ID-3835
August 10-14, 2009
Must commit to full session
Test your physical and technical skills as you help to restore an historically significant log cabin in the Centennial Mountains on the Idaho - Montana border! Albert Taylor built the cabin on the Targhee National Forest in 1935 as a special-use recreation lodge. It remained in the Taylor family until Albert passed away in 2005, at which time it returned to the Forest Service. Long-term plans are to place the cabin into the recreation cabin rental program for public use. However, it will take some work to restore the cabin to its original appearance. PIT volunteers and Forest Service staff will concentrate on log work, landscaping, and repairs to the foundation. Additional tasks may include work on the roof. Meals will be provided at camp while you spend a week with us in this beautiful mountain setting.
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Experience with log work, foundation work, roofing, and/or landscaping helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Developed camping available at no charge at the nearby Forest Service campground; water, pit toilets, and picnic tables; there is room for RVs, but no hookups; a cook will provide all meals for participants during the work week; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment
Nearest town: Spencer, 8 miles; Dubois, 32 miles
Applications due: June 8, 2009
ID-3861
September 14-18; 21-25, 2009
Must commit to one full session; may participate in both
Join Forest Service archaeologists for an archaeological inventory along the shores of Priest Lake to locate and record traces of our past. We will be inspecting three zones within federal ownership along 20 miles of this gorgeous glacial lake, located about 60 miles north of Spokane, Washington. One team will work the forest zone; one team will investigate the shoreline; and the diving team will explore the old land surface, presently under the surface of the lake. Systematic shovel probes will be used to examine subsurface deposits in each zone. We will test and build on the first year's inventory, background research, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) models.
Number of openings: 6
Special skills: Volunteers must be in good physical condition and able to hike moderate distances each day; we are also seeking at least 2 volunteers who are scuba qualified (must provide proof of certification) to dive in deep alpine lakes; previous experience with archaeological survey and testing helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 14 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Forest Service bunkhouse at Priest Lake; water, toilets, kitchen facilities; RV parking at local ranger station, no hook-ups
Nearest town: Priest River, 30 miles; Sandpoint, 50 miles
Applications due: July 13, 2009
ID-3846
July 27-31, 2009
Must commit to full session
PIT volunteers and Forest Service staff will do archaeological survey on the Nez Perce National Forest in the areas within and adjacent to the Gospel Hump Wilderness. This beautiful locale is made up of several high elevation (7000'-8000') mountain peaks and ridges, and has been called home by a variety of peoples throughout history. For thousands of years this area was inhabited and utilized by a number of American Indian groups. More recent inhabitants have included miners, cattle and sheep grazing operations, and early Forest Service staff who developed forested land and built some of the cabins, lookouts, and trail systems whose remnants can still be seen today. Unfortunately, there has only been limited archaeological survey done in this area. Come join us as we explore these alpine settings and help document any prehistoric and historic sites we may encounter.
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Volunteers must possess a willingness to learn; must be physically capable of hiking up to 5 miles per day at high elevations in a variety of weather conditions; previous experience with GPS, interpretation of topographic maps, and field mapping skills helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 14 years old, under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Primitive camping at the historic Adams Ranger Station; tent camping recommended, however there is space for small trailers or pop-ups; pit toilet provided; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, and water; Grangeville is a full-service community with several motels, restaurants, and a range of other amenities; volunteers staying in Grangeville must commute to and from the meeting point each day
Nearest town: Grangeville, 30 miles
Applications due: May 25, 2009
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ID-3855
July 27-31, 2009
Must commit to full session
Come join us as we continue our restoration work at Basin Butte Lookout, high above the Stanley Basin in central Idaho. This year we will build steps to the catwalk, paint the interior and exterior, putty the windows, and re-install the furniture. Basin Butte Fire Lookout was built in 1934, and is now a National Register-eligible structure. The lookout has a fantastic view of the Sawtooth Mountains and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Once Basin Butte Lookout is fixed to standard, Salmon-Challis National Forest plans to make the lookout available to the public through the Forest Service cabin rental system.
Number of openings: 6
Special skills: Light carpentry or painting skills helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Primitive camping near the lookout; chemical toilet and handwashing station, no potable water; developed camping 45 minutes from project area with picnic tables, water, and toilets; motels in Stanley (~1 hour from project area); volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, and water; volunteers must provide own transportation to the meeting area each day if staying in Stanley; high clearance vehicles/4 wheel-drive recommended; Forest Service vehicle will shuttle people to the lookout from meeting area, if needed
Nearest town: Stanley, 10 miles; Challis, 40 miles
Applications due: June 1, 2009
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ID-3847
July 12-18, 2009 (including weekends)
Must commit to full session
The Salmon-Challis National Forest needs your help stabilizing the near century-old Warm Springs Guard Station. Built soon after the Forest was established, this log building served as an administrative outpost for the first generation of Forest Service rangers as they patrolled the backcountry on horseback building trails, cruising timber, and looking for forest fires. The station became inactive in the 1950s and is one of the last remaining examples of a log-built, backcountry ranger station in this area.
PIT volunteers and Forest staff will rebuild and replace the existing roof and replace the logs in the lower wall. You will learn log construction methods, historic purlin-roof construction and shingling techniques, and how to use "pre-modern" hand tools. The project is in the wilderness, so there will be no motorized or electric tools. Everything will be done by hand, just like it was in the past.
We will camp for the week along Warm Springs Creek, in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River watershed, deep in the heart of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Showerbath Hot Springs, one of the largest hot springs on the Forest, is a quarter mile walk from camp. Come spend a week in the wilderness, help stabilize a rare historic building, learn historic construction techniques, and enjoy an evening soak in the hot springs!
Number of openings: 12
Special skills: Basic carpentry skills helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Primitive camping near the guard station (~five miles from the trailhead); we will follow "leave no trace" wilderness rules; water will be filtered from Warm Springs Creek; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment and food; a Forest Service pack string will carry our camping gear to and from the camp
Nearest town: Challis, 25 miles
Applications due: May 10, 2009