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Giving back, the hard, physical way at our climbing areas with the Access Fund and the U.S Forest Service
Trail building, stopping erosion, and moving rocks — hard work to be sure. But, MM guide Jake Skeen puts a positive spin on making things better and the rewards of some hard work.
It was a fun and unique experience getting to work on trails with the Access Fund between a couple of guiding trips this summer. It is easy to take certain things for granted in the climbing community. How many people think about all of the work that goes into maintaining belay platforms, preventing hillside erosion, and clearing trails around popular crags in the US? It is the mission of the Access Fund to keep climbing areas open and conserve the environment.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=23efde513322b6aec5dbbdca839bc417 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=dc68f2993ae8acda3f9c653b6a96c125 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=c8ad81cec746a39dc0cac05260121ea8 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=bf3e302a9012264648f300dcb145c415 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=43dbed30aabf2d7cff9b11989f3e411d 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=8ddbebb1116a8aed1e115a80fd8b5cec 1008w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=b1697d6ba8c66480f9192ef0ea764059 1008w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fgeneral-images%2Faccs.f1598387412.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=285fb28c4a7b6097d5ef1647c5653f16 1008w)
Mountain Madness owner Mark Gunlogson and I first met our trail work crew at the Fun Rock crag in Mazama. It was comprised of full time Access Fund staff, US Forest Service rangers, and other volunteers. Some may think that guiding is a physically demanding job… Try working on trails. We moved huge boulders all day. When the rocks were too big for me and Mark to move we called in a heavy lifter volunteer who was built like a football player. But there were even some that he couldn’t move — and that’s when they introduced a complex system of drilling holes in granite, sledge hammering steel wedges into them, and hauling the remaining blocks with systems and equipment make crevasse rescue look easy. This was an honest day’s work.
![hammering man giving back with volunteer work mountain madness](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=1c4092e426680a9fe5a987962a6b2932 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=be227b84b1e571aab1e2da1d128d490e 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=4742d1b6c92577c2e8acc43938820b91 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=ae7c69325dda736d40071f1fb8da30e0 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=0540fbe64ae92431db8a1e7f769e4172 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=fef539196ee74487e4961d6850de5c50 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=07bea873a51e2e371f8534ebcd74b344 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=31810fcb574ead5f2b4fe226bfa87b3a 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=e43863c811e3cbeee49e1df4066135e8 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=a1e0e72c8a1331da921186e45de251b4 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Volunteer-work-ham.f1598388805.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=97095f3a8c4d1664d841991b1c520452 200w 167h)
![moving mountains volunteer with Access Fund Mountain Madness](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=90745c7123939014f6b6af3ed18e5a95 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=16f7078490f9122b283401c40b1e767f 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=5c10e179a462e9f72e2c8b1d0b45fa4e 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=e361ac1592c77507a0004b5be0b4bb06 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=0c8516855a29ffeac9331a3d00b65614 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=e30fad41e40cd9fc107fd15f5ba3578c 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=48f88128cff7cc86f90f7d1f28cdd856 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=b0fa0d2c87e688c6a619ee9b8ad145d2 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=00238ed726c3d0d446ec4dcb594ae095 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=90614bda0ad1480a39cb977c45e5cc7a 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/ham2.f1598389397.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5021&fp-y=0.3828&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=5e0ad8b3551dcfb4c02db4a2cec6289c 200w 167h)
![access fund and mountain madness guide volunteer in Mazama](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=9ff6f34caa04baa5b14855ac0a53825a 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=6daf055988e00f0597e917a303bf3a45 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=c661191d3f066d04dbc6546d21245ba6 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=c67c1fc1dfe3c7e1fb9327db0360fd4a 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=a012332b83ddd55be4df916c77ca3885 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=5d72c57feda6cce08675a0e48601bf1c 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=2b6fbabd3ba8adae9be3a7d8e10da3c6 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=1149970af7778d5eed7cd282e27420d2 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=ef1ac9f4b89dfe37636a9019fcfd3ece 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=2f09516ae058f5ae8adb8badc14585b0 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Fun-rock-volunteer-with-Access-Fund-and-Mountain-madness-ham3.f1598389062.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=712c1c93e5dd06e3dbf722547d412896 200w 167h)
I was accompanied by MM guide Kyle Hornor on my next trip with the Access Fund. We hiked 6 miles into the enchantments and set up camp next to Nada Lake. Alpine swimming conditions were prime with lowland temps in the triple digits. Kyle and I joined the Access Fund staff and three other volunteers on a couple days of trundling huge rocks off the trail. This work should be the prescription for ADD in teenage boys. It involved building mechanical advantage systems (the biggest one I calculated was 128:1) and prying rocks with steel levers down the hillside. When we became fatigued from this we recovered with some hillside weedwhacking.
![Leavenworth volunteer work with Access Fund and Mountain Madness](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1826&q=80&w=2200&s=a3f9d48d69a98a47c5d8810beb78bac2 2200w 1826h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1660&q=80&w=2000&s=aa47e4ef0f599203165826b2076c6dac 2000w 1660h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1494&q=80&w=1800&s=a2b7df72c384b90521a191bad638c5c4 1800w 1494h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1328&q=80&w=1600&s=6a330eb0d73a86a6fabd6223b8681e0e 1600w 1328h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1162&q=80&w=1400&s=6bb0c8411b8c2a997367477ac592996c 1400w 1162h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=996&q=80&w=1200&s=9697803d33b9222cd000c5806325cbfe 1200w 996h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=830&q=80&w=1000&s=1680f3910e55dc78575516cd0b2606b7 1000w 830h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=664&q=80&w=800&s=e08cd31132a79bfcf657ffbbb6f9985e 800w 664h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=498&q=80&w=600&s=e1990fdd443caa2d505b37071ffe0131 600w 498h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=332&q=80&w=400&s=cd21241a1d513a2221dfd11a596de987 400w 332h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Trail-work-volunteer-with-Mountain-Madness-Access-Fund-2.f1598389118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=166&q=80&w=200&s=486452f1a187e1174e3e180b5531b5ab 200w 166h)
![Trail and climbing area work volunteer mountain madness and access fund](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1826&q=80&w=2200&s=e217e14f39c0962a5e131f7a9653d853 2200w 1826h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1660&q=80&w=2000&s=5007b5e67f95b0b93632c08ad7c231fc 2000w 1660h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1494&q=80&w=1800&s=b75d5c36dbf3b2d74e09cfc5390009ce 1800w 1494h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1328&q=80&w=1600&s=b3d2db2252b5c98f98b2925dc24844cc 1600w 1328h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1162&q=80&w=1400&s=26b9ded2a9605f95f8a71cbf97c72df1 1400w 1162h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=996&q=80&w=1200&s=6e8e793ff06bf48b8eb79cec26dbd13e 1200w 996h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=830&q=80&w=1000&s=fe79c02d6a55cf625c777979bd882642 1000w 830h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=664&q=80&w=800&s=39cfeb9ffacbaa19689b3c1e114129ef 800w 664h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=498&q=80&w=600&s=6bb0ca82c1bb165dd5ed5ee4f6076882 600w 498h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=332&q=80&w=400&s=b0a3ef5542ebfcbc00930ac7a2ad8345 400w 332h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/Working-with-Forest-Service-at-Fun-Rock-Mazama-access-fund-mountain-madness-access3.f1598389181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=166&q=80&w=200&s=dc55d4c5ce8b6705fff9ff0b3a850be9 200w 166h)
The Access Fund staff members, Anna and Jake, travel around the country hitting up famous climbing destinations during their peak seasons. I encourage you guys to look them up and offer a day of volunteer work, as it is a demanding workout with a rewarding outcome!
Cheers,
Jake Skeen