CONSERVATION CORPS 18+

CREW SCHEDULES

Below you will find examples of what a week might look like with a typical RMYC Crew. This is a general structure, and things are bound to change! Keep in mind that every crew will have different projects and be in different locations. We remain adaptable to meet project-specific needs; the crew's schedule will reflect that.

Project weeks span 4-9 workdays. All workdays are 10 hours.

RMYC operates on a 24/7 model in the summer and a hitch model in the fall

Summer 24/7 Schedule

For the summer season, all crews are "on" 24/7. This means spending the entirety of the season with your crew, including evenings after work and weekends.

You will be camping outside with your crew the entire summer!

Crews spend their weekends together exploring destinations decided democratically by the crew. Some chores need to be completed before the next project week, but the crew decides together how/where they want to spend their time. RMYC encourages exploring our incredible public lands on the weekends. There are some prohibited high-risk activities that are not allowed during summer weekends such as rock climbing, mountain biking, or other things that require specialty gear.

Transportation will be provided during the project week and on weekends. Crews travel in a 12-15 passenger van pulling a trailer full of crew gear. Personal vehicles are not needed for the summer season.

RMYC pays for your food for the entirety of the season, including weekends. Food is communal and purchased by the crew. Showers and laundry are also provided on a once-a-week basis.

Projects run for either 4 or 8 consecutive days, with each workday lasting 10 hours. The weekly rhythm involves either a 4-day stretch of work followed by 3 days off, or an 8-day stint of work with 6 days off. For instance, in a 4-day project:

4-Day Project: Weekly Schedule

Monday-Thursday

Friday and Saturday

Sunday

Crews generally work Monday through Thursday, but this could change depending on the project partner. Work hours are from 7 AM-5:30 PM. After the day is done, crews head back to camp to prepare dinner, clean up camp, conduct a daily group debrief, and relax after a hard day's work.

Friday through Sunday are days off. Ultimately the crew decides how best to spend their time balancing chores, personal needs, and group recreation over the course of the weekend. Oftentimes, we pack up camp Friday morning and travel to a new spot closer to something fun we have planned. This could be backpacking, visiting a national park, summiting a peak, or just relaxing by a lake. Crews opt to spend some time in a nearby town to pick up personal items, get wifi, charge devices etc, but we highly encourage town time to be somewhat limited- people come to RMYC to have an awesome adventure and you won't find that hanging out in Starbucks all weekend!

Again, crews make their own weekend plans, but most crews choose to do chores and travel on Sundays. Some crews will shower right after their project week is done, others might wait until Sunday. Essential tasks such as laundry, grocery shopping, and refueling are parts of the weekend routine. On Sunday evenings, the group will transition to their next project location. We set up camp, and on Monday morning the project work resumes.

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Fall Hitch Schedule

For the fall season, all crews are on a hitch model. This model refers to a period of time, typically 5-9 days, that you will remain in the field with your crew living and working together. After your hitch is over, you have time off and are not obligated to stay with your crew.

Crews will travel to projects, working and camping together for 5-9 days at a time, and then will return to our office and be off for 2-5 days.

Transportation is provided to and from our office in Steamboat Springs each project week. A personal car is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the fall season. We do not provide transportation during your off time.

During your ‘OFF’ time, you will be responsible for your own food, transportation, and lodging. Most participants car camp during their weekends. The nearest camping is 20-30 minutes outside of town.

RMYC pays for food during the work week, but not during time off. Food is communal and purchased by the crew.

One shower a week will be provided at the end of the project week.

Projects run for either 5 or 9 consecutive days, with each workday lasting 10 hours. The weekly rhythm involves either a 5-day stretch of work followed by 2 days off, or a 9-day stint of work with 5 days off. For instance, in a 5-day project:

5-Day Project: Weekly Schedule

Sunday

Monday-Wednesday

Thursday

Friday and Saturday

All crew members will arrive at the RMYC office in Steamboat Springs at a time determined by the distance of your project. This is generally in the afternoon and more like a half day of work. Crews will load all their personal camping equipment and tools into the van and trailer. Shortly after they head out to buy food for the week and then go directly to the campsite for the project.

On the last day of the project, the crew will pack up camp in the morning before the workday starts. Crews will leave the project site early depending on drive time back to Steamboat Springs and accumulated project hours. Crews stop to grab showers on the way back to the office. Upon arrival, the van and trailer are emptied and cleaned then individuals are off for the weekend. You can expect to be off between 5:30 and 7 depending on how efficient the crew is.

These are days off for enjoying personal free time and to pursue individual activities. Some crew members opt to hand out together and recreate in groups during their off time. As a reminder, RMYC does not provide living accommodations during time off.

Daily Schedule

While we switch projects and locations frequently, the daily schedule for a crew remains largely the same no matter where they are or what they are doing. Much like any other job, we have specific start and end times, breaks, and commute times to and from our campsites.

6:00 AM

Breakfast

The crew gets up at 6 am to prepare breakfast and lunch for the day. All the food is communal but everyone makes their own breakfast and lunch. Generally, crews take 30 minutes to eat and pack their food before beginning kitchen cleanup. After dishes are done, and food is stored safely, people take time to brush their teeth, fill personal water bottles, and make sure their day packs are ready to go for the workday ahead!

7:00 AM

Stretch and Safety

At 7 AM sharp, the workday starts with a stretch/warm-up circle followed by a safety briefing on the day's work. Our warmup routine involves cardio and active stretching to reduce injuries.

7:30 AM

Commute to Worksite

Commutes from camp to work count as part of the 10-hour workday and are project dependent. For some projects, you may drive to the work site, but more commonly you will be hiking. Hiking distances range from a few minutes to 8+ miles carrying personal items and tools. RMYC completes front-country and backcountry projects, and your commute may include backpacking with personal camping gear and group gear/food to a backcountry campsite. Once we arrive at the site, we will get to work right away.

Workdays are physically demanding, involving intense manual labor for up to 10 hours. You’ll spend hours swinging hand tools like pick mattocks, pulaskis, and shovels to dig and shape trail tread or remove roots and rocks. Expect to haul heavy materials like logs, rocks, or buckets of soil to build features like retaining walls, staircases, or water bars. Moving large volumes of dirt to reshape trails or create drainage structures is a regular task. The work can be repetitive, requiring focus, stamina, and teamwork.

10:30 AM

15-minute Break

Usually, around 10:30 crews will take a 15-minute paid break to sit down and refuel with snacks! Crews get two 15-minute breaks per day.

12:30 PM

Lunch Break

Crews take a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.

3:30 PM

15-minute Break

5:30 PM

Arrive Back at Camp

The crew will leave the worksite with enough time to commute and be back at camp at 5:30 PM. On the last day of the project, crews are allotted 30-minutes as part of the workday for tool maintenance. The work is done for the day, and people usually take some personal time before dinner to relax, read, go for a swim, etc.

6:00 PM

Dinner

Two crew members at a time take turns cooking dinner for the entire crew each night. Everyone will eat together, and then clean up together including dishes, trash, grey water, and food storage.

7:30 PM

Extras

Occasionally you may be asked to stay present with the crew after dinner for things like group debriefs, educational activities, or miscellaneous camp chores. Everyone is expected to participate. After dinner or these extra tasks, you have the rest of the night as personal time.