That's All Folks

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.