, 2020 Hot Springs County Fairgrounds in Thermopolis, WY
Friday, 9/18—7pm Parade of Geldings Saturday, 9/19—9am Performance Preview
Saturday, 9/19—1pm HORSE SALE
Auctioneer is Ty Thompson
Selling 89 Head 32 Broke Geldings
25 Started 2-Year Olds 5 Yearlings . 25 Weanlings
Broodmares
Major Dun Royal, 2014 buckskin gelding
For Catalogs and Information, Contact:
BILL AND CAROLE SMITH
PO BOX 642, THERMOPOLIS, WY 82443
Ph: 307-864-5671 Cell: 307-272-0593 Reid’s Cell: 307-921-1164
[email protected] www.wyohorses.com
“Thanks” from Portneuf River to the Foundation
Dear Back Country Horsemen of Idaho Foundation,
The Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen wish to thank you for your generous gift* to our group. This grant is a wonderful blessing to those working on the trails. Every time we clear a trail, you will be a part of our team making a way for hikers, bikers, and horsemen to enjoy the clean mountain air and breathtaking views that our mountain trails reveal. If you are ever here in the South-eastern Idaho area, please contact our Portneuf River Back Country Horsemen group. We can gather for a mountain ride. This is an awesome gift from the BCHI Foundation. I am attaching a couple of pictures of the Milwaukee Hedge Trimmer set we purchased with your grant. The picture (r) is of the scabbard we had made to carry this on the horse.
Thank you again, Stephen Hurley, President of Portneuf River BCH Donald Ross, Foundation Director, Portneuf River BCH
*In 2020, the BCHI Foundation granted $404.00 to PRBCH for the trimmer.
8
Clearing the Lower Devil’s Slide in the Beautiful Boise Nat’l Forest —Treasure Valley BCH - Story and pictures by Alice Millington
On June 20th, ten members cleared downfall on approximately 4 miles of trail and re-built the approaches to a bridge on the Dev-il's Slide Trail (034), Boise National Forest. We met at the Peace Creek Trailhead, which is approximately 65 miles from Boise. The trailhead is a three-acre signed site with parking area for hikers & bikers and an equestrian parking area, located to the im-
mediately west, with a loading/unloading ramp and feed bunks, all in poor condition. Though the area was teeming with visitors—with UTVs, trucks, motorcycles, & bicycles up and down the main road into the area—we met no hikers or bikers on our trail.
We weren’t finding much downfall, which was a disappointment; however, at about the fourth creek crossing, we found that the approaches at both ends of the bridge over the creek were rotted out, creating quite a stretch for stock to step over to reach the bridge; and, if stock chose to step on the rotted logs, a hoof could disappear into the log, a dan-gerous situation either way. So, we decided to tie up the animals and repair the ap-proaches, which made us happy, giving us something to accomplish this day.
We found a dry tree, members limbed it; then, certified sawyer, Justin Stucker, sawed it up. We worked to fit the logs so snuggly so that there was absolutely no movement, very safe for horses, cyclists (non-motorized), and hikers. And, Justin shaved the top of one of the logs off for added safety. The bridge was now safe from both approaches.
And, although we didn't find many downed trees to clear, at first, we finally found and cleared out a few trees which truly blocked the trail, not step-overs, which made contin-ued passage difficult. The last downfall that was removed must have measured 32” in diameter (about 4.5 feet at the tree base) the "mother of all downfall", and, along with the bridge repair, made the trip worthwhile.
Top Left: Justin Stucker and Zach Nordstrom (l to r) place a log, while Jill Nebeker and Alexa Nordstrom work on the other end. Lower right: Justin Stucker, Andrew Foreman, Ron Doupe, & Bill Murphy pose for a picture following removal of our last downfall.
Justin Stucker saws the large downfall.
Portneuf River Seeks to Build a Trail Maintenance Coalition
Contributions from these sources—state agencies & the public—in 2018, accounted for 49 percent of the trail miles that were maintained in Idaho, [and] according to Hurley the federal government would like to turn over even more of the maintenance work to the public. For example, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act was signed into law in late 2016. The pur-pose of the act is to significantly increase the role of volunteers...in trail maintenance. The Back County Horsemen of America aims to help as much as possible. All the chapters work closely with land managers in their areas to assist with trail maintenance and improvement projects, he said. “By combining our efforts, we could do a lot more than working individually,” (continued )
The repaired bridge..
—The Idaho State Journal produced in Eastern Idaho ran an article based on an interview with Steve Hurley, President of the Portneuf River BCH. What follows are excerpts from the article:
A group of Pocatello area residents who love to ride horses in the forest are trying to create a coalition of volunteers to help maintain trails for riders and other trail users, said Steve Hurley, president of the Portneuf River Back-Country Horsemen. Hurley, 74, says a coalition beyond the 30 or so members of the chapter would have mutual benefits for all trail users.
The retired Idaho State University pharmacy professor, who’s been riding horses for about 10 years, still finds joy in taking his horse on backcountry rides in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in the Pocatello area. “I like exploring; I love the mountains,” he said, “Horses allow riders to get to the top of mountains in a day...trails are critical. More and more forest trails are being maintained cooperatively by state agencies and mem-bers of the public,” he said.
Steve Hurley, PRBCH President
9
(Coalition, continued from page 8 ) Hurley said. For instance, it was a lot easier for horses to haul the cement and water up the
mountain to install the Sterling Justice Trail panorama interpretive panel than it would have been for hikers.
But he said that already many trails have vanished. There are more than 10,000 miles of non-motorized trails left in Idaho, but only about 30 percent of those remaining are up to federal standards, he said. Last year, members of the local organization wanted to repair three local trails, but didn’t have enough members to do the work. However, members were able to recruit five Boy Scouts to plan their Eagle projects around trail improvement. The horsemen initiated and supervised the work, supplied the pack animals, bought tools and supplies, and provided a certified person to saw logs, Hurley said. The Scouts also recruited oth-ers to help them complete their project. In the end, the collaborative effort tallied a total of 1,364 service hours. But that isn’t a long-term solution. “This year we may not be able to find Scouts needing Eagle projects,” Hurley said. So they’re looking to re-cruit people who love to hike, backpack, run, or bicycle the local trails and would like to give something back. “By combining our efforts we could do a lot more than working individually”...a sound idea. Hurley has invited anyone in his area that would like to help create the coalition to contact his chapter at portneufriverbch.com.
Teton Valley Hits the Ground Running —Teton Valley BCH - Article by Michael Mulligan
On May 30, our newly formed Teton Valley BCH sponsored our first service work. We helped clear the riding trail for a horse non-profit group here in Driggs known as HAPI Trails. The HAPI Trails mission is to "provide a happy, healthy, and nurturing environment for unwant-ed, abused, abandoned, or neglected horses." Indeed, we were happy to help them. It was a fun and productive morning although one not without a few adventures as those on foot encountered rushing turbid stream crossings: the snowmelt in full force—it was compelling evi-dence of how riding on a horse through a turbulent stream is fun and how walking is going to get you wet, at the very least. Using a chain-saw, hand saws, pruning shears, clippers, plus biceps, triceps, hands, and abundant positive morale, we removed the branches and bushes blocking the trail.
Julie Martin, from HAPI Trails, was our gracious host and guided the attending 14 Teton Valley members: Maggie Shaw, our Vice Presi-dent; Melissa Pangraze, our Secretary; Dennis Craig, our Treasurer; Lacy Garton, Facebook administrator; Deb & Kevin Little; Will Rutter; Natasha Garamini; Joy Sawyer Mulligan; Paul Forester; Mac Sullivan; Janis Falabella; Beverly Koller; and Michael Mulligan, President.
On June 3rd, several chapter members went to HAPI Trails to ride the newly opened trail through beautiful green grass, sagebrush, as-pens, cottonwoods and rushing stream. We also worked cows and practiced roping in an arena. Some went to another arena to work on obstacles. Overall, a perfect trifecta of equine opportunities.
On June 20th, HAPI Trails hosted a horse Camping & Packing Clinic for our chapter, HAPI Trails folks, and the public. We took the lead as instructors hoping that folks will get chance to take on wilder-ness horse adventures more thoughtfully, safely, and well. It was free for chapter members and HAPI Trailers; the charge for the public was $25, and all proceeds went to HAPI Trails.
Bottom Line: The Teton Valley BCH is up and running. We are now working with the Forest Service to adopt our very own wilderness trail to maintain and we are also trying to organize some Saturday trail rides for this summer. All good stuff. Our thanks to BCH-Idaho for helping us get on our feet, or rather, "in the saddle."
There is a new interactive map of the Frank Church River of no Return. This map allows users to submit comments about trail conditions. This should speed up maintenance and allow users to know what they can expect.
To access this go to the Salmon-Challis National Forest or the Payette National Forest web sites.
All pictures: Teton Valley members clearing trail for HAPI Trails.
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For Your Information...
BCHI Website CHECK IT OUT TODAY!
Thanks to the efforts of Treasure Valley member Jill Nebeker—working with Website Designer Lou Ann Gaskill of Darkhorse Webworks—we now have a new & beautiful state website.
Though Jill says that some “bugs” are still be-ing worked out, she is happy with the cleaner and contemporary site for documents, state’s news, directories, pictures and more.
Use Chapter Acronyms to Identify
Chapter Pictures!
BCHI members, please use your chapter’s name or acronym as part of a picture’s name when you send them to Alice for
Broomtales*, to Debbie for the calendar, and/or to Jill for the BCHI website. Acronyms are easy; just 1, 2, or 3 letters can differentiate your chapter from another having the same initials. You won’t have to add BCH.
Here are two lists of acronyms created by Debbie Samovar and Jill Nebeker to identify the chapter pictures. Please read through them and decide what your chapter will use. Anything goes, invent your own, as long as your chapter can easily be identified. For in-stance: TT or TTV will be understood to refer to Teton Valley as opposed to the Treasure Valley, which has long been using TV.
*Alice saw many pictures in the calendar sub-missions she wanted to use for Broomtales, but had no clue as to the chapter of origin. Missed opportunities...
Who has a mission, works with a smile on their face, & feels satisfaction at the end of a day?
Why, it’s a member of the Back Country Horseman.
Justin Nichols, pictured at right, had plenty to smile about. He and Tim Palmer, both of the Eagle Rock BCH, cleared 3 miles of the Big Elk Creek Trail this year. Four snow avalanches had ripped through the area, so there was plenty of downfall. Justin took on some of the smaller wood with a handsaw, while Tim took out the big downfall across the trail with his chainsaw. It was a spur of the moment trip, made after reading a post on a Facebook site for hikers that said “Horses would not be able to get down the trail” because of downfall. So, the game was on. The trail is in the beautiful Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
Deborah Samovar
B Boise
CP Cache Peak
ER Eagle Rock
HL Heartland
NC BCH North Central Idaho
PA Palouse
PH Panhandle
PO Portneuf River
PR Priest River Valley
SR Salmon River
SW Sawtooth
SV Selkirk Valley
SB Squaw Butte
TT Teton Valley
TV Treasure Valley
TR Twin Rivers
Jill Nebeker
BO Boise
CP Cache Peak
ER Eagle Rock
HT Heartland
NC BCH North Central Idaho
PA Palouse
PH Panhandle
POR Portneuf River
PRV Priest River Valley
SAL Salmon River
SAW Sawtooth
SEL Selkirk Valley
SB Squaw Butte
TT Teton Valley
TV Treasure Valley
TR Twin Rivers
TV Sally’s Mule
Since joining SmileAmazon in 2017, the Foundation has received $733.24.
In 2017, the first donation we received was for $37.41. In May, 2020, we received $75.76; about double. But, we could do better.
When you support the Foundation, you support chapters.
the Portneuf River and Panhandle chapters will tell you how grants from the Foundation have impacted their chapters this year.
We cannot say it enough: If you purchase things on-line from Amazon, PLEASE sign up for SmileAmazon and support the Foundation.
SmileAmazon (aka AmazonSmile) allows you to choose a charity, to which they will donate .5% of your purchase price on qualifying items...
and it doesn’t cost you one penny. Nada! Make Back Country Horsemen of Idaho Foundation, Inc., your charity of choice.
BCHI “FOUNDATION” NEWS
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We Remember...
ADVERTISE IN BROOMTALES Alice Millington (208) 475-4107 [email protected]
Alice may bend the rules a bit, but generally the following applies:
FREE Member Classified Ads - Equine/Back Country-related only - No Business/Service Ads
FREE Chapter Event Announcements
Business Card-Size Advertisements—Member $25 Non-member $50 - Larger ads can be accommodated
BCHI and Broomtales are not responsible for the content of any ad or the condition or temperament of any merchandise.
Dennis R. Dailey Dec. 26, 1943 - May 5, 2020
Says Steve Didier of Dennis, who was a long-time member of BCH of North Central Idaho and worked with the BCHA for 16-years to preserve the opportunity for equestrians to enjoy horses and mules in wilderness and backcountry: “He was an icon who had a profound affect on BCH, locally and at the National level. He was instrumental in the formation of the North Central Idaho BCH chapter when he was District Ranger of the only all-wilderness District in the Region. And, he quickly became my mentor in the depths of wilderness law and management. Subsequently, he guided me and BCHA in public lands advocacy and management. We spent countless hours together in public lands’ meetings and travel, all-the-while he was guiding state organizations like California BCH in their legal struggles on overreaches Forest Service Region 6. “Happy celestial trails Dennis, till we meet again.” Rod Parks spoke with Dennis on many occasions, asking for guidance when BCHI was going through the Trail Classification Task with the Forest Service. “Dennis was a wealth of information and always willing to help and advise.”
Idaho Trails Supporter
Sticker Program – The voluntary trail sticker/pass is on sale now. Google Idaho State Parks & Recreation to pur-
chase one for $10 and support trails for stock users and other trail users. All proceeds of this voluntary program will go toward maintaining and protecting Idaho’s non-motorized trails.
Buster Light died at age 93. He was a 40+ year member of Salmon River BCH. A trail on Mul-key Creek, by his home, was renamed the "B Light Trail" in his honor. He rode the Appaloosa Association ride for some 25 years. Happy Trails, Buster.
Bob Hendricks passed away on Feb. 29th at the age of 85. He was one of the ear-ly members of Salmon River BCH, formed in 1978. He was an active member for many years, and trails, often with his mules gathering shed antlers. Find a big one, Bob.
Clem Monteith. Age 84, died on Easter Sunday from kidney disease. He and wife, Mary, had been members of Salmon River BCH for some 20 years and rode an Icelandic and a Peruvian Paso, always worked projects, and rode many miles. Clem will be sorely missed.
A moment of patience, in a moment of anger, saves you a hundred moments of regret.
The following are excerpts from 40 Great Tips for Trail Riders written by Pat Barriage for Alberta Horses, a Horse Industry Asso. of Alberta publication:
• Etiquette and Safety are Closely Related; in many cases, a lack of one creates a breach of the other. Poor etiquette typically leads to unsafe situations, while good etiquette paves the trail for a safe riding experience...Exercise caution at all times, and follow guidelines and rules of the trails. Contribute to a safer outdoor experience for all trail users by always practicing the 3 C’s of Trail Etiquette –
Courtesy, Communication, and Common Sense.
• Trail etiquette rules indicate cyclists must yield to hikers and horses, and hikers must yield to horses. Though most hikers and bikers will yield the right-of-way to horses, remember that many folks do not have experience with horses and may not know what to do. These situations present opportunities for you to inform and educate other users in a friendly manner.
• As a rider, you have the responsibility to manage your animals on the trail. It is not recommended to bring “green” horses to multi-user trails.
• Remember to always be vigilant for other users in front of you, behind you, and meeting you at trail intersections. With a friendly greet-ing, do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you’re coming. Strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one. Be friendly toward other trail users. Stop, speak, answer questions, whatever it takes to present a good image of equestrian trail users. You are rep-resenting all equestrians while in public.
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Back Country Horsemen, Inc. Debbie Samovar, Secretary 9176 E Soaring Hawk Lane Saint Maries, ID 83861
Remembrances—with a touch of magic Stories by Celeste Bingham, Salmon River BCH
Jim and I closed our feed store, A-Z Ranch & Pet Center, in Salmon, Idaho, in 2019, after 23 years. We enjoy our retirement, but miss our wonderful customers and want to share a couple of the many “feel good” memories…
Along with feed and pet supplies, we sold birds, fish, guinea pigs, bunnies, chicks, and a few other interesting critters. Well, one sunny summer day, one of our regulars, a young woman with some disabilities came into the store, sobbing: Her beloved cockatiel had just died and she was hoping we had another one. We did not. However, while she was in the store, our back door opened and in walked a man, whom we had never seen before, with a cockatiel perched on his shoulder. The cockatiel was in need of a new home. You guessed it.. that young lady walked out of the store with a large smile on her face, a cockatiel perched on her shoulder.
And, here’s another story: One day a young lady about age 12, comes into the store and asks if she can pet the bunnies. Certainly, I tell her, but add that they are a little wild and need taming down. Well, she proceeds to take each little bunny and calms them one-by-one. Over the next hour or more, she has all the bunnies happy to be petted. About a half-hour into her process, I happen to look out the front door window and see a rooster sitting on a small stroller...untethered. “Is this your rooster,” I ask. “No”, she says, “it is my neighbors; I just take him for walks.” This rooster patiently waited for her as cars, trucks, and barking dogs go by, until she leaves, pushing the stroller across the street with the rooster happily riding along. But, this is not where the story ends…
You would think this was the end of the story; however, about five years later, she returns with a young girl. Both were back to visit her grandmother who had been her caregiver. She asked, again, to pet the animals and while doing so, I looked out the window, again, to see a rooster and a hen perched on an old stroller waiting for her. The chickens were a neighbor’s chickens. As before, they waited for her while trucks, cars, barking dogs, and people went in and out of the store. We never saw her again, but I am certain she was a “Pet Whisperer”.
Celeste, thanks for the memories. Happy retirement.
