Hitch #8

This hitch we traveled back to the San Luis Valley. We worked and camped on the Baca Wildlife Refuge just outside Crestone. This refuge spans over 92,000 acres.We knew this would most likely be our final chainsaw hitch, though now we have learned that we may have one more. We camped on the edge of our project site near an old farm house. There were several houses and barns on the property that date back hundreds of years.

As we found out our first night, the wildlife in the area are prosperous. Around sunset each night we would listen to the coyotes and elk and owls, talking among themselves just outside our camp. The owls would talk on and off throughout the night, in the trees right over our camp.

Our project for this hitch was to clear the dead cottonwood trees along two creeks. We did this by bucking logs and hauling branches into large piles that will later be used for firewood or burned. Each creek was about a mile long and we worked on both sides of each creek. In all we completed the work on one creek and about half on the second creek. Due to the wood being dead our saws began overheating a lot. Once again our saws had various issues but we were able to work hard and make good progress.

We had the fortune of having another crew camp with us for a few days. They were working at a separate site, so we only saw each other from supper until breakfast. We were also lucky enough to have a campfire each night. So our two crews would gather around the fire each night, playing games and singing songs. The night sky was an amazing site as well. Due to the lack of interfering light and a new moon, the stars filled the sky and the Milky Way was visible.

Our project partners were one of the most amazing parts of this hitch. Andy, who does fire management on the refuge, came out to our work site every day and talked to us about his job and gave us tips on getting a job with the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. For the first time in my life I could finally see a full time job that I would like to pursue. We were given the contact info for Andy and told to call him anytime with questions or resume help.

The last full day of our hitch we woke up to overcast skies and rain clouds. We ended up working only until 10 am when the rain began. But we had already made plans to take a tour of the refuge, so we stowed our saws and went on a ride. During this time we learned so much about the refuge and it's purpose. We saw great horned owls, hawks, elk, endangered frogs and toads, and one very cute sheep dog. After our tour the storms had returned so we took an educational tour of Crestone.

This hitch was unique in that we have a surplus of education, but it was invaluable knowledge. We went above and beyond what our partners expected of our in our work. We had excellent food and company, having several visitors from the SCC office come to our site. One other amazing thing about this hitch was that on day two I received a phone call from a job that I had applied to and had an interview with the previous week. I called them back and was given a job offer, to which I later accepted. So I am the first one of my crew to know exactly where I'm headed next. Luckily I have two months between SCC and my new job with the NH Corps, which will be spent at home in TN.

We know that our next hitch is planned to be a fencing project. The are is supposed to be beautiful, as most are right now with the glowing aspens. We will be installing and removing barbed wire fence. As we have yet to do this type of project, I am excited to see what the work will entail. Only two hitches left, 18 work days.

Hitch #7

This hitch began a few days early with orientation for the 2 month fall crews. This means that we met roughly 50 new crew members and a few new crew leaders. We spent a weekend a Raspberry Gulch introducing them to SCC and giving a brief overview of camp life. Because my crew had already been through orientation in June we were given the chance to help facilitate this orientation and work on leadership skills.

After the weekend each crew once again split into our separate hitches. My crew had the unique opportunity to return to a previous site, Zapata Falls HOA where we were on hitch #4. Our project partner had been so happy with our work he requested we return. So we camped on the same beautiful ranch and got back to work with our chainsaws. We also got to visit the sand dunes once more.

Over the course of our hitch we had various issues with our saws, ranging from incorrectly mixed fuel to saws making sounds that we just could not figure out. At one point only 2 of our 6 saws were running. For a team of 8 we can have up to 4 saw running and so this created lag in our project. But sometimes saws just need to be cleaned and cool down and they run like new. By the end of the week we had more than finished our project and had began widening the greenbelt that we were cutting.

On the last couple days before our hitch ended we had a surprise visit from a very friendly dog named Bud. He belongs to someone in the community but enjoyed spending his days at our work site. One evening he decided to follow us home and stayed the night and most of the next day. Eventually we had to let him return home but it was nice to have a trail dog for awhile.

On the last night of our hitch, just like the first time we were in Zapata Falls, our hosts Wayne and Nancy invited us to their home for supper. They cooked bison burgers and wonderful creme brulee. Needless to say we felt quite spoiled. Our next hitch will also be on chainsaws but outside Crestone this time. I'm looking forward to what I've been told will be an interesting hitch.