Lists

Life can be hard on a Conservation Corps crew. Members see and experience it all, from bonding with fellow crew members and seeing the sunrise to being hungry, warding off the cold and appreciating a warm sleeping bag. And sometimes, making a list is the best way to write those feelings down.
Life Lessons, from Flatulence to Soaking It In (USFS Hahn's Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District)
This past week our crew completed its first eight-day hitch, which came with many life lessons. Here is a short list of some of the things I learned:
1. Work hard, fart hard.
2. Never say yes to hearing a pseudo-crude joke.
3. Invest in a PHD (post hole digger). It’s an essential hole-building tool, especially when tasked with digging 36 holes. Results are inconclusive as to whether a PHD has been proven more efficient than a rock bar and a Deuce #2.
4. Always say yes to side quests. The project partner needs a few extra hands? Say yes. You never know what is in store. Moving trash cans? Hauling wood? Learning how to use a new power tool? The possibilities are endless when you take that leap of faith.
5. Good work often reaps great benefits. Every project partner is different, but they all value hard work and dedication. After eight days of high-quality tent pads, signposts and fencing, you may very well find yourself heading into the weekend with six pounds of wagyu beef, 20 farm fresh eggs, and brand new t shirts.
6. Don’t forget to enjoy the view. It’s so easy to get sucked into a hard task or to focus on how tired you are instead of remembering why you came out to Colorado in the first place and how lucky we all are to be able to do this work. Take a look around, soak it all in, and don’t take any of it for granted.

10 Reasons Why Our HistoriCorps Hitch Was Amazing
1. We had seven dogs at our worksite every day and they were all so cute and friendly (even if one tried to steal my gloves during stretch and safety)
2. We had actual bathrooms which is kind of crazy: two porta potties and two flushing toilets
3. Very scenic location with hiking nearby if we were up for it after a long workday
4. They set up Starlink so we had space Wi-Fi during the day
5. We scraped lead paint from a ranger station and got to wear full painting suits and masks which look funny
6. We got to use power tools—spray brush for painting, orbital sanders, and nail guns!
7. So many hummingbirds nearby, with a feeder where they all gather—they’re so fun to watch
8. Other groups were working at the same time, making it seem like a busy worksite—including solar installation, roofing, Hvac and plumbing, and interior painting crews
9. Awesome project partners, extremely nice and cool people to be around and learn from
10. We got paid to restore an old ranger station from the 1930s, which might be the coolest project any of us have ever done
— Zachary Willford

The Curse of the Lost Member
Part 1: On the third day of the second week of Crew H’s Hitch (Crew Huh), tragedy struck. The infamous Sump Deer claimed another one of the crew’s members and placed a curse on the crew, the Curse of the Lost Member. Fortunately, whenever Sump Deer taketh, she also giveth.
Part 2: Tucked away among the brush and fallen trees of the Lost Lake Trail resides a secret trail, kept secret by the Forest Service because of its astonishing beauty. On the fourth day of the third week, Crew Huh had the pleasure of working on the secret trail under the leadership of two Forest Service interns, Max and Brandon. Swore to secrecy, Crew Huh got to explore and work alongside the dynamic intern duo clearing a total of 255 trees and saving the citizens of the Lost Lake region.
Part 3: Along the way, the crew discovered more secrets including a lodge that “you can only go to if you know someone,” according to a past employee who still doesn’t know all the secrets after working there for 25 years. Although, it is said that a certain Dirty Dan ferociously guards the lodge and turns away anyone unworthy of entering.
Part 4: Among the many secrets of the Lost Lake Trail, Crew Huh managed to finish the hitch strong and even discovered the power of creating a human pyramid. Because of Crew Huh’s diligent efforts, Sump Deer graciously givethed and lifted the Curse of the Lost Member, for now.
—Camille Lueder