Some people meet the Klamath Mountains only once or twice in their lives. Others feel the call so strongly that it becomes a kind of compass. Dr. Brad Marston — physicist, professor at Brown University, and our 2025 Volunteer of the Year — is one of those people whose life keeps bending back toward this […]
A New Era for the Bigfoot Trail Alliance
Fifteen years after imagining the Bigfoot Trail into being, Michael Kauffmann has become the Alliance’s first Executive Director. With new board leadership and expanding programs in stewardship, education, and youth engagement, the BFTA enters a transformative era—committed to protecting the Klamath Mountains and building a community of lifelong caretakers.
The First Female Hotshot Firefighters, Culture in the 1980s, and the Bigfoot Trail with Mary “Fireweed” Kwart
Thank you to The Trek on Backpacker Radio for featuring Bigfoot Trail Alliance board member Mary “Fireweed” Kwart. As one of the first female hotshot firefighters and a passionate Bigfoot Trail advocate, Mary shares powerful stories of resilience, trail stewardship, and the importance of protecting biodiversity through long-distance hiking and conservation.
Beavers and Trails: Youth Restoring the Klamath Mountains
Twenty youth from across the Klamath Mountains gathered at Miner’s Creek Ranch for a weekend of hands-on ecological restoration, building beaver dam analogs and restoring public trails. Led by regional conservation partners, the Beavers and Trails workshop empowered youth with real-world skills, leadership training, and a vision for climate resilience.
Restoring the Forks of Blue Trail: Perseverance in the Rain
Nine volunteers from the Bigfoot Trail Crew and College of the Redwoods braved a rainy weekend on the Forks of Blue Trail, contributing 192 hours to clear 15 downed logs and heavy brush along a half-mile stretch. Their work restored access, improved safety, and advanced stewardship on Six Rivers National Forest’s Orleans District.
2025 CCC Collaborative
In October 2025, a crew of recent CCC Backcountry Trails Program graduates joined the Bigfoot Trail Alliance to restore two rugged miles of the Ides Cove Loop Trail in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness—reviving long-lost tread, removing 102 fallen logs, and continuing a legacy of stewardship, resilience, and connection to wild places.
Restoring Wild Pathways: September Trailwork Update
The Bigfoot Trail Alliance crew restored 4.6 miles of trail this month, clearing 98 logs and repairing damaged tread on the Gunbarrel and South Kelsey Trails. Three crew members contributed over 200 hours, supported by BFTA funds. Every mile reopened reconnects people with the wild heart of the Klamath Mountains.
Teens Explore Science and Stewardship in the Trinity Alps
This summer, eight teens joined scientists and mentors in the Trinity Alps for a field internship. Together they learned vegetation survey methods, collected plant specimens for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Herbarium, and explored watershed health and fire resiliency. The trip blended science, stewardship, mentorship, and wilderness skills in a living classroom.
