Once upon a time, five crew members from the four corners of
the contiguous U.S. met in Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, Alaska. We were
loaded into trucks and hauled to Chugach State Park where we inhabited Tent
City for ten days to be trained in the ways of trail conservation.
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| Tent City |
During this rigorous training, showers were few and far
between. The wild forest around Tent City was explored and Indian Creek washed
away the sweat after hard days of work skills training. We became trained in
wilderness first aid and the way of sustainable trail building. We learned from
some of the great trail builders of our generation.
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| Wilderness First Aid Training |
After our intense training we felt we were ready to take on a
snowy mountain peak with a hike that some would consider aggressive. Hatcher’s
Pass was a wonderful bonding time as we trudged through the snow without the
aid of crampons or ice picks. The way down was slick with mud and slush, but we
made it.
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| Hatcher's Pass Family Photos |
Our next stop was Palmer, in the Mat-Su Borough where we lived
on the Butte for four days of high winds that blew fine soil all over
everything in our camp. Tarps were ripped to shreds and tents were blown into
the trees by the winds that whipped across the quickly eroding, sparsely
vegetated peak. Moral was low, but backcountry brownies made in honor of Vinny’s
birthday elevated our spirits. Sixty-five stairs were handcrafted by our crew
and the Mat-Su Borough Trail Team. After four ten hour days, we packed up camp
and descended the butte to prepare for our journey to Glacier Bay.
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| Butte Family Photo on the stairs we built |
More Photos!
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| Wetlands around the Matanuska River Campgound |
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| Matanuska River bed, also by the campground |
Enjoyed the photos and the update. Love, Gramma Joan
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