Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
This campaign is closed
Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors
"This is the most beautiful place in the world," Edward Abbey.
For many of us, this quote means the Eastern Sierra. Think back to that time you stood in the green grass of Little Lakes Valley, smelling the wildflowers all around you as Bear Creek Spire stood in the distance. Think of that time you lay out on the granite slabs of Piute or Bishop Pass and listened to the chirp of marmots while the mountain breeze brushed your body, cooling your hiking weary muscles. Or the first time you came over Duck Pass, and looked down at broad, blue Duck Lake below and the miles of mountains in the distance beyond, and you felt the urge to keep walking into the expanse of it all.
Friends of the Inyo is partnering with the Inyo National Forest to place trail ambassadors on popular trails in the Eastern Sierra. Friends of the Inyo's Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors will be present on popular trails in the Mammoth Lakes Basin and other places like Rock Creek, Bishop Creek, Big Pine Creek, and beyond. You can help make this exciting and important work happen by donating to support the Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors.
During the summer of 2017, the Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors will walk trails with a smile on their face and a shovel in their hand like a banner that says I'm here to help. The smile makes them appear approachable. The shovel makes them look different, makes them look like they're working, and makes them appear important or knowledgeable. Often someone will ask, "What's the shovel for?" The shovel starts a conversation.
Here’s what the Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors will be doing this summer:
Now is the time for this crucial work. Many people are discovering iconic places in the Eastern Sierra by using popular trails, and the Inyo National Forest is experiencing wilderness visitation in numbers that it has never seen before. The Inyo National Forest estimated that 8,000 people traveled the John Muir Trail in 2015, and in 2016, 5,657 permits were issued for the Pacific Crest Trail. These thousands of annual thru-hikers frequently access civilization for re-supply through Eastern Sierra Trails. Also, thousands of hikers, climbers, and backpackers access the high country from the Eastside. This opens the door to invite many more people into discovering and exploring our vast and wild public lands. This is also an opportunity to communicate with them about etiquette, and ultimately, by ensuring that they discover that these are the most beautiful places in the world, to forge a long term connection that commits them to being lifelong constituents.
As our public lands get busier and funding dwindles, it’s crucial to think creatively and form partnerships to ensure that we discover and explore our public lands in a sustainable way. Here’s who Friends of the Inyo is working with to make the Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassador Program happen this summer:
Help make this crucial work happen. Your donation will ensure that people enjoy Eastern Sierra trails and that the most beautiful place on earth is well cared for. Donate to support the Eastern Sierra Trail Ambassadors.
*All John Dittli photos shared with permission to support Eastern Sierra trails. Other photos by Ben Wickham