When RJ Devitt first sought out a trail crew job in Glacier National Park 20 years ago, he figured he’d do it two, three years and then move on to something else.

Devitt was already 35 and had spent the previous 10 years as the director of the Big Creek Educational Center up the North Fork for the Glacier Institute.

Back then you could just stop by park headquarters, grab an application and wait to see if you got a job. It definitely worked out. 

Devitt retired from the seasonal position earlier this year and perhaps, just in time. At age 55 he had not one, but both hips replaced in the past four months.

He’s doing much better now, but his trail crew days are behind him.

It was a rewarding career. While Devitt never took a supervisory position with trails, he was the go-to person when it came to organizing and overseeing the many volunteer and Montana Conservation Corps and other youth group projects in Glacier Park over the past two decades. You couldn’t find a person that’s better with people than Devitt, colleague and longtime trail Glacier Park crewman Mark Dundas said.

Dundas recently had a Park Service arrowhead made for Devitt, a gesture normally reserved for career permanent employees.

“His position was the most challenging of all the trail positions, as it involved overseeing volunteers, managing the horse concessionaire trails, collaborating with other crews and addressing the work that other crews were unable to complete,” Dundas said. “He has worked on trails throughout the west side of Glacier from the North Fork to the Middle Fork. He has been a great asset to the Glacier Park trails program as an educator, trainer, instructor and overall exceptional leader.”

Devitt only kept track of his miles on the trail one year and that was a long time ago. He recalled it was somewhere between 700 and 800 miles in a season, which runs from late April to October. So the quick math would say he hiked between 14,000 and 16,000 miles over his career, with a big pack full of gear and supplies.

He’s always enjoyed training and working with volunteers. In addition to his work in Glacier, he’s been a hunter educator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for 25 years.

One notably rewarding project came in the last three years, when Devitt and crew worked on making the Lake McDonald campground more wheelchair accessible, with specialized paths to the campsites.

The campground is one of the few in Glacier that’s accessible by foot and by boat.

WHILE WORKING in the woods in Glacier might seem like a dream job, “It’s a lot of work,” he said.

The job doesn’t stop when the weather goes south. If rain sets in, you work in the rain and camp under a tarp. In the morning you put on the same wet pants, same wet socks, same wet boots and go at it.

On the flip side, on a hot July day working in a burned over forest, it’s more of the same, just in reverse. The heat causes water issues and you have to plan ahead to make sure you have enough of it. The sun on exposed rock becomes a furnace. And with every yard of burned woods, the number of downed trees rises exponentially.

While Glacier is known for its spectacular landscape, Devitt said he learned to enjoy the details. Things like grizzly bear tracks in the morning dew. The songbirds greeting the day. It wasn’t about the Instagram moments.

His most memorable grizzly encounter came on his last day working on trails. Devitt and fellow trail crew member Lewis Schmitt were doing some routine clearing at Apgar Flats, not far from civilization when they ran into a sow grizzly with cubs, prowling in the brush.

They immediately turned around and she initially retreated. But she was just moving the cubs away, and then started after them.

“She’s coming for us,” Schmitt said to Devitt.

Devitt had his bear spray out and as the griz approached he held it under his arm as he started his chainsaw. She charged and then thought better of it and stopped.

Devitt left the running saw in the trail and they both backed way up and the griz charged a second time, full bore.

“She’s going to get me,” Devitt said he thought at the time. But she stopped again.

Then she came a third time and the bear was inside 20 feet. He was just about ready to spray her.

“She stopped on a dime, spun around and cut an arc through the brush,” and never came back.

There was just one problem. The saw was still up the trail. Puttering away.

“We have to get the saw,” Devitt told Schmitt.

They cautiously went up the trail and retrieved the saw. The bear was gone.

Devitt can smile now.

“The last day I’m working on trails, was this going to be my send off?” he laughed.

RETIRED FROM the park, Devitt has been rehabbing his new hips. They’re coming along well. Before the surgery, he could barely walk.

His advice for future trail workers?

“Stay in shape,” he said. He worked out through the winter and, like many people who have seasonal jobs in Glacier, he worked many winters on Big Mountain (now Whitefish Mountain Resort).

Devitt and his wife Melanie have two grown children, Sam and Genna. Both graduated from Columbia Falls High School and have successful careers of their own.

Devitt’s mum about his favorite places, which is the whole point. There are no bad trails in Glacier. Every one is a new experience, so enjoy it. 

Devitt was glad to help making sure trails were in good shape for the visiting public.

“We wanted people to come to the park and have a really good time,” he said.