CHARITON — People across the 15,500-acre coverage of Stephens State Forest in Chariton can saddle up for Back Country Horsemen of Iowa Work Day Nov. 6. While proof-of-horse is not required for entry, organizer Lori Stephenson said the Back Country Horsemen of Mid-Iowa are looking for volunteers to make improvements to the trail.
“The Back Country Horsemen of Iowa is part of the national Back Country Horsemen of America and our primary purpose is to help the trail system in Iowa just so other equestrian trail riders can have a good place to go ride,” she said.
Stephenson also said the Back Country Horsemen do work days all across the state.
“There are several chapters of people or groups within the state and they usually have some pet projects in their area,” she said. “So for example, someone from Southwest Iowa might be working on the Loess Hills Trail or something like that,” she said.
Stephenson is working with Back Country Horsemen of Mid-Iowa, whose priority is clearing up dead trees that make for safer riding and walking.
“We’ve ridden at Stephens the last several years a couple times and there are a lot of dead falls over the trail and it’s just not ideal riding conditions, so there was a work day down there last year towards the end of September and then this is my first time organizing it and we were just kind of late with it and that’s why it’s in November this year,” she said.
Volunteers won’t just be asked to cut down trees as other improvements are always made to the park for those who can help.
“We hope some people volunteer and we’ll work on the trails by cutting out the trees that have fallen over the trails and there are improvements always made at the campgrounds, so new hitching racks, sometimes they put in a mounting block, they take down trees that are kind of endangered or have already died at the campgrounds,” Stephenson said.
The Back Country Horsemen bring in chainsaws to cut down the dead trees, but only with the permission of the DNR.
“For us, it’s always using a chainsaw, and at the state parks, you can’t use a chainsaw, so it always has to be part of a volunteer day before they’ll give you permission to bring in power equipment like that. So, when I was down there last week, I was down there to put my signs up and just kind of advertise it and talk to the people riding and one of the guys said, ‘Yep, that tree is still alive, but the roots have rotted and it will be down within a year,’ so that’s the kind of information I’ll take to the DNR people.”
The brush and other remains of the trees will be left as available firewood for campers and anyone who needs it as the chillier months of the year settle in.
“Now, the DNR people are professionals, right? It’s kind of a forestry person and that kind of stuff, but that’s something I would make a recommendation, like, ‘Hey, what is the viability of this tree, because somebody said it’s going to come down in the next year,’ so they’ll have equipment down there, throw the brush off into the timber, or if people want it for firewood, usually there’s that option, usually people have some flatbed trailers and stuff like that.”
Stephenson said it’s uncommon for people to take wood with them, but it is always an option as the DNR do not take the massive endeavors as other states would to prevent fires.
“So far no, not really, but I’m assuming it’s an option, or we just cut it up and leave it for firewood for someone to use at the park. As soon as you’re off the trail at Stephens, it’s like brush, you can’t ride in a straight line for 20 feet just because of the timber, so if we add to the amount of dead trees, it’s not that big of a deal, I mean it’s not like they have any big management projects going on where they take out the underbrush, I would say in places that were more prone to fires, they would do something like that.”
There are plenty of trees around, so Stephenson said the DNR would likely allow anyone to take what they need.
“I can’t imagine if someone said, ‘I want to take all that home,’ they would say no,” she said.
Stephenson said her own personal priority is to be able for her smaller horse to navigate the trail easier than a bigger one would.
“So when I was there last year, it was high-COVID time and most of the projects were at the campgrounds, so then there were the derecho trees they were clearing up and they were putting in more hitching rails, that kind of thing,” she said. “But my daughter and I had been down there riding earlier in the month, so this was September of ‘20, and this year, I’m riding a POA, Pony of America, so he’s a short horse and there are some of the dead falls he has to jump to get over where a normal-sized horse might be able to step right over it and I think it’s kind of hard for him to jump and get over some of the stuff.”
The more people volunteer, the easier it will be for hikers and horsemen to tread the path of Stephens State Forest.
“It all depends on how many people show up, where you can go and how much work you can get done, but for me, my priority is to make the trails a little bit better, because I’m going to be riding a horse next year, but he’s also pretty little and it’s not what we do when we trail ride, we don’t jump over things.”
Stephenson said the Back Country Horsemen will always work with the DNR for any public property and the owners of any private property they commit to improving.
“There’s just constant improvements by the forest, by the state departments and all that, but I don’t want it to sound like we’re the ones coming in, we’re the martyrs, the saviors, whatever,” she said. “We work really hard with the DNR people, Jessica Flatt is the gal I’ve worked most with down there and she’s just been great about lining up projects and they bring in heavy equipment that day and that’s just something the Back Country group does.”
For more information on the Back Country Horsemen of Iowa and how to volunteer, Stephenson can be contacted at 515-290-3506.