Tales from the Trails: Wilderness Storytelling and Discussion

The Wilderness Areas of the Northern Rockies are vast and beautiful, and they provide profound opportunities for recreation. However, many have not had the chance to experience the backcountry firsthand. Join the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation and the Missoula Public Library for an evening of live storytelling from those who have spent their lives living, working, and protecting the Wildernesses that surround the Missoula community. Tales from the Trails will regale you with insightful and humorous stories followed by a 30-minute discussion and Q&A session.

Erika Leister has worked in the woods of Montana and Idaho for 10 years, mostly as a wilderness ranger. She is currently a wilderness ranger in the Stevensville Ranger District on the Bitterroot National Forest. In her off time she loves to spend time in the woods with her husband and two kids, Jhett and Cedar

Nick Hazelbaker was born and raised in North Central Idaho. He started his 35-year Forest Service career in the Moose Creek Ranger District at 18 years of age. Clem Pope, Warren Miller, and Dick Walker were workmates and mentors in those early days of wilderness management. Being immersed in wildland and trail management on the Nez Perce Clearwater and Bitterroot National Forests, it was natural to practice and develop a pride in traditional tools and skills used to keep remote trails usable. That objective, and a tested wildland commitment, piqued his interest in the SBFC Foundation and its mission. Living 20 miles east of Grangeville, retirement includes maintaining trails used to access perimeter fences; felling and cutting firewood trees; home brewing and managing vegetation to reduce the wildland fire risk.

Eva-Maria Maggi is a writer, teacher, and mule packer. Her new book “Hush of the Land : A Lifetime in the Bob Marshall Wilderness” (Bison Books) is with and about Montana outfitter, conservationist and packer Arnold “Smoke” Elser. She holds a Ph.D. in political science and teaches Wilderness Policy and Packing at the University of Montana, Missoula. Her research and writing on Europe and the Middle East were published as the book “The Will of Change” (2018, Springer) and in several academic journals, newspapers and magazines. She grew up in Germany, and lived in Italy, and Morocco. Missoula is her home.