12 Women and 4 Horses Fix a Trail

As the sun rolled behind the mountains, Lisa Black, who has been both a volunteer and employee of WTA for over 22 years, and Erin McMillin, WTA’s multiday trips program coordinator, happily greeted their all-women crew. As the crew spent the evening getting to know each other, birds sang their evening songs and a doe and her two fawns made a trip to the nearby creek.

• WTA, BCHW and Glazer’s Camera partnered on a short film to commemorate this special trip:

The volunteers from WTA and Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) were eager to work for 5 days, rebuilding and maintaining trails in the remote Pasayten Wilderness, a region drastically impacted by wildfires.

BCHW and WTA have been collaborating for years, but this trip was the first of its kind, an all-women volunteer vacation for the two groups. Tim Van Beek, a Pasayten project manager for BCHW and former WTA employee who has long worked to creative inclusive trips for trail work volunteers, led the charge.

Lisa and Erin were both excited to be part of the crew.

Lisa Black, who has over 23 years of service with WTA, talks about tool safety to a joint group of WTA and BCHW volunteers.

“I see this trip as part of a long legacy of hikers and horses working together to build trails in remote parts of Washington. Horses and other stock animals allow us to get so much farther into the backcountry than we could as just hikers. They literally take the weight off of our backs,” Erin said. "What trails for everyone means for me is it’s not just providing a space that’s technically open for everyone but inviting for everyone.”

Because of the literal horsepower on this trip, the crew was able to camp 10 miles in on the Billy Goat Trail. The horses carried the team’s tools, food and other important gear, which let the crew save some of their energy for the trail work. The horses also assisted in day-to-day work like carrying tools and water to the crew as they worked on parts of the trail miles from the campsite.

Three of the four horses on the trip taking a snack break. Photos by Paula Boston. 

The four horses — Lakota, Ginger, Zephyr and Roxy — were the stars of the trip. Cathy Upper and Jill Calvert, the horses’ owners, are horse packers who have a combined 7 decades of experience in the backcountry with horses.

The women on the trip represented a range of ages, every decade from 20s to 70s. They also had a range of backcountry experience. Some had never spent a night backpacking; others had been on several multiday trail work parties. A few women, like BCHW volunteer Brenda Stevens, were reconnecting with the outdoors in ways they hadn’t in decades. A Washingtonian who had spent her 20s exploring and backpacking not far from the trail the crew worked on, Brenda was excited to return to the Pasayten. Since starting a family, she hadn’t had the opportunity to spend time like this in the backcountry, but a trip with all women helped her feel comfortable starting again.

The team hiked mindfully through sun exposed burns. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer.

The Pasayten has been hit hard by wildfire in the last few years. The Billy Goat Trail specifically was impacted by the Diamond Creek Fire in 2017 and the Cub Creek Fire in 2021.

“(Being here) brings back a lot of memories. We’ve seen a lot of fires come through here. Living close, you’re in tune with the fires and the destruction they cause,” said Brenda, who lives in Okanogan.

Cathy has also noticed the changes over the years and appreciates the chance to help support trails where she has spent so much time.

Cathy Upper carefully loads gear onto her horse. Photo by Victoria Obermeyer

On this trip, the effect the fires have had on the trail — and the trees — was obvious. With little to no shade for most of the hike, the team cherished any breaks from the sun, taking time to communicate when they needed to stop, something that somehow felt easier among a group of all women.

Wildfires can make trails impassible or inhospitable to hikers, and even well-established trails can rapidly vanish after fires. However, thanks to the hard work of 12 women and four horses, over 5 miles of trails were restored for the benefit of both hikers and horses alike.

“I was just so thankful to hear the stories of all these women who have come before me. And it reminded me that a lot has changed in our lifetimes. I do not underestimate the power of representation in my life and the opportunities it’s opened for me,” Erin said. “All-women trips provide the space for women to try new things without the pressure of trying to prove that they should be there.”