Letters to Home

Dear Grammy,

Having a great time out here in the wilderness of wild Idaho (Idaho? Who knew?). The Frank Church is rough terrain, a craggy high-desert, but it has a beauty unlike anything I've seen. Many times I marvel at the fact that this is my office, this is where I work. And the work!
Let me tell you, I knew it was gonna be tough. But I didn't fully grasp what the experience of that labor would do. We were building a new patch of tread over a failing cribbing wall - bursting at the seams from the weight of the rocks. It took all of us together as a team to dig out the lumber, remove the previous tread, and reset it with three huge gabions (wire fence rock boxes) underneath - filled with the rocks we would haul from around 100yds away. All of this on a steep incline over the Camus Creek (a little danger is half the fun though, right?). We would come home slightly haggard from some of the days out there, but we came back from the last day of the project with our haggered heads held high.
That was what I didn't expect from the work: that new sense of accomplishment, a new confidence from overcoming that challenge with my new running crew - knowing that I could overcome if I kept at it, whatever the task. We all felt it, and we would all lose it on other projects when the going was slow and the tools were trudged to work in the morning. But we knew it would come back; just a matter of time. And when the going gets tough, look up! Look around, look where we are! Idaho. Who knew?

Love,
Andrew


Dear Mom,

This last hitch was amazing. We finally got out of that beautiful desert and into some real woods. We are working a trail in the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness called Bear Creak (don't panic, we haven't seen any). It is my kind of place. The hillsides are almost magical - green and lush, white boulders, stoic firs, and the elvish globes of white flowers that grow out of bear grass; which are almost everywhere like lanterns because it is a banner year for them. Only every seven years do so many bloom together like this. Needless to say, it is enchanting land. And in this ethereal landscape, we work in the mud.
You would find it so funny, I start out hating the mud but after an hour or two of digging I feel like a kid in a rainsoaked playground. We even played a game of mudsling and spent our break dodging sloopy globs of wet dirt. It has been so fun getting to know all the members of my crew, we have become fast friends. We are individuals though, so we all have our moments of quibbling, but I have come to find with spending so much time together that we are quick to forgive - quick to realize that the differences we may have with each other are petty differences and easy to let go.
The environment out here in the woods gives me a new sense of tranquility, a welcome escape from the cyclone of civilized to-do lists that never end and can drive you batty. We wake, work, eat, clean up camp, and sleep. The time in between is ours, and I have never before felt so content to sit, or walk, or hike and just be. There isn't any need to rush around, or to make sure that what you are doing is the coolest thing you could be doing. Just being out here, taking in the landscape and breathing the crisp mountain air - it's all I need to be happy. It's a feeling I am trying to assimilate into my life in the front country, one that I feel to be extremely worthwhile to develop. I know that with my new family of friends, both from my crew and others that I have met here in Missoula, we can bring the relaxation and contentedness of the woods out with us.

Love,
Andrew John


Dear Dad,

Everything has been going great here on the western front of the Montana wildlands. I have been really enjoying myself, getting to know so many new friends, and really busting my butt out on the trails. Making the decision (a bit of a leap for me, you know) to come out here and commit to this term of service has been one of the most rewarding choices I have made.
I have gotten to love the feeling of living and sleeping outdoors. Our camp is comprised of a communal kitchen area where we congregate to eat the much needed meals, an area for the individual tents, the latrine (not nearly as bad as I originally thought), and the food storage. Every night we hang our food and scented products up in the bear hang. We keep them all hung in bags about six feet from the trees and ten feet off the ground. As much as a bear would devestate our reserves if it got its paws on it, the hangs are also very much for the little rodents who would love to peruse our stocks.
We start work at seven in the AM, a difficult task for me, but I get it done. We usually have a little bit of a hike to the locations where we work, but travel is included in the workday (and it can take some work getting there). We have been spending most of our time digging and setting rock structures. We build water bars to funnel water off of the trail and check steps to maintain a sufficient amount of sediment on the trail in the steep sections. It is a formidable task, as the best rocks for the structures are those that you can just barely lift or, better yet, have to roll down to your workspace. We have also been working with the cross cut saw, and I know you are so jealous to hear that! Since we work in the wilderness areas we are not allowed to operate any gas-powered machinery, so we have to go back to the good old school. That saw sure can carve up a tree, and the teamwork aspect makes it very fun to use. Since each person can only pull on the saw we have to find a smooth rhythm and choreograph the movements to make a clean cut. The smell of the coniferous trees pours out of the cut, and we get to be the first people to walk on the newly cleared trail. No more stepping over or under those huge logs blocking the way!
As arduous as the days can be, I am finally learning the value of getting your mitts on a shovel and getting some work done. The physical labor can wear me out quick, and even give me a few dings and scrapes, but it does wonders for my attitude and my sense of self. It just plain makes you stronger, body mind and soul. I hope I can find that in every venture my life takes.
Love,
Andrew