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big lick trail reopened

curlew job corps instrumental in opening historic kettle crest trail

republic, wa. the historic big lick trail in the kettle river range was finally cleared of a maze-like tangle of downed trees that had made it completely impassable even to the most rugged outdoors person. volunteers from kettle range conservation group and curlew job corps forestry students put in a herculean effort requiring seven days and 366 person hours to clear 5.5 miles of trail of many hundreds of downed trees that in some locations were piled into twisted trunks and branches over 7 feet deep.

“that’s a tremendous amount of hours and work but thanks to volunteers organizing work parties and curlew job corps crew to reopen this trail the task got done this year,” said eric mcquay, recreation program officer for the colville national forest.   “without help from groups such as these, we simply couldn’t keep trails such as big lick maintained with the forest service’s limited maintenance budget,” he said.  

“this is the kind of project curlew job corps students enjoy doing because it provides tangible benefits to the local community,” said jim beckwith, forestry program instructor for curlew job corps. “i heard students saying how pleasing it was to work on this project and that one day in the future they return and enjoy this trail with their family,” he said.

big lick trail is a historic ferry county trail along north fork st. peter creek and traversing the kettle range between mt. leona and profanity peak. it links the western side of the kettle range to the kettle crest / pacific northwest national scenic trail and to ryan’s cabin trail and s. fork of boulder creek on the range’s eastern flanks. historically, this route was used by fur trappers, market hunters, ranchers and prospectors, but more recently its use is primarily for backcountry recreation.

kettle range conservation group adopted big lick trail in 1991 and maintained it yearly until 2004 when the group merged some programs with conservation northwest which discontinued maintenance. in 2010 krcg separated from cnw and is once again organizing trail maintenance and a summer hiking program.

“for so many years volunteers worked countless hours to maintain big lick trail and it’s so rewarding after 7 difficult days to have this gem of trail open once again,” said timothy coleman, executive director of kettle range conservation group. “i can’t say enough about students and their instructor jim beckwith from curlew job corps forestry program contribution to this effort. it simply wouldn’t have happened without them,” coleman said. “the work was so exhausting and as we literally waded into the tangled mass of trees working hour upon hour towards the center of the blockage. it would take a solid hour walking at a brisk pace from the parking area with saws and hand tools just to reach the work site,” he said.

from its western trailhead off aeneas creek road and forest road 260 just north and east of malo and state route 21, the trail traverses one of the most diverse mixes of forest vegetation and wetlands that the colville national forest has to offer. its shrub-steppe grasslands are interspersed with ancient ponderosa pine that blend into interior rainforest of cedar, fir and spruce. the trail offers true wilderness adventure, solitude and startling beauty.


 

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