It’s called an “Immersion Crew” - Lemmy Breault, NR

In the MCC, it means that you abandon civilization to live and work in the wilderness of Montana. Most MCC crews are based out of cities like Kalispell or Missoula, but Immersion Crews - of which there are only a very few – know no city, and are in fact hundreds of miles from… well, anywhere really.

To be fair, all crews spend time in the woods, the mountains, to anywhere that the trails bring them. Quite simply that is usually where the work is. We all camp. We all hike. We all cut tread. The difference is found in how we spend our off-time. Most crews go home when the hitch is over. But an Immersion Team finds no such distinction. We are already home…

It is a great sacrifice, to be sure. Living in the wilderness means exactly as it sounds. We are minus most every convenience of man; northing lights up, mothering microwaves, and nothing drives. Your bathtub is usually a river or stream, your toilet a hole in the ground that you dig yourself. Your own two feet are the means with which you get from Point A to pint B, even when Point B is a distance 20 miles away that must be traversed in a single day. And the nearest people in your neighborhood are not people at all, although it’s you who would be considered out of place.

Being completely severed from the outside world means that your only human companionship for months on end is found in the other people with whom you share service. My crew is a rather strange population of diverse characters that does somewhat manage to ease the sting of isolation. We work well together, get along with one another and fill the pieces of a very complex puzzle whose picture does not become clearly defined until all of them fall into place. It can be stated unusual, even frightening how quickly we have managed to come together and find solace within each other through our common goal of survival. Barry has suspended his college education partway through in order to participate. Originally from Israel, his heart is still of that country and beckons him to return with every summer, and I think it appropriate to speak for all of us when I give thanks that Barry chose to remain here this year instead. He’s jovial, has an easy going personality, and is interesting. I identify personally with Barry because he is the closest to me in terms of humor and outlook, and his dark shades help me to remember every day that The Matrix was an awesome movie. Thank goodness for Barry and Keanu Reeves.

Elisheba. The name alone sparks interest, and like her name, she is one of a kind. Elisheba has traveled the world, in a sense, having lived in places like Germany and Japan, but at her core she considers Tennessee her home. She also considers Tennessee to be part of the East, but we forgive her. Elisheba brings a much needed common sense and rationality to an otherwise off the wall, Looney Tunes type manifesto… as well as a slight Southern accent, which we enjoy in a guilty sorta way. She is perhaps the most down to earth of the bunch, which can be a surprise given that her very nature speaks to the wilds; rafting, rock- climbing and skiing are counted among her hobbies, which suggests a wilderness of the soul that makes her an ideal person to share the season with. I identify with her because we are probably the only ones who don’t need tobacco to survive, and I am generally thankful that she can put up with me. I pick on her the most!

Evan could very well be the most excited to be here. A Wisconsin native, Evan joined up with the MCC to bust free of the confines of 9 to 5 city life to seek out more wide open spaces. Big sky country is perfect for him because it allows him to breathe in the wilds and revel in a life outdoors. Big Sky Country also allows for Evan to stand up straight for the first time ever. 6’2’’ and built like an ox, Evan is as an intimidating figure as the mountains themselves. His great size, however, belies the even greater size of his heart. Our beloved pack mule, Evan is always the first to carry extra weight or even just lend a helping hand. He is known to offer an encouraging comment when the chips are down, not wanting for any of us to forsake the adventure that lies ahead of us. I identify with him because he does his best to be a friend to all of us, as I do….

Mark is the wild card of our deck. Before joining the MCC, Mark hiked the Appalachian Trail from Maine all the way to south Virginia, so as a hiker he may be the most experienced. But so far as everything else goes the one work that may best describe this ban is “chill”. Mark is remarkably chill, composed and relaxed in everything, on the clock or off, making him incredibly easy to get along with. He has a unique slant on life that makes him interesting to converse with, and as a bonus his long dreads make him look like Tarzan, which just makes him fun to look at. I identify with Mark because he knows how to roll with the punches and live life… so long as he’s kept away from the Swiss cheese.

We are all led in our quest by our beloved team leaders, named Adam and Carolan. Adam is a tall, lanky individual (that is so Montana-bred that he is rumored to be the offspring of two mountains.) A child of the wild, Adam likes to fish and climb when the days off roll around, but when it comes to trail he is all business, his authority accentuated by his experience with the outdoors and a general fairness in all things. With his cool cowboy hat and a burning cigarette, Adam is our smoky Marlboro man of the Bob Marshall, and no matter what happens I will expect to see him leaning his back to a pole as he takes a drag, tips down his hat and sings us a southern ditty when the hike is over. And we will follow him into the sunset.

Carolan is a different sort of leader. From dawn until dusk, she beams with happiness and positivity to the point where it is contagious. It’s as though she has the sun and two scoops of raisins trapped in her head, as well as every catchy song ever made. Are all people from Ohio like this? Carolan will work straight alongside us until she is caked in dirt and mud. Her dedication to her team and the job are beyond reproach, so she is quite impossible to hate.

And of course, I am Lemmy. That is all you really need to know… Until we meet again!!