Scout (they/them) first discovered the behind-the-scenes world of conservation and trail maintenance through their first trail crew with the Northwest Service Academy in 1998. Having grown up close to and regularly hiking the trails of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve in Arizona, realizing that they could be part of the secret society of trail magic creators was life altering. As any trail-builder worth their salt knows, the more sustainable path tends to be the one that meanders, it is not a straight line. As such, Scout has taken this to heart considerably and has worn many hats since that first trail crew experience 24 years ago, but has never strayed too far off trail.
Scout led the Backcountry Construction Crew when it was brought back to life in the 2021 field season and is excited to be the new coordinator for this program moving forward. They are focused on building lasting structures along the Long Trail system, restoring structures in need of some TLC, and most importantly: sharing the unique skillset of backcountry carpentry with the crew and helping them learn the trade.
It has been said that we all contain multitudes, and outside of their worklife Scout enjoys many things, including long distance running, baking, creating art, writing, listening to and creating music, and being unapologetically queer. Fun fact: when Scout first worked for the GMC as a caretaker some years back they had a moose encounter that landed a photo on the cover of the Long Trail News.
