Hitch #9 - Day Trippin'

Day 2: A light dusting of snow
Day 3: A winter wonderland
Day 3: Snow, Snow, Snow
Day 3: Snow Angel with a hard hat on. Sometimes you just have to take time out to play in the snow
Day 3: skinning a tree which is by far one of my favorite things to do.

For our last 10 day hitch, Team PCT N got to sleep in warm, comfortable beds instead of cold, damp tents. Good thing too because we worked in the snow for one day as you can see from the pictures above. We worked on the Pacific Crest Trail in the Gifford Pinchot Wilderness which is located by Trout Lake.

Here is a quick recap of the week:

Day 1: hike 3 miles in the rain, hike three miles out while working on cleaning out drain ditches, take 15 minute lunch because it is so cold and you can't eat fast enough to stay warm.

Day 2: hike 3 miles in the rain, cut a tree down, can't feel fingers because your gloves are wet which in turn makes your hands cold, take a 15 minute lunch because it is so cold and you can't eat fast enough to stay warm.

Day 3: hike 3 miles in the snow, skin a tree, hike out

Days 4, 5 and 6: work in the Gorge hiking in lower elevation while occasionally brushing one or two things.

Days 7, 8 and 9: knocking off berm (excess buildup on downhill side of trail) to widen trail, cut trees down, skin trees, end up with sap all over and I mean all over....in your hair, on your clothes, on your hands, etc., covering up culvert which involved moving a lot of gravel for cover up

Day 10: the nicest day weather wise that we had all week, more cutting down trees, skinning them and ending up with sap all over.

It was a long hitch only because we aren't used to working on our travel days. But since we were doing day trips, we had to work on our travel days.

We had one volunteer, Letha, join us. Letha volunteered with us on our project in Mt. Adams Wilderness. She loved working with us so much that she decided to come back.

As of today, I won't be working on the Pacific Crest Trail or doing trail work. It is kind of bittersweet. Seems so strange to think that the summer is coming to an end. October 27, I start making my way back to Good Ol' SLC. You might be asking yourself, what will I be doing for the next two weeks....well, next week for 5 days, I will be planting trees and then the last week will be cleaning up the campus and graduation in Trout Lake.

Song Quote: "Day Tripper, A One Way Ticket" The Beatles, Day Tripper

Song Quote: "Oh But Everybody Thinks That Everybody Knows About Everybody Else Nobody Knows Anything About Themselves Cause Their All Worried About Everybody Else" Jack Johnson, Wasting Time