Boise man plans trail maintenance in ‘sacred’ Foothills. Here’s how you can join
For Brandt Gibson, the trails in the Boise Foothills have always felt like a sacred place, a haven for peace and self-reflection. So when he began noticing increasing destruction caused by hikers, runners and bikers using muddy trails, he decided to take action.
Gibson founded River Sober Living, a collection of houses for men recovering from addiction, after his own experience living in multiple sober houses while on his own recovery journey.
“I always thought it would be awesome to develop a sober housing company that didn’t just take somebody’s money, put them in a bed and say, ‘Good luck, try to stay sober,’ ” Gibson said.
Instead, he hoped to offer a space that gave residents opportunities for growth, to connect with their community and give back. One of those projects is an event dedicated to rehabilitating one of Boise’s hardest-hit trails.
Gibson, along with Boise officials, will host a restoration project for the Heroes Trail, one of the newest paths in the Foothills trail system. Gibson and residents from River Sober Living will meet at the Heroes trailhead at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 19, to plant sagebrush and native grasses and try to restore the rutted trail. Gibson has also invited members of the public to join.
“Heroes has been a particularly problematic location,” said Martha Brabec, the city’s Foothills Restoration Specialist. Brabec will supervise the maintenance event.
Brabec said the trail was “like butter” when it was constructed last fall, but winter use has seriously impacted the path.
“The tread has been irrevocably damaged,” Brabec said. “It will never be like that again.”
Brabec said volunteers at the restoration event will use hand tools to try to smooth the trail’s surface as much as possible. The addition of sagebrush and grass should help prevent erosion and compete with invasive grasses in the area, she said.
While maintenance can improve the trail’s condition, Brabec said it’s much better to avoid damaging trails in the first place.
“People need to know before they go,” she said. Brabec pointed trail users to a daily condition report posted on Facebook by Ridge to Rivers, the agency that manages the 250 miles of trails in the Foothills.
Gibson, who moved to Boise in the 1990s as a teen, said he’s seen increasing levels of damage since returning to the Treasure Valley seven years ago.
“It hurts my heart to see what’s happening up in our Foothills,” Gibson said. “It’s being used as a playground that’s disrespected instead of the precious resource that it is.”
How to join
People who want to help with the Heroes Trail restoration can RSVP by calling or texting Gibson at 208-576-9527 or emailing brandt@riversoberliving.com. Volunteers are asked to bring water, work gloves and shovels if possible. Other hand tools will be available to share.
The project begins at 9 a.m. March 19 at the Heroes trailhead near Union and 4th behind the Boise VA Medical Center.
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
