zozeppelin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:35 pm
Hi Pete,
Really cool, appreciate the insight and thanks for sharing. I often wonder how it all works, because it appears some rangers cover a lot of ground (250 and 650), so I was curious as to whether they are the back-office people just filing the reports from the rangers doing the hiking or doing it themselves. Speaking of which, 650 has been awfully quiet after the initial good run in TM, SM and MG. Hope all is well!
I'll submit another gripe - they have Park Creek trail in winter status with no updates / projected clearings, but have both PAR and UPP open - how does that make sense.
Yesterday, Sunday the 23rd, I had a short chat with my friend Ranger 623 while he was taking a break at Logan Pass.
He explained a little bit about the number designations like his(623) and 250, 650, etc.
Designations ending in "23" are "Wilderness Rangers". The first number, in his case "6" is the Ranger District he is assigned to.
Some of the duties of the Wilderness Rangers are, 1) Walking the trails checking for hazards, etc. 2) Inspecting and cleanup of campsites,
3) Pit toilet cleanup
and too many others to name. These "23" Rangers are very capable men and women who must be able to operate independently as well be part of a team when required...like search and rescue missions, bear management, first aid, body recovery---you name it and they do it.
Rangers with designations ending in "50" like 250 and 650 are District Trail Supervisors.
250 is Many Glacier. 650 is St Mary(I think that's what he said)
He was rattling through all the district names and number designations faster than I could remember!!
Some of the Districts are North Fork, Many Glacier, St Mary, Two Medicine, Nyack, Lake McDonald, Goat Haunt, etc.
The top people like 250 and 650 don't necessarily do the trail inspections and reports "personally".
Staff rangers, who do not have number designations, do a lot of the reports and then they get reported under their supervisor's number.
Combo Letter and Number designations like C1 are Law Enforcement Ranger designations.
I think I have the following correct
C1 is the chief LEO for the district that includes Logan Pass. (He closed the Hidden lake trail because of the bear/goat incident)
C10 would be a supervisor for an area within C1's district.
623 laughed when I told him about fighting my way down through the
real estate from hell between the Highline trail and the Big Bend.
Clearly, I never found the trail that mountaineers use to get to the Highline from the Big Bend!
I'll report on that later...NOT FUN, but a great learning experience.
That area is part of his responsibility for S&R. He said he has been all through that area.
He allowed that it's a
very tough place to get though, full of hazards like alders
, head high brush and trees, cliffs and gullies, often choked with willows that make a lot of it nearly impassable.
My comment was, "No S**T" I found that out the hard way!
At least you didn't have to come rescue me!!
pete