Bear training, Trail-blazing, and an Exclamation point tent

(This will be my last blog entry for 20 days....)

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

Montana Day 8: Snow

Montana = Bears and Snow
It appears that my friends, family, and students were right... Montana = Bears and snow. Yes, within a week I've seen a bear and it has snowed. I am okay with it though... because Montana awesome.

Orientation
This week we went to Camp Paxton near Seeley Lake for our Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) orientation. There are about 100-200 young adults that have moved to Montana this summer to serve all over the state. Such a fascinating group of young adults - students right out of high school, 20-something hippies, environmental science majors, and others just looking for a way to serve and engage in their community (I am a 20-something hippie of course... ha). A lot of kind hearts for sure, which makes for a warm and fuzzy experience - I am proud to work with this group of young adults.

I received an Americorps T-shirt on Monday, which makes this all official. It is a part of my uniform, complete with carhartt work pants, hiking boots, leather gloves, and a bright yellow hard hat (Pictures to come, I promise!)

I took an oath to Americorps on Thursday(the MCC is a subset of Americorps). At first I was a little unnerved by the oath... I try to avoid oath-taking if possible. When I heard the oath, however, I was glad to participate:

"I will get things done for America -
to make our people safer,
smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americans together
to strengthen our communities.

Faced with apathy,
I will take action.

Faced with conflict,
I will seek common ground.

Faced with adversity,
I will persevere.

I will carry this commitment
with me this year and beyond.

I am an AmeriCorps member,
and I will get things done."

What I'll be doing this summer:
I will actually be working in the Boise National Forest (yes, Boise is in Idaho, not Montana, but it's only about a 7-8 hour drive from our regional office. I am on a crew with 5 other individuals and we will be working in the "backcountry" (that's what the cool kids call it) for 20-23 days at a time. Yup, we will pack food, clothing, and any other survival gear for 20-23 days and stay out in the woods/mountains the entire time. We will be building bridges, trails and maintaining old trails. It's warmer and dryer in this region - less bugs and more sun, I'll take it!

Training this week:
Wednesday is Bear-training (among other wilderness survival training =). We leave for our first 20 days on June 7th. Idaho wilderness, here we come!

-Julie

Montana Day 1: Already saw a bear!

(Written 5/24)
Fellow adventurers -

Here I am, I have made it, to the great state of Montana. Hopped on Rt. 90W on Friday and arrived in Red Lodge, MT Saturday afternoon. This is my first time to Montana and I must say... GORGEOUS! It's worth the drive through South Dakota =)

(At this point, I'd like to send a special shout-out to my dad for driving the 22 hrs with me... Thanks, Dad!!!)

Last night, during a drive around the Bear Tooth mountains at dusk, I noticed a large black animal roaming around by the side of the road... "Is that a bear??" Ha, it was. A big, black bear - he (or she) was pretty cute from far away and inside a vehicle =) We drove around a quick bend and proceeded to exit the vehicle (hesitantly) to check out a rushing stream in a deep valley filled with trees, between the mountains. The mountains were beginning to fade to a deep purple-gray as the sun continued to melt away in the distance. No more bear-sightings (yet).

This morning I arrived at my apartment. It is Amazing - We can see mountains from our windows, there is a beautiful trail behind our apartment that leads to the quaint Main St. downtown. The view from the outskirts of town is straight from a post card (complete with baby ducklings and tulips - no joke).

Tomorrow is orientation - I look forward to finally learning about my role in the crew and the projects we have to look forward to this summer!

Stay tuned...
Julie

P.S. It was 30 degrees here today! Eeep!

Montana? Really?

"I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of Dental Floss"

For those of you unfamiliar with Frank Zappa's song "Montana" please proceed to youtube for a real musical treat =)

Hello, Friends and Family! If you've made it this far, you must be truly curious as to why I, (a 20-something from the Chicago suburbs; a girl often found in heels and dresses) have chosen to move to Montana to camp/hike/and do manual labor for a little over 5 months. Welp, I will tell you...

Reason #1: Grad school. Oye! The grad school experience is two-fold: (1) An amazing self-reflection opportunity that renders a growth process unparalleled by any other experience known to man, and (2) *sigh*. Ha, there's really no other way to describe it. All of that learning, growth, and self-exploration comes at an emotionally draining cost at times. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend graduate school, and I may try for another masters or PhD at some point... but for now I am relieved to be DONE. It's time to set aside my laptop for a while and get my hands dirty.

Reason #2: Yoga. I started practicing yoga in undergrad to counteract the often intangible pressures associated with undergraduate life. In grad school I continued my practice and enrolled in Yoga I & Yoga II. I had always been interested in the self-reflection and meditation opportunities associated with yoga, but it wasn't until this year that I began exploring yoga teachings and philosophy. Lately, I've been reflecting on the Yamas and Niyamas - ten ethical guidelines (see http://www.theyamasandniyamas.com). As I reflect on each, I am humbled by how much I still have to grow. Ha, they are extremely challenging to actively practice on a daily basis... doing backbends and handstands is much easier than patience and self-reflection.

Reason #3: Yes, I do love the outdoors and can swing a hammer with the best of 'em. No, really! Some of you may know I've advised two Ohio State student trips to Mississippi to work with Habitat for Humanity. Though they were short experiences, I loved waking up at dawn, working all day, side by side with friends and students, then ending the day exhausted yet accomplished. I am excited (and nervous!) for the opportunity to continue this type of experience.

Welp, that's it! I will do my best to blog regularly about my experience. There is a chance my crew may spend twenty straight days out in the backcountry at a time... in which case I will just have to blog every 20 days. I will be journaling the entire time so I'll have plenty to reference I'm sure =)

Thank you, again for your support!

Julie

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined"

-Henry David Thoreau