Sage Abate was fortunate to grow up in Winthrop, Washington, a town in the Methow Valley, which, like many of the communities in western Wyoming, is surrounded by public lands. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest pretty much starts at the edge of town. There are also National Recreation Areas, a wildlife refuge, and North Cascades National Park nearby.
Sage’s family hiked and camped, but she says it was her Nordic ski team’s summer training that really got her into the outdoors. “There was a lot of running and hiking and generally being outside,” she says. When she left Winthrop to go to college in Seattle, “I absolutely missed being near outdoor recreation areas that were easy to get to,” Sage says.
Sage moved to Wyoming in 2019 after doing a summer season on the trail crew in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. “I figured I was ready to leave the place I was born and see different country,” she says. She did two summers on the wilderness ranger trail crew on the BTNF’s Pinedale District and says she loved it. “I love being able to work on the trails that I use everyday—to give back in that way.”
Looking for a different adventure, Sage then spent the last four summers working on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska. But she’s happy to be back in western Wyoming and on the BTNF. “I am looking forward to reconnecting with the forest and work on the trails as part of Forest Corps,” she says. She’s also looking forward to being on an all-female trail crew. “My last two seasons fishing were with all-female crews and it was a really fun atmosphere. There’s something uplifting about strong individual women working together in what is not an easy or glamorous job. It is rewarding to accomplish tough tasks together and prove just how hard we can work.”
Sage on selecting a backcountry campsite: “I understand everyone wants the most ideal campsite, and they might want to camp on the shore of a lake, giving themselves the prettiest viewpoint. But there are reasons there’s the rule to camp at least 200 feet from water (and also from trails): Camping on the shore of a lake, you’re inserting yourself into the experience of others.” (Other reasons you can’t camp within 200 feet of water is to keep pollutants out of lakes and streams and provide wildlife with easy access to water.)
Favorite trail crew tool: “I like the Silky Katanaboy saw. It can cut through a lot of stuff and you can get a lot of work done with it and don’t need another person with you like you do with a crosscut saw. Sometimes I enjoy working by myself—I can bump ahead and go at my own pace.”
Favorite piece of backcountry gear: “Probably my Kindle. I love having a book to read while out in the backcountry, but I don’t want to bring a full 500-page book.”