FY21 Annual Report
Wow. What a year. 2020 and early 2021 will go down in the record books as one of the most challenging times any of us will live through. Hyalite has been a refuge and a steady source of solace through the pandemic. Friends of Hyalite has been monitoring traffic numbers on the Hyalite road for many years now, and we saw a substantial increase in vehicle numbers over the past year. Having Hyalite so close to home, with so much to offer, is truly invaluable.
Given Hyalite’s popularity, our stewardship efforts took on even more importance this past year. We were sad to cancel our Spring Clean Up Day, but the Day Use Area was looking spiffy when the road opened, thanks to the parking lot sweep donated by Yellowstone Pavement Solutions! The sweep, combined with targeted efforts by the Friends of Hyalite Board and Bozeman Ranger District trail crew, helped clean up Hyalite in preparation for summer. Knowing how important our stewardship efforts are to caring for Hyalite, we appreciated the Forest Service’s willingness to work with us to adapt our summer stewardship efforts so that we could do the important work of caring for Hyalite and keep everybody safe. With masks, social distancing, and lots of smiles, Friends of Hyalite volunteers picked up trash, cleaned fire pits, painted the Langhor bridge, and continued the never-ending task of removing old barbed wire fencing in Moser and Lick Creek.
Most of our volunteer events were supervised by the Forest Service’s Hyalite Steward. This position, which your donations to Friends of Hyalite helps fund, is critically important keeping a handle on Hyalite’s summer crowds. Last year the Hyalite Steward spent 79 days working in Hyalite - talking with visitors, cleaning outhouses, rehabbing illegal campsites, removing hazard trees, working with volunteers, and more. It’s pretty rare for there to be a Forest Service employee focused on just one area, and we’re excited to increase our support for this vital position in the coming year.
Although we stayed plenty busy with stewardship projects this past year, we made time for fun too! Many people and partner organizations participated in our first-ever HyaliteFest in August. Launching a new event during a pandemic was an interesting challenge but we were really happy with how it turned out. Here’s hoping HyaliteFest 2021 can involve a bit more social interaction!
And finally, we can’t forget to talk about road plowing! Although it was a lower snow year overall, Gallatin County plowed Hyalite 15 times this season - the same number as last year! This winter road access provided opportunities for ice fishing, ice skating, ice climbing, and a whole multitude of snow sports. We’ll be covering a bit over half of this past winters’ plowing bill, $11,124, and we remain committed to always ensuring year-round access to Hyalite.
We couldn’t do this work without you, and we’re incredibly grateful to all who contribute time and/or money to support Friends of Hyalite.