Vibe-Fall-2024 - Flipbook - Page 36
WHITE MOUNTAIN BACKCOUNTRY STEWARDS
PSAR: Preven琀椀ve Search and Rescue By Dave Greenslit
Backcountry stewards provide information on routes, trail conditions, weather, Leave No Trace principles,
and answer questions. Both the trailhead and backcountry steward programs are what the Forest Service
refers to as PSAR: Preventive Search and Rescue. And the programs appear to be doing their jobs.
T
wo young women arrived at the Old Bridle Path/Falling
Waters trailhead, planning to hike the famed Franconia
Ridge. They wore white spandex and espadrilles, and one
of them carried a white Coach pocketbook, which contained a
4-ounce water bottle for them to share. No pack, no food, no
warm clothing.
“Hi, where are you going today?” asked Dan Allegretti, who
was volunteering as a steward for the National Forest Service at
the trailhead, alongside his wife, Judit Noyes.
“Up there!” the women replied.
Without belittling or shaming, Allegretti and Noyes explained that they needed sturdy footwear, much more water,
food, layers of clothing, and more to tackle the strenuous,
almost 9-mile Franconia Ridge loop, where the temperature was
30 degrees colder and much windier than in the notch.
Instead, the stewards suggested the women visit Artist’s
Bluff, an exponentially shorter, lower, and easier walk at the
northern end of Franconia Notch. The walk offers nice views of
Echo Lake and the big mountains to the south. “Their eyes lit
up,” Noyes said. “That’s exactly what they wanted.”
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And that’s precisely what Noyes and Allegretti wanted: to
change the plans of people who were not prepared for a challenging hike in the White Mountains.
PRE-HIKE ADVICE & INFORMATION
Noyes and Allegretti, who live in Franconia, are among the more
than 100 people who volunteer as Forest Service trailhead or
backcountry trail stewards. Their task is to keep people safe and
educate them on conserving the environment.
Millions of people come to the White Mountain National
Forest each year, and for good reason. Its rugged high peaks,
sweeping vistas, diverse plant and animal life, abundant rivers,
streams, lakes, and varied recreational opportunities make it a
national jewel. But the popularity of the Whites comes at a cost.
“The forest is being loved to death,” said John Marunowski,
the volunteer coordinator for the Forest Service, at a training
session for stewards earlier this year. More people are hiking
than ever.
Seeing the need to protect both people and resources, the
Forest Service began its trailhead steward program 10 years
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