Back Country ATV-UTV Association member Terry Odom, left, assesses the downed tree situation April 25 as Buddy Williford uses a chainsaw to open an ATV trail near Burnt Cabin Summit in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Members of the association work to clear trees and pick up trash to maintain and preserve trails for public use.
May 3, 2026
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Back Country Association helps keep trails open
Back Country Association helps keep trails open
Massive trees that topple onto trails on public lands don't stay in the way for long. Members of the Back Country ATV-UTV Association roar up mountains through dust, mud, puddles, sunshine and snow to find these obstructions and safely remove them to keep the trails open, accessible and tree free. "The one we just cut down there was deader than a doornail," Norman Molberg of Athol said during a trail-clearing expedition April 25. "It was like cutting through a roll of paper towels."