ITA, Sawtooth Society, and the Sawtooth National Forest are partnering to help in a large puncheon replacement effort on the popular Alice-Toxaway loop, in the Sawtooth Wilderness. The work includes dismantling the old structure, importing rock to secure and level sills for the foundation, and nailing the decking in place. While the work can be difficult, broken puncheons can be a hazard to hikers and pack stock and detrimental to the overall sustainability of the trail. This will be year two of ITA’s support on this project, but this project is much bigger in scope than just us. Different organizations, volunteers and countless hours will be spent planning and working on this multi-year project, not to mention the miles back and forth to import building materials by pack stock!
What’s a puncheon? You’ve probably seen them (and appreciated keeping your feet dry) on trails in boggy or seasonally wet areas. They are bridge-like structures that allow hikers and animals to cross wet areas safely, and without widening or damaging the trail tread.
We’ll have pack support to help bring our group camp and some personal gear into an established base camp near Farley Lake. The project area is a short hike from there. This is a fully-supported trip, and we’ll return to our camp each evening where we will enjoy meals prepared by an ITA volunteer camp cook.
This project is funded for the second year in a row by a Legacy Trails grant, a Federal grant program through American Trails.
Project information is subject to change. Crew leaders will communicate via email. Failure to respond to your crew leader may result in being dropped from the project. See our FAQs, reach out to your crew leader, or contact ITA staff at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org if you have questions.
Trails: Yellowbelly Trail #096
Itinerary: This is a Sunday-Saturday weeklong project. Meet near Petit Lake to tie in with the packer and hike into base camp. Work all week, project work near camp. Saturday- pack back to trailhead. The crew leader will specify the meeting time & place in their pre-trip emails.
Food Provided by ITA: Yes
Crew Leader: Dagmar Rapp
Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: 30 minutes from Stanley
Trail Map: Click for trail map and elevation profile
Refundable deposit: $50
Why do I need to pay a deposit? We’ve had trouble with people backing out of trips at the last minute which can really affect the productivity of the overall project. By charging a refundable fee, volunteers are less likely to cancel their reservation. Refunds will not be given to volunteers that do not show up or cancel their reservation. Exceptions will be made for medical reasons or unforeseen circumstances. Volunteers can choose to donate the deposit to ITA. All donations are tax-deductible and will go towards maintaining trails throughout Idaho. If you require assistance in paying for this fee, please contact us at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org and we will waive the cost.
Difficulty Rating
Volunteer Spots Available: 4 of 10
If there are no volunteer spots available, click “Sign Up” to get on our waitlist for this project!
