Miss Gail’s Ramblings
Montana is a big state without a lot of people, so it is logical to realize that there is a lot of “back country,” that is, areas that have not yet been discovered by those who live on the west coast. You know who I’m talking about. I spent some time with Melissa Codner, who is the president of a group called Beartooth Back Country Horsemen, AKA the BBCH, and with John Chepulis, who is one of two representatives for Montana at the national BCH organization, so I got the low-down on what this group does. They shared information about how both two-footed and four-footed animals work to clean and maintain the many trails throughout Montana’s public lands and wilderness.
The Beartooth Back Country Horsemen is a grass roots group with over 50 local members, riding horses and mules to clear out debris left by the weather and humans. They are from all over Montana, this chapter has members from Stillwater, Carbon, and Yellowstone counties. There are chapters in33 US states, plus Canada. Their motto to be “Light on the Land,” encouraging maintenance and use of our beautiful forests and mountains, but also to keeping them clean with common sense use of saddle and pack stock, for wise and sustainable public land use and enjoyment. Weather causes tree limbs to splinter and break and muddy erosion cross the well-used trails creating unsafe rides or back country walks for visitors to the recreation areas. The BBCH beings their work in May and continues until fall and in 2023 the Beartooth Chapter cleared about 18 miles of Wilderness and 80.5 miles of Forest Service trails. They work on Forest Service land, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property, and state lands, all of which are considered public lands. The Forest Service and other public land agencies have very little budget for trail maintenance and the BCH supplies this needed service so all of us can enjoy the gorgeous back country of Montana.
Safety is always an issue and Melissa gave an “atta girl” to Sarah Lewis of Columbus who has started a BCH youth clinic. “What a great opportunity for these youth,” Melissa said, “The clinic reinforces knowledge of first aid for both humans and animals, trail safety, trail etiquette and real-life obstacles and how to overcome them. Bears can be an issue, as well and we talk about bear safety.” Dan Aadland of Absarokee teaches knot tying, saddling, and loading pack animals safely and securely. She says that classes on defensive horsemanship are readily available for adults and teens.
John Chepulis of rural Absarokee is a national board member. The national group has about 12,000 members. It was started in 1973 and last year donated over 230,000 hours of volunteer service nationally, which is valued at $11 million. Horses and mules contributed over 12,000 hours, as well. John said his dedication to this group’s mission will “leave something for the kids, grandkids, and more. It is a lot of hard work, but it is also surprisingly fun.” John and his wife Bonnie were charter members since 1973.
John told the story of repairing a trail with gravel, which meant that two five-gallon buckets weighing about 160 pounds were loaded onto pack animals and taken to a site that needed repair. Since no ATV’s were allowed in that area, the trek was made by mules, horses, and two-footed volunteers. Hard work for both the animals and the BCH members.
This group takes time out for fun, too, with overnight camping trips and packing contests, which involves packing an animal with over 100 pounds of goods, even eggs, traveling a distance over a trail of uneven ground, then checking to see how the goods survived. A few broken eggs means that scrambled eggs are on the lunch menu.
By law, motorized vehicles are prohibited in wilderness areas, which means only horses, mules, and two-footed volunteers can participate in this maintenance. The recent electric bike rage has raised questions about whether they fall under motorized vehicles or not. Stay tuned on that one.
If you are a hiker, biker, or horseback rider who enjoys Montana’s many trails, you can thank the BCH for maintaining, clearing, and preserving the trails for safety and enjoyment of your outdoor experience. Horsepower and manpower are needed to allow free access for hiking, picnicking, and camping where four-wheeled vehicles cannot go.
For more information contact Melissa Codner at codner.melissa@gmail.com
Gail Cushman is an author and blog writer. She is available at gailcushman.com
