I'm writing this latest blog from my home in Tennessee. I have seen my last of the Colorado mountains for now and have said my goodbyes to my new friends. We concluded our season on Oct. 22 after hitch #10. For this final hitch "Constellation" went to La Garita once more to work on an existing trail. At this campsite we were surrounded by mountains, which caused the sun to be blocked out shortly after 4 pm. The cold mornings were the hardest part of these days, with frost on our tents and ice in our drinking water. But luckily we were able to have campfires and keep ourselves warm.
We had planned to spend three nights working on this trail before moving sites. But when we returned to camp on our last day we found that our rig had a dead battery. Long story short, we ended up spending one extra night and had a member of the office drive up to give us a jump start. Then we drove on to Del Norte and Stone Quarry Trail, the site of our very first hitch. This was Friday morning.
We worked on this trail alongside "Tree" crew, building new tread for a mountain bike trail and a few structures. Each night we shared meals between our two crews and enjoyed time around our campfire. This was a special opportunity for the two five month crews to spend a few last days together. On Monday afternoon we finished our work and headed back to Salida for graduation.
We spent Monday night thru Wednesday morning at Salida Fire Camp, enjoying time with the entire fall crew and staff. We had wonderful potluck meals and shared many memories. On Wednesday we all returned to the office to do a final de-rig, which took most of the day. Then we had a final debrief, said our goodbyes and shared many hugs and tears.
I spent my last few days in Colorado with my parents in Manitou Springs. As much as I enjoyed my summer and fall, I was anxious to return East. The friends I've made and the memories I hold are a strong reminder of the amazing community that SCC offers. In January I start my next job in New Hampshire; where I will have the great fortune of reuniting with a member of "Tree" crew as we work alongside each other for 10 months. For now I will be enjoying two months at home.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Hitch #9
This hitch we were at Eleven Mile State Park in Park County, almost two hours North of Salida. From day one I knew that this hitch would be different from any hitch before. Firstly all the mountains in view were covered in snow. Secondly we were on our first fencing project. We arrived to our campsite on day one and as we unpacked the rain became steadily stronger and lightning rolled in. Before we set up our personal gear we were met by a park ranger who brought us to the office to discuss our project and answer any questions. It was during this time that he had to take off to deal with an emergency call that had unforeseen results for us. Long story short we ended up not staying at our original campsite and instead we were moved to a bunkhouse in a different park of the park.
This turned out to be a wonderful change. Rather than camping outside in the below freezing weather at night, we each had beds to sleep on and a warm house to go back to. I think the best part of this was having a fridge to keep our food from going bad, which usually happens by half way through our hitch. The weather was chilly and windy, especially when we were working near the lake. At night there was a possibility of snow but it never materialized.
On day two our work began. The week consisted of taking out old barbed wire fence and replacing it. Overall we worked on nearly two miles of fence. There were various small injuries from this work, including but not limited to scratches, smashed fingers, sunburn, and wind chilled faces. I think I was the person with the most scratches; apparently I was not as careful with the barbed wire as others.
This hitch gave me the opportunity to learn new skills in a little over a week. Just knowing that I have those skills gives me new confidence. As I prepare for my 10th and final hitch I am looking forward to gaining even more skills. The plan for this hitch is a split hitch; first half back country in the La Garita wilderness and second half working alongside our fellow five month crew on Stone Quarry Trail outside Del Norte. I am very much looking forward to this hitch, especially because our final site will be the same as our very first hitch.
This turned out to be a wonderful change. Rather than camping outside in the below freezing weather at night, we each had beds to sleep on and a warm house to go back to. I think the best part of this was having a fridge to keep our food from going bad, which usually happens by half way through our hitch. The weather was chilly and windy, especially when we were working near the lake. At night there was a possibility of snow but it never materialized.
On day two our work began. The week consisted of taking out old barbed wire fence and replacing it. Overall we worked on nearly two miles of fence. There were various small injuries from this work, including but not limited to scratches, smashed fingers, sunburn, and wind chilled faces. I think I was the person with the most scratches; apparently I was not as careful with the barbed wire as others.
This hitch gave me the opportunity to learn new skills in a little over a week. Just knowing that I have those skills gives me new confidence. As I prepare for my 10th and final hitch I am looking forward to gaining even more skills. The plan for this hitch is a split hitch; first half back country in the La Garita wilderness and second half working alongside our fellow five month crew on Stone Quarry Trail outside Del Norte. I am very much looking forward to this hitch, especially because our final site will be the same as our very first hitch.
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