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.
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.
Reestablishing the Hazel Trail: A Partnership Rooted in History and Culture
The Bigfoot Trail Alliance joined the Hoopa Valley TANF Program, elders, and youth to restore a historic hazel trail in the Klamath Mountains. Long used for basketry, hazel connects culture and ecology. Reviving the trail renewed access, strengthened traditions, and deepened relationships across generations.
Ken Graves and the Heart of Backcountry Trail Work
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.
Celebrating a Decade on the Trail
In ten years, the Bigfoot Trail Alliance has transformed a dream into a powerful conservation movement—restoring over 100 miles of trail, engaging nearly 500 volunteers, and inspiring youth through stewardship and education. With roots in community and wilderness, BFTA now looks to the future, seeking support to preserve this legacy and landscape.
Why a Volunteer Vacation with the BFTA Will Change Your Life
A volunteer vacation with the Bigfoot Trail Alliance offers more than trail work—it’s a transformative journey through Northern California’s wilderness. Participants gain hands-on skills, forge lasting friendships, and discover a deep connection to nature. It’s an adventure that blends purpose, beauty, and community in some of the state’s most remote backcountry.
New Workforce Training Network to Empower Youth, Restore Ecosystems in the Klamath Mountains
Bayside, CA – In the wake of historic dam removals and amid the profound healing of the newly free-flowing Klamath River, a new force for restoration and resilience is emerging. […]