In this episode, Ken Graves shares reflections from a lifetime in the saddle, the evolving challenges of maintaining wilderness trails, and why he’s committed to mentoring the next generation of packers. It’s a heartfelt look at the labor, love, and legacy behind trail stewardship.
Reclaiming the Trail: Two Weeks of Wilderness Stewardship in the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness
Over two weeks in the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness, 28 Bigfoot Trail Alliance volunteers restored 6.8 miles of trail from the Ides Cove Trailhead. Supported by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Ken Graves, and the Backcountry Horsemen of California, the crew cleared 139 logs and rebuilt fire-damaged trail with hand tools.
Yolla Bolly – Middle Eel Wilderness 2024
A dedicated team of volunteers and leaders worked for over three weeks in the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, restoring the Bigfoot Trail and surrounding paths. Supported by the Shasta-Trinity and Mendocino national forests, and aided by horse packer Ken Graves, they made the trails walkable again since 2004.
2019 Yolla Bolly Brush Out
A crew of 13, including two Forest Service fire crewmembers, spent most of a week (June 22 – 29) doing trail work between West Low Gap and a point almost 13 Bigfoot Trail miles to the south not far from The Knob in the Yolla Bolly Mountains. Much of the time was spent clearing downed […]
Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Trailwork
Stellar Volunteer Work! From June 23rd-June 29th 2018 a crew of seven volunteers set out to clear one of the most difficult to navigate sections of the Bigfoot Trail, through the heart of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. This was a new era for work on the Bigfoot Trail, as we partnered with the Shasta-Trinity […]
