Prior to each hitch, the interns receive a text from the crew leads that briefs us on any important information we need to prepare for. For this particular hitch, the text from Cait and Berkeley contained something along the lines of, “The Crags have gotten up to 20 inches of snow in some places this past week.” While I am accustomed to and appreciate a good snowfall, this message raised some questions about whether we would be able to get back into the Crags.
I am very thankful these questions and fears were not validated, as the snow melted and this entire hitch felt like a vacation. The rugged beauty of the mountaintops, camping at glistening alpine lakes, the rewarding work of cutting and clearing immense amounts of trail, and getting to experience the majority of the Crags trail system made this hitch unforgettable. I could not have asked for more. Getting to experience the Crags while knowing I was giving back to this naturally breathtaking, beautiful region was highly rewarding and a buttload of fun.
Each day, I asked the crew at least one question of the day, which would be mulled over for several hours while working, sometimes debated, and then logged.
A quick run-down of our work route:
→ Arrive at Bighorn Crags Campground, where we camped for two nights. During the first two days, we cleared the stock loop and several miles of the Upper Yellowjacket Creek Trail.
→ Bump camp to Mirror Lake, clearing the Bighorn Crags Trail and the stock loop.
→ Bump camp to Birdbill Lake, set up camp, and then clear to Ship Island Lake and up to the Big Clear Lake pass before running into snow.
→ Bump camp to Welcome Lake, clearing along the way, and then clear to Terrace Lakes and a section of the Bighorn Crags Trail.
→ Stay one more night at Welcome Lake. With day packs, clear the Puddin Mt Trail all the way down to Buck Lake.
→ Hike out to Bighorn Crags Campground, clearing along the way.
In total, we hiked and cleared approximately 60 miles of downfall, completed drain work, and gained around 12,000 feet of elevation. It was a fantastic hitch!
Questions of the day:
The view from Mirror Lake, our first true night in the backcountry.
Question of the Day (QOTD): If you had the power to never get a blister or chafe anywhere ever again, where would you choose?
Berkeley- Between the four small toes
Cal- Slightly to the side of his bone protrusion from playing hockey as a kid
Cait- Inside of the big toe
Jaxon- Pinky toe
Clarinne- Chaffing on the ribcage
Forrest- Under the heel
QOTD: If you could choose anyone in the world to do trailwork with for a hitch, who would you choose (three person crew)?
Berkeley- Her friend Syd because she is funny and Terry Tempest Williams
Cal- Steve Rinella and Grandpa Mark
Sophia- Her partner Cade and Pete Davidson
Cait- Her mom and Amy Poehler
Jaxon- His cross country teammates
Clarinne- Her girlfriend Chloe and Conan O’Brien
Forrest- My younger brother Tucker and old dog Coditza
Birdbill Lake.
QOTD: If you could make one piece of gear weigh nothing, what would you choose?
Berkeley- Shoes, she would bring a wide variety on hitch (rain boots, clogs, etc.)
Cal- Sleeping pad
Sophia- Boots
Cait- Books
Jaxon- A 3 person tent
Clarinne- Books
Forrest: The backpack
Ship Island Lake
QOTD: Would you rather add twelve miles to your day with a full pack or spend the entire day brushing?
Berkeley- Hike the 12 miles
Cal- Hike the 12 miles
Sophia- Brush all day
Cait- Hike the 12 miles
Jaxon- Brush all day
Clarinne- Hike the 12 miles
Forrest: Hike the 12 miles
Going over the Beaver Slide.
QOTD: If you could recruit one animal to help you with trailwork what would you choose
Berkeley- A fox to help dig tread
Cal- Elk
Sophia- A beaver
Cait- A bluebird to scout the condition of the trail ahead
Jaxon- Elk
Clarinne- Pegasus (power of a horse plus you could fly back to camp after you’re done with work)
Forrest: A moose
QOTD: Would you rather have unlimited huckleberries on hitch or zero mosquitoes?
Looking down at Heart Lake from the pass leading to Terrace Lakes.
Berkeley- Unlimited huckleberries
Cal- No mosquitoes
Sophia- Unlimited huckleberries
Cait- Unlimited huckleberries
Jaxon- No mosquitoes
Clarinne- No mosquitoes
Forrest: Unlimited huckleberries
QOTD: If the Bighorn Crags had a theme song what would it be?
Cal- Water of Love by Dire Straits
Sophia- Don’t Fence Me In by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
Cait- Biding My Time by Robert Lester Folsom
Jaxon- The Manifesto by Gorillaz
Clarinne- Smokies by Barefoot Jerry
Welcome Lake in the early morning.
QOTD: What is your favorite sound in the wilderness?
Berkeley- Light rain on her tent
Cal- Thunder
Sophia- Birds
Cait- River Noises
Jaxon- Swaison’s Thrush
Clarinne- Wind in a grove of aspens
Forrest- Running water
QOTD: If there was only one grocery store left in the world for life which would you choose?
Berkeley- Berkeley Bowl
Cal- Wegmans
Sophia- The Good Food Store
Cait- Super1
Jaxon- HEB (“anywhere else is incorrect”)
Clarinne- Winco
Forrest- Wegmans
Erieville, NY
Johns Hopkins University: Environmental Science
Forrest grew up in Cazenovia, New York playing tons of sports, including hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. He is attending Johns Hopkins University where he is studying Environmental Sciences. He enjoys all things outdoors, some of his favorites being backpacking, mountain biking, and canoeing. This love for the outdoors stems from summer vacations spent in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York with his family. Forrest was drawn to this position because the opportunity to practice conservation first hand and the ability to have an impact on managing lands for the betterment of the natural areas they encompass.