Trails play a major role in the life of many Central Oregonians—whether in city parks or mountain wilderness. But have you ever thought about how those trails came to be? Join 27-year Deschutes National Forest trails specialist John Schubert for an evening on trails. Learn about the rich history of trails and how contemporary design, construction, and maintenance strive to minimize our impacts on nature. Finally, John, renowned trail designer and bridge builder across the country, will share tips on how people who love trails can reduce their own impacts while using them.

1. My Life on Trails —
What a Cougar Taught Me about Conservation

2. Urban Trails
Nature is present, but the Human Experience Dominates.

3. Wildland Trails —
Humans visit, but nature dominates.*
Tonight we’ll focus on Wildland trails, where I spent my career.
(*May be inside or outside designated Wilderness)

4. Tonight, Let’s Take a Look at :
1. Where Do Trails Come From?
2. Where Do Trails Specialists Come From?
3. Where Did the New Whychus Creek Trails Come From?
4. How Can We All Help Protect Trails?
5. A Few Scenic Photos with Music
Finally: Questions and, maybe, Answers.

5. “The deer were the first; then the elk followed the deer; the Indians
followed the elk; trappers next; then army officers came along…”
Mathilde Holz & Katherine Bemis, Glacier National Park: Its Trails and Treasures, 1917
1. So, Where Do Wildland Trails Come From?
Historically speaking.

6. Paisley Caves and Rimrock Shelter — the oldest known human
occupation sites in North America; ~15,000 years old, are both in Central
Oregon! Thus, lots of Indian trails!

7. .png

8. Portion of 1855 Map from Lts. Abbot & Williamson RR Survey.
“S“ marks Camp Polk Meadow, today a Land Trust Preserve on
Whychus Creek near Sisters.

9. UPSHOT:
Indian guides led virtually
every early explorer, trapper,
and military party along
Indian trails.
Lewis & Clark had
Sacajawea and Billy Chinook
led John C. Fremont
through Central Oregon.

10. One of many logging trains used in Central Oregon
during the timber boom days, ~1916-1935.

11. Many RR grades were
incorporated into forest
roads, and a few into trails!
Look along the Deschutes
River Trail, Peter Skeen
Ogden Trail, and others, for
the distinctive raised grades
for the long gone tracks.

12. Livestock, especially sheep, were trailed from the desert to
mountain summer pastures in the late 1800’s. — some of the
eroded trails can still be found.

13. During the1930’s, the Civilian
Conservation Corps, from their
base near the Metolius
headwaters, built many trails,
some up to fire lookouts such
as this one on
Black Butte. In popular places, fishermen
create trails with their feet.

14. Old maps are a treasure trove of information about historic trails.

15. Changes in the Landscape
Trails Sometimes Arise & Pass Away —Here at Alder Springs the
trail survives because of its popularity.

16. Despite valiant efforts of many volunteers and
Forest Service trail crews, nature is reclaiming
some of the Mt. Jefferson wilderness trails.
Massive 2003 B&B
fire in Mt. Jefferson
Wilderness gave rise
to explosion of
Snowbrush!

17. My favorite local history
books that include stories of
early trails. Lots more if
you dig.

18. 2: So, Where Do Trails Specialists Come From?
Or this one, anyway. And what do they do?

19. 1963: Moving east to Maryland.
— via the Grand Canyon
1950’s : An Oregon Family —
Outdoorsy, like most then.

20. In Maryland, we found Sycamore Island Canoe Club on the
Potomac River, and I found trail work there!

21. 1974-1987
13 Years
exploring 10
outdoor careers
in
7 states and
3 countries.
Last Stop:
Fiji as a
Peace Corps
Volunteer.

22. Fijian Trails
Uh oh, better learn more
about trails !
After 3 1/2 years overseas, we
landed in Bend in 1987.
And I found my home and a
career on Trails that have
lasted 30 years, so far.

23. Timber Mentor: Carroll Vogel
* Founder & Chief Instructor
SCA Wilderness Work Skills.
*Hired us to lead our first crew.
*Taught me to build joinery
bridges.
*Lit my fire for trail work, and
for passing the torch!
www.sahale.com

24. Timber “tools of the trade” in Wilderness
(and everywhere during extreme fire conditions)
— no motors allowed!

25. My first simple trail bridge
— Grand Teton National Park 1988.
After further training and practice….

26. No
Crosscut felling and
peeling a lodgepole
pine.
1991:
Joinery Bridge for the
new North Fork Trail,
upstream from Tumalo
Falls.

27. Flattening the deck.

28. The detail work begins —

29. Mortice & tenon handrails.

30. Static rope and rescue blocks “fly” the stringers across
the creek…

31. Where it is re-assembled — no steel, just wood !

32. Probably my favorite bridge ever, but alas….

33. 2008: Seventeen years later, the bridge failed. So, we skied in
to figure out why.

34. More training in rigging. And bring in the engineers!

35. “Rigging”— Moving big logs is a fun and sometimes scary
challenge. Here COTA crew gets after it on South Fork Trail.

36. Construction on snow to protect fragile vegetation, and
to get it done before snowmelt brought visitors.

37. Finished new Middle Fk. footbridge —
Forest Engineer Bob Deane inspecting.
Hoping for 30 + years.
We’ll see. Mother Nature may have other plans.

38. Rock Mentor: Bob Birkby
* Author of Lightly on the Land
(and every Boy Scout manual!).
* Taught me to move big rocks
& how to build with them.
* Inspired me always to carry a
pennywhistle, and to write about
trail work.
www.robertbirkby.com

39. 1988 Teton National Park SCA youth
crew— turning disorder into a stock
trail, with just rock bars, brains &
muscle.

40. 2009: Trail development for BLM
at Otter Bench.

41. Rock Steps on Otter Bench
spur trail.

42. nnnn
Not a trail for everybody,
but …this gal is blind !

43. “ .” --
“ .” --
Sisters Trails Alliance
Volunteers show how it’s
done.
Trail Rock Maxim:
“If you can pick it up
alone, it’s way too small.”

44. “ .” --
“ .” --
What could be more fun than this?

45. Restoration Mentor:
Tim Tunison
* National Park Service
Restoration Ecologist
* Taught me to love plants,
field research and how to help
heal damaged landscapes.

46. Ripping compacted soil to allow moisture to penetrate,
seeds to germinate, and roots & plants to grow!

47. “ .” --
“ .” --
In 2009, ONDA volunteers rake in seed, plant native grasses
and shrubs, and add woody material to discourage walking in
the area.

48. Here in 2016, seven years later at new Scout Camp
Trailhead — Road is gone!

49. Local Native Plant Nurseries
make it all possible!

50. Sean Connelly installs one of
many rock water bars on Scout
Camp Trail to divert water that
could erode the trail and carry
sediment into the river.
Trail Maxim
“Three greatest threats to
trails: water, water & water”

51. “Get the water out of the trail,
or the trail out of the water.”
“Learn to imagine water
flowing even on a sunny day.”

52. Paying it forward.
Instructing Trail Work Skills for new crew
leaders around the country.

53. Cuttin’ it Up !

54. Americans sent to Siberia! — to assist with trail design on the
Great Baikal Trail.

55. And the Russians came to America to learn about trails
in Central Oregon.

56. Tanya and Svetlana joined in
with new American trail crew
leaders for training in
Washington State.

57. 3.Where Did the new Whychus Creek trails Come From?
A Brief Tale of “Modern” Trails
(Oh, and something about a cougar.)

58. Whychus — “the place we cross the water”
also, “the way to the mountains”

59. This is too close for comfort.

62. In 1988 Congress, at the
request of Sisters
residents, designated the
uppermost 15 miles of
Whychus Creek as a Wild
& Scenic River.

63. “

64. One of Many High Impact Creekside Campsites that
Shed Dirt Directly into Whychus Creek

65. One of many party sites.

66. Even archeological sites were vandalized and adopted for parties,
rock climbing and camping.

67. Meanwhile, others
enjoyed the beauty
of the area.

68. The area is rich in wildlife

69. The team of “ologists”
included:
Hydrologist, Ecologist,
Fisheries and Wildlife
Biologists, Archeologist,
Landscape Architect,
Engineer, Recreation Planner
and behind the camera, a
Trail Designer (that would be
me).

70. District Ranger and Ecologist discuss
concerns about proposed trail with
Appellant.
Ecologist reviews rock
climber concerns.

71. “ .” --
“ .” --

72. The next day, we set to work.

73. “Same site after tilling, seeding, planting, and 5 years of rest.”
2010 Eroding into the creek.

74. “ .” --
The narrow trail we built, in 5 years widened significantly from heavy
traffic.

77. News Flash!
Just last week sign of cougar
have re-appeared on Whychus
Creek trails!

78. 4: How Can We Help Protect Wildland Trails
and the Nature they are intended to protect ?

79. More important than anything, we all need to
become better educated about best
Leave No Trace practices.
www.cleverhiker.org, www.lnt.org
And, we need to find ways to share our knowledge
with others in respectful ways that draw them in.
“May I share something with you?….”
We must create a shared culture of appreciation and
respect for nature, in balance with, not overwhelmed by
humans.

80. Become a stewardship
volunteer!
Deschutes Land Trust,
Friends of Central Cascades
Wilderness,
Oregon Natural Desert Assn.

81. Join a volunteer trail crew!
High Cascades Forest Vols.,
Sisters Trails Alliance…

82. Become a Weed
Warrior !
With a group such as the Deschutes Land Trust, or on your own.
Join John’s War on Mullein in Wildlands !

83. A COUGAR WAS
REPORTED SEEN
IN THIS AREA
ON
IF YOU ENCOUNTER A COUGAR...
STOP Never approach a cougar at any time for any reason.
STAY CALM Face the cougar and do not turn your back towards it.
Do not run. Running encourages it to chase.
APPEAR LARGE Make yourself look large.
Do not bend over or crouch down.
Raise your hands. Hold your coat open.
Hold small children.
FIGHT BACK Fight back if attacked.
MAKE NOISE Make noise while hiking to reduce the chance
of surprising a cougar.
KEEP CHILDREN CLOSE Always keep children close by
and in sight.
AVOID WALKING ALONE
Report all sightings to local Oregon State Police
or Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
BE ADVISED
Always visit the trailhead bulletin board for important
messages, such as cougar notices….

84. Always carry the Ten
Essentials !

85. Getting feet wet at stream
crossings can be fun & safe!
Piling up logs and rocks,
harms the stream AND makes
for a slippery unstable
crossing.

86. Reduce damage to trails with
rubber caps for trekking poles
& keep points on trail tread.
Try just using just one pole.

87. Help Keep Wild Animals
Healthy and Wild!
Don’t share food with critters.
Watch with binoculars and use
a telephoto lens.

88. Staying on trails reduces more
impact than any other single
action.

89. Choose a trail carefully that
suits the group and its goals.
Big social group?
Choose a wide durable trail
outside wildlands.

90. Transition slide needed
Walk single file on wildland trails.

91. Never cut switchbacks.

92. Gather on durable (already impacted) surfaces;
not vegetated ones.

93. Marking off trail routes and
social trails detracts from
discovery and adventure.
Please don’t blog or post GPS
tracks of off trail hikes.
They both diminish wildness
and damage nature.
Wildlands Need More Secrets

94. Traveling Off Trail ?
Small group. Spread out. Tread
lightly, avoid plants, step only on
dirt, rock, snow… Please not on
fragile plants. Be aware.

95. Stay off fragile vegetation &
living desert soils.
Stay on disturbed ground.

96. Cairns and abandoned flagging mar wilderness.

97. A digital world is not a wild
world.
Carry a map, not a smart
phone in the wild.

98. Tempting as it was, this stone
axe belongs exactly where I
found it.

99. Ah, dog owners on wildland trails — pick up or bury the
poop, keep dog on leash, or the cougars will sort it out.

100. Early season hiking while snow is still on trails leads to
this on Tam Rim and similar places.

101. Parking lot full? — seek a quieter trailhead.
Join organizations that support wildlands and participate
in Forest Service and BLM wilderness planning under
way!

102. Looking to the futuree of Central Oregon Wildlands!

110. “Uncertainty is the heart of adventure.”
— Robert Moore, On Trails: An Exploration

111. “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s
peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.”
-- John Muir

113. “Every time I go there, it’s like walking into heaven.”
-- John Roskelly

117. “Going to the mountains, is like going home.”
John Muir

120. “ The chief reason for
preserving wilderness is
they are great reservoirs of
the serene order of
nature…”
—Donald Culross Peattie

122. “The path is made in the walking of it.”
— Zhuangzi

123. Transition slide needed

124. “Less talk.
More rock.”
— Bob Birkby

126. “What the river says, that is what I say.”
William Stafford

131. change image

132. Replace image

134. “If there is magic on this
planet, it is contained in
water.”
Loren Eiseley

139. “A path is a way of making
sense of the world.”
Robert Moor, On Trails

141. “Let us go singing as far as we go; the road will be less tedious.”
—Virgil

143. “The earth is our home away from home; we should strive to
leave it in better shape than we found it.”
Jim Anderson

145. “Here in wilderness, I can better hear my own heart.”
-- Doug Scott, Our Wilderness: America’s Common Ground

146. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
— Robert Frost

147. My nephew, following his own life on trails.

148. “Trail Work is a blend of engineering, ecology, psychology,
craft, and art. And, a colossal amount of labor,
ideally, labor of love.”

149. “Trails lead us to beauty, knowledge, health and inspiration. They
are designed, built and maintained by the work of thousands of
professionals and volunteers — for which, I am profoundly grateful
to be a part.”

150. And tonight, I’m grateful for your interest!
I’d be happy to hear your questions and thoughts.