Last week was "How to work and survive this program 101." My crew of 6 loaded up our 'burban with supplies for a few days, and went to the Beaverhead National Forest for a test-run - to see what life will be like for 20 days during our real hitches.
We arrived at the trail, knowing only that we would stop hiking once we saw other people on the trail. I didn't realize that we were about to hike up and over a mini mountain with pickaxes, shovels, and other tools I can't quite yet name. Though we were all and winded, we stuck together as a group and slowly trudged up the steep incline. It felt great, getting the heart pumping, blood flowing - a bit more physically demanding than grad school =)
We reached the top, and then I saw it... snow.
Definitely the highest elevation I've ever been! We saw the other
crews off in the distance and joined them. We were helping forest rangers dig a new trail as the other one had suffered serious water erosion (apparently it hadn't been built properly in the first place). So yes, we were "blazing" a new trail - basically, removing top soil for the rangers to later shape and fill. We probably "blazed" slightly less than a mile - ended up on a hill filled with sage brush which we had to hack our way through - literally. It smelled like an herbal spa after a while.
After hours of work and some sore muscles, we stored our tools under some loose brush (since we would return to work the next day) and proceeded back down the steep trail to camp, way down in the valley. I have a love-hate relationship with gravity, hate it on the way up, but love it coming down.
Have I mentioned that it had been raining the entire day? Cold... wet... but really, no complaints.
Our tents were set with surprising ease (mine is the one with the exclamation point, shocking...), and we made a huge pasta meal at our site - complete with alfredo, yum! It rained all night - it was exciting... almost romantic listening to the light floops of water bouncing on my tent. Fortunately, I stayed dry throughout the night, but I cannot say the same for my fellow campers... =)
The next day we hiked back up and over the same small peak and completed a few hundred more feet of trail (many hands make light work). We retrieved our tools after lunch and once again hiked down to the valley - for bear training! Oh my. We basically just learned the differences between black bears and grizzlys (Grizzly bears = bad, Black bears = giant raccoons). We all practiced spraying bear spray (the wind changed toward the end of the line... giving some of us the sniffles). I feel pretty good about it, though - no worries. I am going to purchase my first dry-bag to put food/toiletries in to hang in the trees away from our bear-friends.
Gone for 20 days:
Yup, I leave tomorrow for 20 days in the Boise National Forest. We have purchased about $400 worth of food for the first 10 days and make a trip into town to re-load for the second 10 days. I know we will mostly be working on trails - more than just removing top soil this time =) It will be warmer in Idaho than Montana, and I can't wait to get into the hot sun!
Until the end of June, hugs all around,
Julie
