Weeks 20- the summer...

Okie dokes folks (yeah, I went there), I bought a new camera and it's supposed to arrive in two days! Also, I thought I would catch you up on some of the projects and things going on in my version of the NCC.

After Dayton in March (wow, long time ago huh?), I've done several different projects including but not limited to: trail work/restoration at Washoe Lake, a Lovell Canyon tour with my old crew, and then another Lovell Canyon tour with the new crew leaders and supervisors. Yup, that's right everyone, I got a promotion to crew leader. But not just any crew leader, a YOUTH crew leader! Exactly what I wanted! (For real, no sarcasm whatsoever) After the Lovell Canyon tour, we had leadership training around the Tahoe area. Chainsaws, advanced trail work, Wilderness First Aid training, and several other terribly exciting moments. Our next job was orientation with the new summer people. Unfortunately this did not involve the new youth that I was to work with, but it was still fun and it was nice to meet some new people. Lots of learning and tons of excitement. It was kinda cool as well, to be on the other side of the crew member fence as a crew leader. I forgot how much more fun it is to be in charge instead of entirely grunt labour. After orientation, we youth crew leaders had 3 weeks until our proteges arrived so we became our own crew, all 5 of us.

We went to a place called Water Canyon, outside Winnemucca, NV. Though originally I thought it was barren, I was obviously delusional because this place was gorgeous! There was a beautiful stream that ran through the valley, and we were working right beside it. Together with one other AmeriCorps member employed by a group called, Nevada Outdoor School, we were rehabilitating a trail that already existed and making it FAR better then it was originally. Sadly, the weather was awful, and by awful I merely mean it rained, and thunderstormed every day but the last. Camping was terrible because of this, and it definitely was not fun to attempt cooking in it. Far from that though, it was a fun project and it was even more fun to work with another AmeriCorps member who was excited about this particular project and was willing to help to the extent that he did.

After that week, I was supposed to stay with the Youth crew leaders, but because of an unfortunate fall, and wrenching my knee, I was put on "light duty" by the doctor. Though the timing was great for me, it was sad for another crew leader because a member of her family died, but I took over her position as crew leader with a visiting youth crew from New Mexico. The age range was 17-20 and they are all at-risk, for various reasons and mostly involving illegal substances. It was hard work. Very hard work. They kept me on my toes, insisted that I keep them on their toes (by their actions.. believe me, these kids were a handfull when it came to getting them to work), and overall I had a blast! I learned more in those two weeks working with them then I've learned in my entire time in the NCC. Seriously. I had to keep my patience, learn to listen more then talk, and then evaluate what I had heard into some sense of normal speak that convinced them that doing the right thing was far better for their well-being then doing the wrong thing. It didn't always go well, but I think by the end of the two weeks that I worked with them, I had the majority of their respect and managed to quell a few fires along the way. I would do a blow-by-blow account of the time I spent with them, but it would make a novel and I can't imagine anyone really wants to know all that.

Now that their original crew leader is back, it was time to return to the youth crew leaders because orientation for our own youth was fast approaching. In fact, we are midway through their first week as Great Basin Naturalists (basically the youth version of the NCC). Their age range is 17-18, and they seem like a great group of kids so far. I'm super stoked about working with them over the next 2 months and as sad as it made me originally, none of them are at-risk, which could prove to be a positive and negative. We shall see.

Believe me now when I say, I will attempt to keep this updated far better from now on, and sorry to all my loyal readers... aka, my parents and grandma. Everyone else in the world, well, you should read this too, just because I'm THAT entertaining.