Blazing trails: Youth camp helps Forest Service clean and maintain hiking trails

Marcus McFarland, 16, of Las Vegas spends seven hours a day, five days a week at Mary Jane Falls, a hiking trail at Mount Charleston. Unlike visitors, he isn't there to hike, but works on the trails with heavy tools -- moving boulders and cleaning up pathways to make them more accessible to those who use the area every day.

McFarland is one of more than 40 boys from the Spring Mountain Youth Camp who volunteer to work with the U.S. Forest Service during the summer to clean up and maintain trails at Mount Charleston. They are joined by youths from the Spring Mountain Halfway House, who work at Red Rock Canyon.

They help maintain more than 60 miles of trail each summer, working at such areas as Bridge Mountain and Griffith Peak.

The youngsters live at the youth camp, an 80-bed detention center in Mount Charleston for boys, ages 9 to 18, who have committed felonies such as property damage, drugs, auto theft and gun possession.

They volunteer to spend their summers at the camp working with the Forest Service and making money in the process. The program tries to target the boys who owe restitution for their crimes, as they can earn up to $1,000.

"We are really proud of the kids who come to work here," camp manager Dan Prince said. "It's a way for us to give something back to the department, to give something back to the taxpayers."

The youth camp is part of a larger effort, working as a division of the Clark County Department of Family and Youth Services.

Mary Jane Falls is the heaviest-used trail on the mountain, said Chester Giesler, forestry supervisor for Spring Mountain Youth Camp. During the weekdays, he said, up to 60 people visit the area, and on the weekends the numbers are in the hundreds. The Forest Service's goal is to make the trail wheelchair-accessible by next summer.

Last summer, heavy rains at the mountain washed out the trails, making gouges up to 8 feet deep. This summer, the boys are dividing the trails with huge boulders, so when it rains, one side is built up for runoff and the other is preserved as a smoother trail for hikers.

The boys arrive at Mary Jane Falls at 10 a.m. and leave tired and thirsty at 5 p.m. They can be seen scattered over a long stretch of the trail, some moving huge boulders by hand, some using heavy-duty raking and digging tools to make the trail smoother.

The boys move aside when hikers pass, and are courteous to those who say hello. Five crew leaders join the group of boys to supervise.

Walking the 1 1/2-mile trail to the waterfall, the boys point proudly to signs they have put in the ground that inform people to stay on the trail. They also express disgust when then see their hard work ruined by people who have cut through forest areas, causing brush and rocks to fall onto the once-maintained trail.

Erenest Schneider, 17, was brought to the youth camp five months ago on controlled substance charges, among others. He owes no restitution, deciding to work with the Forest Service for other reasons.

"I am working for the money, I wanted to get paid," he said. "I'm going to buy me some school clothes."

Mike Regan, 17, brought to the camp on paraphernalia charges three months ago, volunteered for a different reason.

"I am going to go to college when I get out (of the camp), so I put the money in the bank."

The average stay at the camp is six months, depending on behavior. Schneider, Regan and McFarland said they hope to leave at the end of their six- month stay.

The boys said they weren't prepared for the tough, manual labor they faced, even though they went through about 15 hours of training before they started.

"I didn't think it would be so hard," Schneider said, as McFarland chimed in, "I wondered if I was going to make it."

They complain of the heat and the sunburns they get.

Giesler has worked with the boys all summer, and tells them how proud he is of them as he walks by and supervises their work. He said he hopes this training will lead the boys to future jobs after they leave the camp.

"Ninety-nine percent of these kids had never hiked, camped or worked before," he said. "These kids are working harder than they ever had -- it's a new experience for them. The hardest part for them is to believe in themselves."

For McFarland, brought to the camp three months ago on grand theft auto charges during a time he calls "March Madness," the best part of working is the positive feedback he gets from the passers-by.

"People walking by are always telling us we are doing a good job. I didn't think it was that big of a deal," he said. "This work has taught me responsibility."

Regan's likes are similar. "I like making the trail look nice and helping out people. This has taught me dedication to work."

On Friday, a barbecue at Lee Canyon will mark the end of the summer for the 27th annual program. Some lucky boys -- "Hot Shot Crews" -- will be given special awards for their hard work.

"We will select two or three kids from each crew for a special award," Giesler said. "Kids that have been dependable, reliable and had a minimum amount of discipline problems."

Halfway through their day, between gulps of ice water, the boys say they are looking forward to getting back to the camp to continue their daily activities.

"The first thing I am going to do is take a shower ... and eat dinner," the three agreed, smiling.

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