Well Hot August Nights is an under statement!! It sure has been hot and smoky. We pray for safety for all those fighting fires around the area.   Hope for cooler weather soon.

August’s meeting was called to order on the 6th, 7:00pm @ Hoot’s café. We had twelve members attending. This time of the year is hard to make meeting. Summer brings allot of late nights in the fields or working in the yard to beat the heat. We understand. Hope to see you back in September 3rd.

Recap of the July’s activities:

1. Buds Saw Shop Open house: Congratulation to them on their move out on the highway. The day of the open house we (IPA) served 450 hamburgers and 60 Hot dogs between 11:00 and 7:00. Thank you to the following for helping out: Del, Nick, Rick, Don, Ken, Dick, Roger, Kathy, Bob, Dean, Brenda, and Marie.
2. July 19th ride to Lost Lake: Everyone missed out on a great ride. There was only 9 of us there. Our 80 mile ride turned into 140 miles. Yep gas was packed. We went to Lookouts, Bear Idaho, Lost Lake, and Black Lake (the end of the road). And like usually some one ended up in the water. It was a long day but wonderful to see all the ground we covered.
3. 50″rule has passed. We have posted on the web page the letter from Rick Brazil on the ruling. Now 50″ or less machines are allowed on ATV trails. So this will allow the UTV’s that are 50″ or less on the trails. The bigger machines are still restricted to second dairy roads or jeep trails.
4. Trail contract work for the Idaho Parks and Rec. has been turned in. Now we will be waiting for approval from the forest service before Idaho Parks and Rec. will pay.
5. The cost share agreement work is underway. Don Eckford and Steve Dauglish has started preparing the 313 trail for us. And they fixed the the Dead horse trail after the trail cat was done.

We will be going in on August 17th to finish up the trail work on the 313. There will be hauling rock and placing it. All dump trailers and drivers will be needed. Work will start on the upper end Just off the Gospel Road. We will be unloading down by main road (221) and starting work 7:00am.

1. Next ride will be in September to Coolwater.   (September 13 & 14)

At last meeting we had some miss understanding going on. We would like to clear it up.

All the trail work that we do weather it be Contract work or Trail ranger work is VOLUNTEER WORK.

We do not get paid mileage, hourly wage or reimbursement for breakdowns. Idaho Pathfinders is a club that is volunteer time. Yes we have and incentive program for the trail ranger program but is done at the end of the year. (One gas card and a hat) The excavator work that is done is paid for the excavator it self, not the operator or mileage.

How the cost share agreement works. At the end of the work   I turn in who worked, hours and travel time to the sight. I document what was used and how long it took us. When all that is turned in, that has to equal what the Forest Service did for the project. If we have an excavator working then I turn in that bill to them and they pay us for it.   It more or less is a paper work for me to do to equal what they do.

The Trail Ranger Program is different. We the club are paid by the mile for the trail work we do. Not the mileage we travel to the site. And that money we get goes toward our insurance for the club. In return we have come up with the incentive program. Last year each person that work on the trails during the work days received one gas card worth $35 and a hat. My trail bosses’ for the day keep track for me who was there for the day. Trails have to be cut out to specs in order for us to get paid.

There is a lot going on behind the scène for this club. Some members go to meetings other then the monthly IPA meeting, store items, haul things to places, build tools for work or just do paperwork. All of this done for free. We are paying for fuel to one member to go to Orofino to meetings for us once a month, but that is it.

Yes we have money in the bank, but we try to save as much as we can incase we have to use it for keeping a trail open. That is what the club was started for ” Working for the public to keep trails open.”

Next meeting is September 3rd

Trail work August 17th on the 313 trail.