Working on the hillside on a scenic Wyoming mountain, six Orangeburg residents literally became trailblazers as they participated in the largest service project conducted by the Boy Scouts of America since World War II last month.

The six joined more than 1,000 Boy Scouts who helped to build 12 miles of trails along the Teton Pass area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

State Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, took part in the project, calling it “one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had in my nearly 50 years of scouting.

“Knowing that we built trails that will be there for my great-grandchildren to use gave me a real sense of accomplishment.”

Hutto was part of the Orangeburg contingent that also included Hutto’s son Skyler, William McCormick, Bill Larson, Charles Larson and Jason MacPherson.

Kniffy Hamilton, a forest supervisor at Bridger-Teton, estimated the value of the Boy Scouts’ services to be around $1 million.

The project was designed to improve visitors’ experiences by providing separate trails for mountain bikers, horses and hikers in the Teton Pass area.

“It’s a difficult process. You start out with a plain mountainside and when you get done, there’s a trail there,” said McCormick, who first heard of the project in 2006 while attending a national Boy Scouts leadership conference.

The week-long Bridger-Teton project was part of four other endeavors that comprised the ArrowCorps5 national service project, a collaborative effort between the Boy Scouts and the U.S. Forest Service. Boy Scouts from across the country also participated in projects this summer to improve national forests in Utah, Virginia, California and Missouri.

Skyler Hutto said only four or fives inches of grass were cut to mark off where the trails were to be built. The grass evolved into trails that were three feet wide. To make the trails, the scouts cut away at the hillside and smashed rocks into gravel.

“When I looked at it, there was a great sense of completion,” said the younger Hutto.

All of the six were divided into different groups that had their own tasks. McCormick said that was a great opportunity to meet Boy Scouts from the other 36 states represented in the project.

While there was plenty of work to accomplish for the six men that traveled 2,100 miles from the Garden City to the Equality State, there was still time for some fun.

McCormick said they had a recreation day with whitewater rafting and a tour of Yellowstone National Park on the itinerary.

Upon their arrival in Wyoming, the group became educated and trained in the various aspects of trail building before taking on the difficult challenge.

McCormick was pleased he was able to give back to the community but noted “just being out there was the best aspect. It was a great time, a good experience. I’m glad I went there.”

Skyler Hutto liked that so many people were working together for several days with a united purpose.

“It was great to look at what had been done,” he said.

MacPherson said the project seemed overly ambitious at first, but through hard work the vision unfolded into a reality.

“Being part of something of this magnitude, so much larger than one’s self, is a once in a lifetime experience,” MacPherson said.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.

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