INYO/TRINITY BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL CREW
APRIL 2008 MONTHLY OVERVIEW
KARLSON HUBBARD, BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS SUPERVISOR

Dear Mom and Dad,
            To start with I’ve got to say we sure do have one hell of a weird supervisor. His name is Karlson Hubbard, he’s from Wisconsin, and this is his fourth season as a Backcountry Supervisor. He’s funny in an off-putting sort of way, but we at least can tell already he’d do anything for his crew.
            Besides the supervisor we have 17 crew members, one cook named Larry who’s never cooked before, but looks like he can eat. So far he has done a superb job of keeping us fueled and healthy. We also have 2 sponsors Carlos Alvarez (Stanislaus ’03) from the Humboldt Redwoods State Park and John Klinger (Trinity ’02) from Prairie Creek State Park.  Our sponsors are primarily responsible for the logistical support of the crew (providing camp, tools and equipment, and lining us out on the work project) and technical support (teaching us how to do the trail work). They also hangout with us around the camp fire and share stories.
            As far as the work goes? Well, there’s not much sophistication with this project. Basically we’re brushing 22 miles of the Lost Coast Trail in the Sinkyone State Park Wilderness. We also may cut a little tread here and there. We’re glad the project is simple and straight forward to start with, as it is clear we have a LOT to learn. Not to worry you  too much, but there is a lot of poison oak around here. We’re told though that a little itching and scratching will help build character. There’s a lot of ticks too, but in April they spared us. I’m betting that won’t last long though.
            I mentioned we’re in the Sinkyone State Park Wilderness and seeing as how you two have yet to catch up with the internet age, I’ll spare telling you to Google it and describe it for you myself. To start with, the sound of the Pacific waves crashing into the shore only a 100 yards away from our camp is a nice replacement for music. Everyday and almost at any moment if we just lift our heads and look west we’ll see the ocean, thus the reason why they call this trail we’re working on a coastal trail.
            There are amazing coastline cliffs to see in either direction north or south and there’s a ruggedness to this area that… well, is inspiring. From time to time we’re visited in camp or accompanied at work by a local herd of elk. The beauty here all seems so pristine that if not for the occasional hiker passing by, I’d swear we were the first ones here discovering this place. Turkey vultures, ospreys and some eagles clutter the sky above us and some foxes and supposedly a few black bears trot around these parts as well.
            The weather has been kind to us, and our supervisor says “too kind”, but something tells me if the rains come he’ll be eating his words.
            About the crew. There’s Juan Alvarez from the Salinas CCC Center. He’s a quiet guy who flashes a sly grin often. Joanna Clark is from Texas and she’s got some pep in her step to state it mildly. She’s full of energy. Alexander Cook is from the LA CCC and he has a booming voice and likes to write. Larry Crofutt (rhymes with profit, not pronounced crow foot). He’s from Chico and seems really dedicated. Then there’s Jim Dolan who’s light on his feet, literally, and loves to hike. He’s from Orange County. Next is Jennifer Douglas who shed her paper pushing persona back in Athens, Georgia for adventure, and some torture. David Garcia hails from the Inland Empire CCC Center is a desert dweller ready for the summer’s heat. Patrick Gietl rolled in from southern Illinois and he’s a wiry fella that doesn’t like bad moods. After him is Gabe Gutierrez from Ukiah CCC Center who’s still a little depressed about not having his security blanket out here with him which is actually his skateboard. Charlene Knight originally from San Bernadino, but coming here via Ukiah was tired of the heat in the kitchen (she worked in the kitchen at her center) and wanted some fresh air. Cecelia Luna is from Santa Maria CCC and hopes to better her English, but in the meantime she’ll try speaking the universal language of trailwork. Allyson Marisch is from Wisconsin, but she’s starting late on account of finishing up school. Jorge Perez is from the LACC and he jokes around a lot. David Rohrer from Oklahoma is the quiet type who speaks loudly but in a soft voice and Jane Sheffer is out of Southern California and seems to love just being outdoors. Aaron Smith from San Luis Obispo CCC has a tattoo of a spider scorpion and loves the Simpsons, while Mark Wetter from San Luis Obispo but not in the CCC is a self-proclaimed nerd who brought a 2 liter bottle of soda on his first camping trip.
            I’m sorry I don’t have more to say about the crew, but we’re only just beginning to get to know each other. My first impression of the whole lot is we’ve got a lot of potential. I guess it’s like our supervisor said, “It’s up to us to create the kind of crew and season we want.”
            So far our classes have just been full of the necessary safety talks and typical orientation stuff, save for a few awesome classes where we had to talk about ourselves for 4 minutes in front of the crew, then answer questions from the crew for 10 minutes. I suppose if we don’t begin sharing personal things about our lives with one another it will be real hard to come together as a crew.
            Well, that’s it for this letter. I’ll try to answer any questions you may have in my May letter. Know that I’m healthy, happy, tired, and excited.
                                                                        Love,
                                                                        Sinity Alps
PS – Be proud of us, we’ve become part of something important – the Backcountry Tradition.