Backcountry by horseback -- and mules

By Stephen Lowman
Idaho Press-Tribune
August 22, 2004

Article Excerpt

Venture Idaho: Youth rough it in woods for weeks at a time

BEAR VALLEY, IDAHO -- Ask the teens who make up the Northwest Youth Corps what the worst part of their day is and they won't complain of the early mornings, the long working hours, or the lack of a bed to sleep in.

It is the endless hiking.

'The only time I was ever shocked by what I was doing was the first hike in,' said 16-year-old Joe Perkins of Albany, Ore. 'I didn't realize it would be so hard.'

Last Sunday I met up with the Youth Corps near the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It was the beginning of week four in a five-week-long outing for them. That day they were receiving food and supplies from the Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho, the group I packed in with while on their way to the Youth Corps' base camp.

The 10 teenagers with the Youth Corps expedition, who range in age from 16 to 19, work eight hours a day clearing trails as they journey by foot through Idaho's remote Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area.

The Backcountry Horsemen let me travel with them for a distance as they rode to Youth Corps' campsite. And while it made me feel incredibly lazy to watch the teens march by, I was grateful that I was riding on a four-footed animal instead of having to hoof it myself through the mountainous terrain.

A 4-year-old mule named 'Sonny' was my ride. ...

My mostly relaxing two-hour trip by muleback through Idaho's backcountry was fun. But while I only spent a couple hours in the area, the Youth Corps lives and works in this far-flung area of the forest for weeks at a time.

And unlike Sonny and I, they are focused, used to sharing space, and don't mind the sweat and dirt.

Making only minimum wage, many of the teens join the Youth Corps to acquire leadership skills and to get valuable job training, but they also come because they love the outdoors. Some, however, have been more exposed to it than others.

'Some kids have never sat on the ground and ate before they come here,' said Justin Maxon, the 21-year-old co-leader of this Youth Corps expedition. 'It's definitely intense.' ...

The day typically starts at 5 a.m. for the Youth Corps [members]. After a breakfast of cereal with powdered milk, they go to work an hour later. Work lasts for eight hours, with a brief lunch break.

In the evening there is dinner and chores to be done, like getting water and preparing lunch for the next day. Educational programs and group activities are put on after dinner and chores are through.

In one bonding exercise a teen will share their life history for 30 to 45 minutes, with others in the group asking questions and then each person saying something they like about the individual who just spoke.

'I love working with the teenagers and seeing their growth unfold over the week. This program is designed to pack the kids closely together so social skills are developed ... we really get to know each other,' Maxon said.

'It's going to be hard to say goodbye at the end,' Perkins said.

For more on the Backcountry Horsemen of Idaho, visit www.bchi.org.

Stephen Lowman is an Albertson College of Idaho intern with the Idaho Press-Tribune. He can be reached at 465-8115.

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