OVERVIEW:
Our last camp in Brown’s Meadow overlooks a range of low southern mountains that fade to a soft violet at sunset. The small, cold and pure creek that we pump water from springs out of a six-hundred foot labyrinthine field of granite boulders that rises from the ground, humbled only by the sky. Our tents embrace the outskirts of the sloping meadow, a soft grassy field that often whispers dreams to us as we lay out to watch shooting stars and existential satellites before falling asleep. As Styx would no doubt sing, if they were to suffer such beauty as we have, "these are the best of times."
After settling in and meeting our sponsors, Danny Zaldivar (Klamath, 2004), and Lee "Studhorse" Bundy, we began again what we thought would be a replica of all the work we’ve done before. However, we were surprised when Lee busted out a dozen sledgehammers and a Pionjar (rock drill/jackhammer), and had us go to work on a particularly sly section of slick-rock. As we worked along towards the Caribou Lakes, we became more involved with different rock projects, both simple and complex, and much less intimate with those darn squeak-evil loppers. And thus, August was a month of sweat, bruised fingers and a smidgeon-bit of frustration.
For weekend splendor, adventure, and fun, we went to places as close as the Caribou Lakes and as far as Thompson Peak, a nine-thousand foot peak. The lakes were especially scenic, with cool waters, Zen-like meadows etched with mountain hemlock and white pine, and awesome views of the mountains of South Fork and China Gulch. We hiked the Caribou Scramble, a ninety-plus switchback menace that drops 2,700 feet down into havens like the Emerald and Sapphire Lakes and Morris Meadow. Some of our more devoted weekend warriors hiked cross-country to Little South Fork Lake, a burly rock climb, or to Grizzly Lake underneath the shadow of Thompson Peak. We also ran into the nearby Trinity Crew on one of their weekend expeditions, and we swapped stories, junk food, and good wishes for the rest of the season before moving on to our destinations.
And yes, we are almost to our final destination of the season, for August has come to a close, has shut its door in our face, and we are stuck to walk the short plank of September before plunging back into civilization. Slowly, we are saying farewell to our dimensions and memories and moments out here. Nena, our cook, left us sadly to attend to her off-season job at Head Start. Ann McBroom, our gun-totin’, chain-smokin’ cook from the beginning of the season came in to finish the year off with us. They are both wonderful ladies who truly have our respect, love, and admiration. We all realize now how little time we have out here. We still continue to push ourselves and try and sponge up as much of this as we can, because like Peter Lewis said at the beginning, this season will end, and we’ll all be going our separate ways. For now, though, we push on and cherish these times, because we’ll have this moment forever and no one can take it away from us.
CURRICULUM:
For this months in-camp festivities and education, Armando ‘Boo Boo’ Riojas (CCC- Tahoe), taught us "slug wrestling", a fierce battle-game of two armless & legless contestants in sleeping bags that led Paul Young (CCC- Fortuna), to glory and gloating. Morgan Hartsock (WEB— Washington), showed us how to play Euchre, a neat-o card game. Stephan Garrafo (CCC— Placer) lectured us in proper scrum technique as we walloped each other in a game of rugby. And we had parties: a Christmas Party, Sarah Wilmot’s (WEB—Utah), birthday party, the "Thank You Day" party, and lots more. We had guests a-plenty arrive to jam with us. Sarah’s parents and friends came in. Crew Supervisor Tim Warner (Kings Canyon, 2000), had some buddies from back in the day come out and see what we’re all about. Max Creasey taught us another class about swimming in a lake. It was cool. And we thoroughly entertained the top-tier forest service people and their counterparts from Washington. There was hardly a time when we didn’t have an excuse to be festive.
PERSONNEL CHANGES:
None.
INJURIES:
None.
PRODUCTION:
Trail Maintenance: — 22.5 miles
Retainer bars: — 38 each
Waterbars: — 9 each
Causeway & Single-tier Wall: — 18 linear yards ( 54 lin. ft.)
Multi-tier Retaining Wall: — 51.5 square feet
