Project Gallery

Upper Minam River Trail #1673

Volunteers removed a new record number of trees for us in one hitch: 209 on trails Elk Creek #1944 and Minam River #1673. Way to go crew! This project was stock supported and had a base camp from where they cleared the fallen trees on the trails. Click the image to the right to view a video of the project!

Bear Wallow Trail #1677

A three-person crew removed logs from Bear Wallow Trail #1677 to the historic Standley Guard Station in Eagle Cap Wilderness on July 5th.

HAWK Interns - June 29 to July 1

Chief Joseph Trail #1803 & Tenderfoot Wagon Road Trail#1819

WMHCTA volunteers and Wallowa Resources’ HAWK Interns worked on the Chief Joseph Trail toward BC Creek for two days clearing brush, logging out 9 fallen trees, and rocking the trail including a 2,500-lb boulder in one of the rockslide areas.

On the 1st of July they drove to the Tenderfoot TH and hiked with rope/pulleys, hydraulic jack, pry bars and a cant hook about 1.3 miles up the trail to where another trail crew had cut 2 logs from a single root wad, which was too large to move at the time of cutting. Two rope/pulley systems were used with a combined 6,800-pound pulling force to tip the root wad back into its hole.  Afterward, 9 more trees were cleared before the Wilderness Boundary on the Tenderfoot Wagon Road.

Thomason Meadows Guard Station

Three volunteers visited Thomason Meadows Guard Station for cleaning and repairs on June 27th. They had a rainy day but were able to achieve all objectives!

Middle Minam Trail #1673

Middle Minam Trail #1673, Eagle Cap Wilderness

Nine volunteers convened in Eagle Cap to clear 8.3 miles of trail around the Red’s Horse Ranch area on the Minam River: 91 logs were removed with crosscut saws and 6.7 miles of trail were brushed. This trip was stock supported and base camped out of Reds. A highlight of the trip (besides the good company) shared by one of the participants was a delicious meal of tri-tip steak with green beans, coleslaw,  mashed potatoes, Texas toast, and cherry cheese cake!

North Fork John Day Wilderness Trail Projects

Lick Creek Trail #3073, Miner’s Cabin Trail #3186, Forks Trail #3019, Big Creek Trail #3151, Moon Meadow Trail #3029, Fitzwater Trail #3010, South Winom Trail #3153, Big Creek Trail #3151, Corral Creek #3050

Volunteers have worked over Spring and early Summer to clear 26 miles of trail and 323 trees.

Deadman Trail Project

June 18-21, 2026

Deadman Trail #1869, Sugarloaf East Trail #1887E

Starting from Deadman TH, then moving to Russell Mtn Lookout, volunteers worked to clear the Sugarloaf E Trail #1877E (with the help of a USFS Halfway Fire Crew!) and the majority of the Deadman Trail #1869. Splitting into 2 teams, they removed 60 trees in the Wilderness and repaired signs along the way. The team made it within a mile of the junction of Deadman Trail and the South Fork Imnaha Trail #1816

  • Amazing Gwen!

  • Mike B & Mike B clearing the snag

  • The payoff

  • Mike fixing the sign

  • Packing Out

  • Axe work to free up the roots

Bear Creek Trail to Granite Creek

June 17-20, 2026

Lantz, JW, and a treasured morel

Bear Creek Trail #1653 to Granite Creek

.A crew of six and stock continued work up Bear Creek, finishing 11 miles up at the confluence with Granite Creek. The crew cleared 133 trees and improved 32 tread structures and waterbars.

  • Working up the trail

  • Undercut to ease bind compression

  • Crew Camp

  • Teamwork

  • Mountain Lady Slipper

  • Log Wrestling

  • Trail Treasure

  • Down Time

  • Last Cut

  • Cleared Trail

National Trails Day

June 6, 2026

West Fork Wallowa River Trail #1820, Lakes Basin Trail #1810

.A crew of eleven cleared the West Fork Wallowa River Trail and part of the Lakes Basin Trail. Splitting into three teams, they removed 40 trees, including a couple large blowdowns about five miles up the trail.

Our Trail Ambassadors helped visitors by setting up information booths at Wallowa Lake and Hurricane Creek, assisting hikers with information on local trails.

  • Amanda, Mike and Elaine getting it done!

  • One at a time

  • Having fun and working hard

  • Removing logs on an Incline

  • Clearing a Big One

  • Trail Supervisor

  • Thanks Crew!

  • Limbing then Bucking

Chainsaw Sawyer Training

May 29-31, 2026

Sawyers new and experienced, participated in our 3-day Chainsaw Certification class for bucking. Participants spent time addressing binds, creating strategies for safe cuts, and learning wedging and axe skills.

  • Evaluating Technique

  • Strategies for safe removal of leaners

  • Rigging ropes create sidebinds on logs for practice

  • Addressing different binds

Upper Imnaha Trail #1816

May 18-22, 2026

A seasoned crew worked to clear 100 trees from the South Fork Imnaha Trail #1816 to the junction with Cliff Creek Trail #1885, North Fork Imnaha Trail #1814 to the Boner Flat trail junction #1801.

  • Randi on the trail

  • Rigging up

  • Mountain Beauty

  • Clearing a large suspended tree

  • Crew on the trail

  • JW and crew

  • Rolling the log off trail

Crosscut Saw Training

May 15-17, 2026

  • Evaluations

  • Assessing the bind

  • Mike teaching tree bucking basics

  • The Lostine River

Horse Ranch Trail #1908

May 13-14, 2026

WMCHTA volunteers and the USFS Trail Crew began their work at Moss Springs to clear the Horse Ranch Trail. They successfully cleared 6.6 miles of the trail up to the Backbone Ridge area, removing 42 fallen trees along the way. Additionally, we scouted below Minam Lodge, and as of May 14, the trail is clear all the way to Minam Lodge.

  • Along the Horse Ranch Trail

  • Crews cleared 42 trees in 6.5 miles

  • Cleared section as of 5/14/26

Stock Safety & Handling Class

May 9, 2026

Stock Handlers from WMHCTA, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Wallowa County Search and Rescue took part in a Stock Handling and safety class led by Jim Akenson. The class focused on proper packing of awkward loads, (including saws), correct packing techniques, and loading up injured patients.

  • Stock Safety Introductions

  • Loading a patient with lower leg injury

  • Packing up Quote

  • Proper loading of a crosscut saw

Bear Wallow/ Standley Ridge Trail #1677

May 6, 2026

The crew braved the long drive up to Bear Wallow TH, and worked on the Standley Ridge trail #1677. Snow kept the crew working within the first mile, but they were able to clear 16 trees and clear the side of the trail from encroaching lodgepole pine saplings.

  • The Crew

  • JW and snow on the trail

  • Clearing small lodgepole pine from the trail corridor

  • The View from Standley Ridge

  • JW and the saw

Lower Minam Trail #1673

May 1-4, 2026

The crew started at the lower USFS boundary along the Minam River Trail , and worked upstream to the junction with the Little Minam River. They cleared 48 trees, brushed 12 miles of trail, and cleaned up 50 lbs of old hunt camp trash along the river.

  • Cleared from the FS Border to the junction with the Little Minam River

  • Thank you, Paul!

  • After cut-out

  • Winter Blowdown

  • Campsite Trash cleaned up

Saddle Creek Trail #1776 Rock-Out

Volunteers worked on a challenging project over Freezeout Saddle, and down Saddle Creek in Hells Canyon to reinforce the trail berm and clear medium loose rock from a steep trail.

April 20-21, 2026

  • Before Tread Work

  • After Clearning Rocks

  • Lantz, Tilly & JW

  • Big Country

  • JW

  • Another Before

  • After-Reinforcing the Berm

  • Spring in Hells Canyon

College Creek Ranger Station Facilities Maintenance Project

A Historical Ranger Station upriver from Imnaha, this CCC-built station received some TLC from volunteers taking care of the grounds, clearing access roads, and cleaning inside the main building.

April 18, 2026

  • Grounds upkeep before Fire Season

  • Cleaning inside the historical building

  • Thanks John!

  • Adding to the brush pile

  • Cutting the grass back to protect structures

Rope & Pulley System Training

Practicing an essential tool of backcountry trail clearing, Volunteers learned some engineering and creative problem solving using ropes and pulleys.

April 11, 2026

East Fork Wallowa River Trail #1804

Volunteers worked to clear 44 trees and brush 2.5 miles of trail along the lower section of the East Fork Wallowa River Trail.

April 4, 2026

  • Brushing along the trail

  • The Crew cleared 44 trees in 2.5 miles

  • Our Chainsaw Sawyers Mike + Mike

  • A beautiful day on the trail

  • Some big leaners

  • The Crew hard at work

Saddle Creek/High Trail Project

Volunteers hiked up to Freezeout Saddle, then camped along the High Trail in Hell’s Canyon NRA. Working along the High Trail, they cleared logs, brushed, and restored tread.

March 26-29, 2026

  • Logout Time

  • Serenade, Mary Kay + JW the Mule

  • Working on the Tread

  • Hardworking stock in the Canyon

  • Crew and Early Spring in Hells Canyon

Freezeout Trail Log Cutout Project

Mike and Russ clearing out large trees from the lower trail after some gusty storms this winter, including a beautiful old ponderosa pine.

March 24, 2026

  • Thanks Russ!!

  • Cutting out the giant from the trail

  • Clearing burned trees from the trail

  • Beautiful old ponderosa on the trail

Devil’s Gulch Trail Project

Clearing the popular early season trail, volunteers brushed and repaired tread that had been washed out over the winter.

March 22, 2026

  • Fixing and moving tread.

  • The Crew!

  • More tread work

  • Tread repair

Lower Imnaha Trail Project

Our annual early Spring Trip to keep the popular trail brushed and in good shape for early season fishing and recreationalists.

March 21, 2026

  • Cutting out Leaners

  • Moving rock debris from the trail

  • Fixing sloughed rocks

  • Brushing the Trail

West-East Fork Wallowa Trail Project

Volunteers worked to clear trees on the lower section of the West and East Fork Wallowa Trails, as well as the connecting trail between, clearing 12 trees in all.

February 7, 2026

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Bear Creek Trail Project

Volunteers worked to clear the first few miles of the Bear Creek trail, clearing 20 trees. JW the Mule helped haul some equipment, including a chainsaw and other tools. Two teams with chainsaws worked separately to cut and swamp the debris.

January 31, 2026

Making a cut plan for two large trees that fell across the trail.
limbing it up
On the trail
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Lantz and JW help carrying the tools
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Hurricane Creek Trail Project

January 16, 2026

Volunteers worked to repair trail tread that had sluffed toward the creek, and remove large boulders and trees that had fallen into the trail.

Removing large boulders on the trail in January.

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Trail sluffing down toward the creek

Chief Joseph Trail Project

January 9, 2026

When a large tree and root wad fell on the trail, the crew along with the USFS worked to measure the tree as a possible partial substitute for the BC Bridge replacement. The crew then used chainsaws and a pulley system to cut the tree and remove the root wad from the trail.

Making a plan to sever the root wad from the tree. After falling across the trail, the tree was measured long enough to use for the new BC bridge.

Volunteers work to secure and clear the log on the Chief Joseph Trail.

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This large tree and root wad feel across the tread.