The Regulators - Christie McShea NRCM

This past week our crew worked for the Tally Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest with the goal of planting 3,400 shrubs. We managed to plant all 3,400 Willow and Elderberry shrubs in two different burn areas totaling 36 acres. Despite planting not being the most thrilling of tasks, the Regulators were able to pull together and maintain a productive and positive dynamic. We saw a lot of wildlife including a herd of elk, an osprey, a loon, a beaver and a family of black bears (with which Morgan had a close encounter). Overall the week was filled with a lot of ups and downs but because the Regulators is the best crew ever… we prevailed and will do it again this upcoming week.

Saving the Fish One Shrub at a Time - Emily Meineke NRCM

This has been our crew’s mission statement and our sponsor Eric’s mantra for the past three weeks. He repeats it when we are hanging our heads a little or looking especially bored or tired. He also likes to remind us the correct way to put a plant in the ground: green side up. So far, no one has gotten tired enough on the job to forget how to plant right-side up, but we have been almost that tired.
When we first arrived at the Forest Service office in Hungry Horse, our willow and dogwood shrubs had not arrived. Instead, our head sponsor Dean assigned us a trail to clear on Demur’s Ridge, which is located west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest. We hiked up the Forest Service’s trail leading up the ridge and removed logs using cross-cut and saddle saws. In two days, we finished the 1.5-mile stretch from the bottom to the summit, and afterwards enjoyed the 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. As a crew, that was our first real reward for working hard, and it was even more enjoyable for the myriad of landscapes around us, from snowy peaks to rolling mountains to entire ridges that have been struck by fire in the last few years.

Our sponsor for those two days Darrin wanted to take our crew on a loop so as not to travel back the same way we came. But Darrin was not familiar with the trail ahead and its rapid losses and gains in elevation and steep downhill slopes. We exerted ourselves to absolute exhaustion that day, our second day of trail work, and every crew member, including our leaders, ran out of water. None of us were physically prepared for such a hike, and, worse, we were mentally unprepared. I was tired by lunch, and I hoped the day would end soon after. Our last crew member reached the bottom of the ridge at 7 p.m.

I think I can speak for most of my crew in saying that that day was the most honest exemplification of our MCC experience thus far: hard work, a great view, and more hard work when we thought the hard work for the day had ended. Even after ten hours of labor, there is always a kitchen tarp to pitch, a sump to dig, or a dinner to be made. But, so far, the hard work has been satisfying, and who can complain with such a beautiful work environment? Our office for the last few weeks has been The Flathead National Forest.

We finished planting this week, and we are sad to leave Eric and John, our other sponsor. Eric is a “shrubologist” and John is a geologist for the Forest Service, and together they have taught us about the rocks and flora in the area. Our project’s purpose, namely saving the fish one shrub at a time, involves planting willow and dogwood shrubs at drainage sites on roads that have been decommissioned to provide bear habitat. The shrubs prevent erosion at these drainage sites and prevent sediment from entering the water. High sediment volume impedes several fish species’ ability to feed and to reproduce properly. Eric estimates a 70 percent rate of survival for our willow plants and a 30 percent rate for the dogwoods, which require a very wet environment and are more fragile than the willows.

Next week, we are moving on to a new project connecting Forest Service trails in the Swan Mountains to create a network of trails for mountain biking. We are excited about our first ten-day hitch and working a July 4th cookout. We also can’t wait to bring our bikes out and ride down the trail we’re going to build.

MCC Alumni Mark Genito and Zoe Zulakis named finalists in the AmeriCorps Week Photo Contest

Check it out and vote here: www.americorpscontest.org

Zoe Zulakis recounts the adventure behind the photograph:

It was easily our most physically demanding hitch. It was an eight day hitch, three days of which involved hiking up to Ptarmigan Tunnel to open it up for the season. The tunnel connects two valleys through ptarmigan wall and is very popular among visitors to the park. Hiking 2300 feet in 5 miles was STEEP and I don't think any of us had ever done it before. For our crew it was an incredible bonding experience because it was so challenging and it was so incredible. I've never been to such a beautiful place in my life. We were very proud of the work that we did there, even though most of it was rocking and shoveling, and that is probably because we tested ourselves and we made it.

As far as the story behind the photo: the trek, as the photo shows, was covered in a significant amount of snow. Sometimes we slipped and slid down the mountain side. It was REALLY difficult to climb back up. I so happened to turn around (I think that I was turning around to help Felesha) and noticed that Steve already was. I knew that it was an incredible photo moment, and really symbolized everything that MCC means. Hard work, and Team work, in the most beautiful place in the world. So I took the photo. I'm glad that I did.

News From the Libby Ranger District - Shane Spencer CM NRock

Myself and six others were headed out for our first hitch as a team. We
headed to the Waloven-Himes trailhead in Kootenai National Forest, the
goal being to smooth out and open up stock crossings over six creek
crossings and practice our chainsaw skills by removing obstructions
created by fallen trees along the trail.

But expect the unexpected, they say, and this was no exception. As our
sponsor walked us along the trail to give us an intro to the work, he
suddenly stopped in his tracks - and a good thing at that. The stock
trail had simply slipped into the creek. Our job duties for the week
suddenly included rerouting the trail; but no matter - we got it done, and
I think it's fair to say that showing up ready to do anything that might need
to get done, rather than just ready to check off a to-do list, is the best
way to get this (or any?) job done. The reroute ended up being good
practice for us all, since our second hitch consisted of similar work on
Fisher Mountain in Kootenai. Both weeks, looking over our work, plus
positive feedback from our sponsors, were very gratifying for us all.

Most of the surprises for me that first week were moments when the scenery
was particularly breathtaking. I've seen a river braid its way through a
plain before, but seeing the creek rush, gurgle, and meander its way under
and around stands of trees was a first. The trees and water gave the
light reaching through the forest a misty, green-blue quality (one of us
mentioned the Lord of the Rings movies as a comparison).

We ended up walking an hour to work for a couple days, and I couldn't help
but compare that "commute" favorably to the summer I spent commuting the
same amount of time on Washington D.C. freeways, having sleepy drivers
bump into my car during stop-and-go traffic. I probably won't hike to
work when I "grow up," but living out here in Montana will definitely
inspire me to seek alternatives - I even read in the Washington Post one
time about people in Washington who kayak on the Potomac to work. Who
knows what I'll do!

Dustin Rothenberg's Adventures in India Part 1

The Flight:
I think my time serving as crew leader prepared me for 24 hours of lay overs, flights, crying babies, and more. Sandwiched between an obnoxious four year old who constantly disobeyed her frayed mother and a baby who would not stop crying for hours on end, I somehow managed to get through it with only painfully swollen feet and ankles from sitting down so long. Not to mention the inflight movie was a horrible kids movie and to top it off the color didn't even work - everything was purple. On the plus side, Indian curry for plane food wasn't too bad.

Post Flight:

My worries were assuaged when I noticed a guy with my name written out neatly on a big white placard. Phew! We walk to his car and I notice the mugginess and tropicalness of this place with trees in full green leaf and palm trees all around. Good thing I'm wearing my jungle outfit! Next, as we get into his car, I'm accosted by a beggar and only realize when I am safely in the car that he tapped his handless arm on the window, still in pursuit of a couple rupees. This is is to be very symbolic of the rest of my time in Kolkata.

Driving an hour into town I notice just how ridiculous the scene outside my car window is. Protected in a nice A/C environment I notice (as we are darting in and out of traffic . . . insanely) people pulling carts down the highway, farmers working their fields, shanty towns built right alongside the road with tarps for roofs, and finally to top it off there was a half starving cow walking against traffic on the highway! Why not, I say to myself.

Greater Than You - Jess McGinnis, CLGY

We can juggle balls on the tips of our shoes, what can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

We got hikers too! They can be up a mountain and back down before you. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

Don't forget our smokers too! They can smoke circles around your crew. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

Some of us may even take a dip or two-without even spitting on our shoes. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

We can even whistle a tune...while running, hiking, or taking a poo. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

Not only are we good in the field, we got brains too. Just ask Abby, she will dominate you in Soduku. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

Sometimes we only win by a few, or even .5...at least we weren't #2. What can you do? Doesn't matter we're still greater than you

OH and we got Shannon too!!!

Ange, don't be ridiculous, we didn't forget about you. We got the best PC around, she taught us everything we knew, way, way greater than you

When you ask us how can we be as great as you?? I'll reply, just ask yourself what would water do?