About TRAMPS

The Trails Program, now known as The NSA Trails Restoration & Maintenance Project Specialists or TRAMPS, was started by Art Jukkala in 1999 as a means of giving old Smokejumpers a chance to visit old stomping grounds and maintain old relationships. Over the years, it has expanded into a national trails program that maintains and builds trails as well as restoring back country cabins and other forestry buildings.

In one year alone, the NSA Trails Program, during a series of 20 week-long projects, Smokejumpers, associates, friends, and spouses donated thousands of hours to maintain and build trails, restore cabins and corrals, and provide other assistance.

Projects were located in national forests, national parks, and wilderness areas located in 8 different states. Crews made up of five to twelve Smokejumpers and Associates worked on each project, and projects included drive-to projects as well as pack-in projects. Backcountry Horsemen supported some of the projects. Projects had differing levels of physical difficulty ranging from easy to the more difficult to accommodate a wide variety of physical abilities.

The NSA would like to thank Fred Cooper (MSO ’62) for his many years of service to the NSA and for his work organizing and running the TRAMPS program. As Fred has retired from work with the NSA, we welcome the team of Dick Hulla and Jeff Kinderman to head up the program this summer. TRAMPS is always looking for volunteers, and indeed, without them, the program will cease. In recent years, the number of volunteers has dwindled. So we renew our call for smokejumpers, particularly those who have retired, and WLFF volunteers to step up to help keep this excellent program running.