INYO/TRINITY BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL CREW
JULY 2007 MONTHLY OVERVIEW
PETER MARTINEZ, BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS SUPERVISOR

Overview
Alright, well the cards were dealt and the hand was played. Work hard, play hard was what was left on the table so the Inyo crew pulled out ahead this July. We started the month in Rattlesnake Camp on the North Fork of the Trinity River, camped near a fabulous swimming hole which refreshed our weary bodies after a hard days work.
Our work projects consisted of clearing brush, cutting out fallen logs and digging tread on the Grizzly Lake Trail, Papoose Lake Trail, Hobo Gulch Low Water Crossing as well as Whites Creek Trail.   We also built a few rock structures to retain the soil and minimize trail erosion.  After completing all the work in the vicinity of our camp, we began hiking farther each day to get to our projects.  By the end of July we were hiking up to 8 miles each way to work.  Fortunately, we’ll be moving our base camp closer to Grizzly Lake in early August, which will put us closer to new worksites and new country to explore on our weekends

Curriculum
July was filled with an array of interesting classes. Brandon Hector taught us the differences between components of fishing poles, lures, reels and casting techniques. Damien, the cook’s 5 year old son, caught the only fish while taking turns of practice.
Tolokula Katakpah explained to us the importance of respecting each other and the individuality we all possess in his discrimination sensibility class.
Sage Paulsen, our sponsor, taught the crew about the different types of crosscut saws and what they’re used for in the world of logging.  He also began to teach us the techniques of how to build trails using native rocks.
Elliot DaBill, our visitor, gave a great presentation on the evolution of the world on a string. Humans barely existed and were not giving ourselves a chance to survive!
Committees are coming along in junction with our classes. Candy wrappers were strewn about our camp on our piñata bashing Halloween planned by our party committee. Submissions are being turned in to the new letter committee bringing that to an end. And the T-shirt committee has final vote on the color tonight and orders are being mailed off this week. The Mission Statement has finally been completed. Boo-ya-Kasha!

Personnel Changes
Nathan Johns left our crew. Best of luck to you.

Odds and Ends
Four Birthdays were celebrated this month. Happy Birthday to:
Tolokula Katakoah on July 3rd, now 19
Mary Lee on July 15th, now 23
Manny Gomez on July 15th, now 20
Brandon Hector on July 24th, now 23

Thank you to our visitors Elliot DaBill, Maria Comas, Andee and Tessa d’Usseau as well as the many random hikers that stop by to thank us for our hard work on the grade. You’ve spiced up our lives.

Quotes
“There’s worms, worms in my water.” –Bob Bennett

“No, those are just pine needles… Eww!” (after looking) – Alia Collins

MISSION STATEMENT
     The Trails of Life
  Las Caminos de la Vida

Hiking is a lot like life. First off, you gotta start somewhere. Sometimes it’s an unfamiliar area. You will come to places where you have to choose which path to follow. You don’t know which path is going to take you to the place that you will enjoy the most.
Some paths lead to hard work. Some paths lead to fun. Some paths lead to enlightenment. Sometimes you will choose the wrong path. Other times you will get lost along the way. Hopefully you find your way back onto the right path. If you are lucky, you will have someone there to help you along. Sometimes you will lead and sometimes you will follow. There will be ups and downs. There will be challenges. There will be all kinds of adversity that you never thought you could overcome. You reach down inside yourself to find something that will help you make it where you want o be. This applies to life outside of Backcountry. Out here you start at camp and you better know where you are going, at least for that day. Your path always leads to hard work. You don’t need luck to have someone thereto help you along. Sometimes you lead, and sometimes you follow, it depends on if you are hiking the crosscut. There are ups and downs, challenges, and adversity that you face as a crew and overcome together. You reach down inside yourself to find something that help you make it where you want to be. Out here in Backcountry, hiking is life.  Hike or Die!