Everyone has been eagerly waiting, and we’re excited to share that we are in the final stages of confirming details for our 2026 season. This year’s lineup includes two outstanding adult stewardship trips, one in May and another in September, bookending the season. We’re also planning five teen trips, consisting of one weekend program, two five-day trips, and two immersive seven-day experiences. In addition, we have two possible youth trips scheduled, though this opportunity is contingent upon securing the remaining funding.
ADULT TRIPS:
Ascend’s 2026 Adult Backcountry Stewardship season features two immersive, week-long opportunities for volunteers to give back to Northern California’s wilderness while experiencing some of its most remote and spectacular landscapes. Kicking off the season, the May 31–June 6 trip takes place in the Marble Mountain Wilderness along the Haypress Trail and nearby routes, where up to 12 participants will engage in hands-on trail stewardship, including logouts, brush clearing, tread repair, and corridor restoration.
This early-season work helps improve access and long-term sustainability in a rugged backcountry setting. Later in the season, September 5–11, Ascend returns to the Trinity Alps Wilderness for a second stewardship experience in the Poison Canyon trail system. With pack support provided, participants will basecamp at Lily Pad Lake and spend the week working throughout the surrounding cirque in a landscape shaped by fire and recovery. Daily stewardship projects will be balanced with time to enjoy pristine alpine lakes, expansive views, and quiet moments of reflection.
TEEN TRIPS:
Ascend’s 2026 Teen Stewardship and Science season offers a progression of immersive, place-based experiences that engage youth in hands-on conservation, field science, and wilderness leadership across Northern California’s most iconic landscapes. The season begins May 23–25 in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, where 12–15 teens will rehabilitate the Haypress and Stanshaw Trails within the McCash Fire footprint. This work will prepare the trails to stock-passable standards in coordination with Six Rivers National Forest staff and the Bigfoot Trail Alliance, supporting a seamless transition to Ascend’s following adult stewardship efforts on the Haypress Trail.
From June 20–27, a smaller crew of eight teen interns will return to the Trinity Alps Wilderness for a seventh-day immersion focused on the Boulder Lakes Trail System, continuing Ascend’s fourth consecutive year of post–River Complex Fire trail restoration. This work is part of a coordinated, multi-year approach that pairs teen crews with adult volunteer stewardship trips to address long-term fire impacts in this heavily used wilderness area.
In July, the focus shifts from tools to science. From July 6–10, twelve teens will participate in a field science immersion in the Scott Mountain area of the Shasta-Trinity and Klamath National Forests, working alongside California Department of Fish and Wildlife and regional scientists. Teens will assist with amphibian recovery actions for Cascades Frogs and Long-toed Salamanders, invasive fish removal, aquatic hexapodal and cryptogam studies, and terrestrial arthropod surveys, gaining hands-on experience in applied conservation research.
Stewardship returns to the Marble Mountain Wilderness July 27–31, where twelve teen stewards will focus on post-fire trail repair and drainage improvements to protect fragile soils, support natural regeneration, and maintain safe wilderness access. This trip is directed by U.S. Forest Service leadership and facilitated in partnership with the Bigfoot Trail Alliance and SWRC’s Youth Environmental Summer Stewardship (YESS) interns, fostering cross-community connections among youth in the Klamath Mountains.
The season culminates August 3–9 with a 7-day Stoddard/Doe Lakes Packers Trip, where teens will gain hands-on experience working with pack animals while completing trail maintenance and campsite restoration in remote backcountry settings. Participants will learn animal care, packing techniques, wilderness travel, and trail etiquette, while building teamwork, stewardship skills, and a deeper understanding of how pack animals support access and care for public lands.
YOUTH TRIPS:
Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming two youth trips. The first potential trip will be for ages 10-12, July 9-13. The second trip will be for ages 12-14, July 20-24. The youth trips are contingent on funding being approved this Spring.