"Pearls of Wisdom" Zoe Zulakis, CM Northern Rockies

There is a small shabby trailer tucked away in the closed down RV park on the south east side of Marion. A Dodge truck parks permanently next to it, its engine lays under it, shaded by its flatbed and encroaching weeds. The screen door blows open and shut in the wind, and the unmistakable smell of sewage swirls upward from the underbelly of the faded yellow home. I feel abandoned here.

A man comes to the door. It bursts open. "Oh that darn screen!!! Hello, come in come in come in." He wears a worn and mismatched sweatsuit, his skin is falling from his bones, his smile is bursting across his face, and his right hand is outstretched. "Hi I'm Chris! This is my son. Well thanks for comin! Glad you could fit me in."

And so I learn that this little inhospitable corner of the world, is home to the most loving person I will ever meet. Hanging from the ceiling in little drawstring bags are his treasures. Quartz crystals, small pearls, knickknacks which he finds beautiful and enjoys. The corners of his living room hold his guitars, relics of his past, and on his coffee table are countless bottles of poisonous medication, which will determine whether he will have a future.

We quietly assess the home while he asks us about our lives; about what we love to do; about who we love. He shows us pictures of family, and sings some of his favorite tunes. He becomes faint from the excitement but even after sitting talks himself silly. Four cracked windows, no smoke detector, no CO detector, no carpeting, only two rooms (the kitchen and the living room) which are finished, broken pipes, freezing cold floor, and a lot of dishes which are for naught because of his constant nausea. He brushes aside cancer as though it isn't an elephant in the room. As though it hasn't taken up enormous space in his life, as though it hasn't left him abandoned and broke in this naked place. And you only realize the tragic truth when you look into the eyes of his son who helps change lightbulbs and laughs at his dads jokes, but who steps outside for a cigarette, hanging his head, knowing that his father will probably not be around long enough to feel the cold that will seep into the windows of this broken down home.

We chatter happily as our work progresses and suddenly the windows and doors are sealed, the lightbulbs are shining, the detectors are beeping, and our job is done. It seems brighter, perhaps warmer. "Open your hand!" He grins at me. I open it. "Close your eyes!" I close them. I feel a cold hand on mine. And then I feel a small smooth pebble. I know what it is. But I am afraid to open my eyes. Afraid that I might cry. Afraid that I am angry for him. Angry that I can give him plastic windows but that I cannot save him. Angry that in this dreary home he will see the last of his days, and that he is giving away one of the few beautiful things that he owns, away to me.

I open my eyes anyway. There is not a bone of anger in him. He admits to no frustration in the face of this great injustice. None of that. He is simply smiling with the anticipation of a 2-year-old. I thank him profusely, tell him that his treasure is beautiful, because it is the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me, and I turn to leave.

"Wait!" He says.He takes Eli into one arm, and cradles me in the nook of the other, and pulls us toward him. We wrap our arms around his tall skeleton. When I look back up he looks sad but smiles. "Thank you. It was nice meeting you!" The screen door creaks and slams behind us and the unmistakable smell of sewage again composes itself. But I no longer feel abandoned here. I am accompanied, instead, by grief and anger, and in my pocket, a small pearl- a reminder that even if plastic cannot keep out the cold, maybe compassion and humanity still can.

And. I. cry.

"5 Principles of Project Comaprison" Charlie Grove, Northern Rockies CM

Throughout the season I’ve come to notice certain trends when comparing project experiences with crew members from other crews. From these conversations I have devised a list of five principles to help guide my fellow MCC’ers in their own project comparisons.

5 Principles of Project Comparison:

1. Location - No matter where you went the other crew went somewhere cooler. There are many amazing places to go in Montana and I’m sure you’ve all been to some of them. Our crew has been lucky enough to spend time in Glacier National Park, Kootenai National Forest, and even Priest Lake in Idaho. And yet, there’s still that crew that spent a month in Antarctica… Well, not really, but by the way they describe wherever they really were you’d think they’d been somewhere as extraordinary as Antarctica.

2. Work Performed - You might think that 15 miles of trail you cleared, brushed, and re-treaded in 4 days was quite an accomplishment. That is, until you talk to your fellow crew member who just got done building the Great Wall of China and stopped by Egypt on the way back to finish off another Pyramid. We’ve all seen the numbers and it’s clear that MCC does an amazing amount of work over a 5 month season. Can you imagine how amazing the numbers would be if we just added up everything we’re told by other crew members?

3. Wildlife Viewing - No matter what wildlife you saw, they saw something better. Here’s a rough breakdown of what you saw vs. what the other crew will say they saw:

Your Crew, Squirrel
Their Crew, Deer

Your Crew, Deer
Their Cre, Elk

Your Crew, Elk
Their Crew, Moose

Your Crew, Moose
Their Crew, Black Bear

Your Crew, Black Bear
Their Crew, Grizzly Bear

Your Crew, Grizzly Bear
Their Crew, Sasquatch

As for my crew, we’ve seen 18 grizzly bears and a unicorn… Beat that!

4. Weather - No matter what your weather was like, their weather was more extreme. There was a hitch in early June where our crew was fortunate enough to spend a day working in rain/sleet/snow. There was no way anyone could top that. That is, of course, unless you count the crew that got 6 inches of snow that day and had to build an emergency fire at lunch to warm up and the other crew who had to spend the night in a hotel, paid for by the sponsor (see Principle #5), due to heavy snow. Thus, no matter what weather you endure some other crew had it worse.

5. Sponsor Hookup – Your sponsor could give you food, tools, or even have your equipment helicoptered in, but in the end it doesn’t matter because the other crew’s sponsor took them rafting or had them flown out of the backcountry in a plane that just happened to be there. Your sponsor may have been great; more than you could ever ask for, but in the end… you still had to walk out didn’t you?

"welcome Home" Jose V. Najera, Central Divide CL

It is said that, “Home is where or what you make it,” true but home is just a physical structure that would be cold and empty without the people who live in it. To me home is just an idea now, I’ve traveled for so long to remember where that physical place called “Home” is anymore. I think of home as the people who make me feel at home, people who share a common ground, an ideal and a dream. Everyone represents a place, a space, a time and maybe even a memory of home. To all of us who make up MCC that’s I call home. We are home to those who share a common ground and to those who don’t, we are here for the sole purpose of serving our community and finding where the last pieces of our puzzle called “Life,” fall into place. So, let’s put down the pieces of the puzzle in our hands and stop being preoccupied as to where they go and look at the pieces laying on the table. We must figure out where all the other pieces fall into place first, they play an even bigger role in the puzzle than that pieces in our hands. These pieces could very well be our leaders, our crew members, the places we’ve worked at or just simply the idea of being here. Some will figure this out sooner that others, and some have already discovered the warmth of our home but it will come to all of us when the time is right. Though, I can’t say exactly why you are here, I know that we share similar if not the same ideals.

Although, I may not know all of MCC crew leaders and crew members and all that make up this experience, I can honestly say; “Welcome home,” if you are no longer physically a part of MCC, “we miss you.”

Finally, I wish to say that you may come back at anytime we will all be here at “Home,” just come on in.

Props from the Program Manager

Here's to Western Wildlands Cls, Jonny Morgan and Jess Harrell for submitting a bi-weekly report and using nothing but haikus! Thanks y'all, for spicing it up!

A few highlights:



oh Monday, Monday
crew seems to be sleepwalking
go to bed early

special treat with rain
no more work with metal bars
lightning gives crew rest


crew done with Blodgett
ready to have weekend fun
bridge better beware


crew on top of game
no rock can survive this team
hippopotamus

"Haikus" Northern Rockies CM, Jennifer Erickson

It is almost half way through the season now and, like myself, some of us might be missing the comfort of home. I have begun questioning a lot of things recently, including my place here in the MCC. I left a a big piece of heart in Cincinnati-with remainders scattered in old, musty apartment buildings and in the existing memories of past lovers. I’m trying to fill some of the void with the joy found in my new adventures and an improved, positive outlook on life.

It is important for me to learn how to take comfort in those, seemingly insignificant, moments in life that, when strung together, make up the “big picture.” I’ve read somewhere that “we often see or sense something that gives us a big of a lift, or moment’s pure sadness” and realized just how important those instances are. Sometimes these blips in our life answer a lot of our questions and can aid in the occurrence of an epiphany to some degree. I believe it is important for us to remember why we first came here and what it is exactly that it keeping us here. It’s important that we not look at this experience in a wholistic sense, but reflect and hold on to those meaningful, everyday occurrences that truly are the components of life.

Here are some of my personal encounters, in the form of haikus, that have helped to shape and mold my experiences with my crew and with the MCC:

Setting sun atop the mountains
With a glimpse of my shadow-
i am humbled

Starry night in July
Silent air
Wondering-what else is out there?

Wiping sweat off my brow...
i wonder-
if it’s time for lunch

Air rushes in the opened windows
Gravel crunches below
Our voices form melodies

Belly aching from laughter
Reality is lost-
holding onto this moment-we are invincible.

Kudos!

Northern Rockies RS, Cliff Kipp, forwarded the following email sent to him by a user in Idaho who cam across an MCC crew:

This past weekend, we ran into the crew working along the Upper Priest River trail in Northern Idaho.We were impressed with the good condition of the trail, and noticed the recent maintenance work.Later we hiked by their camp, and agreed it is a well-kept camp. Clean and laid out exactly as it should be in bear country.We eventually crossed paths while hiking up to the falls. We were surprised that so much work had been accomplished by such a small crew.We really appreciate their good work! Thanks!

MCC Letters to the Editor

Northern Rockies CM, Zoe Zulakis, got a killer letter to the editor published in the Bigfork Eagle. To check it out, click here: http://www.bigforkeagle.com/articles/2008/08/14/editorials/letters/letter01.txt