Reid Grinspoon (Boulder Crew Leader)
(Pictured above is my home for basically all of this summer).
My favorite project this summer, by far, was our backcountry hitch to fix a bridge on the Buchanan Pass Trail. The 8 days we spent in the backcountry were hard and physical, but the outcome was so satisfying. We knocked out our bridge in four days and got to spend the rest of our time exploring and improving the beautiful trails just south of Rocky Mountain National Park in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Our crew really came together during these 8 days, and the hitch was filled with laughter, delicious camp food, and some seriously hard work. Our 8 day hitch was the best possible way to end our summer, and I cannot wait to come back and show people the bridge I built in the wilderness.
Andrew Martin (Boulder Crew Member)
My true highlight of the season was having access to such amazing public lands and seeing as much as I could of those lands with my crew. The crew was a highlight as well, and I couldn’t have hoped for a more friendly, as well as adventurous group to be around for the summer, and hopefully on adventures in the future. As far as projects, I was pleased with our boardwalk and turnpike near Buchanan pass which I was able to proudly show my parents and girlfriend.
Dana Chafetz (Boulder Crew Member)
Favorite work project: We had an eight day backcountry hitch where we camped in the wilderness and built a bridge. The trails around us were beautiful. The project we the most rewarding and we got to see a few hikers use our work. We really got to appreciate the work that goes into such a simple structure because we weren’t allowed to used mechanized equipment to persevere the wilderness.
Favorite Memory: We had just finished a day of work and we were at red deer lake, a beautiful lake in the mountains by glaciers. Almost everyone jumped in and some of the crew fished (and caught the first fish of the summer). It was super fun and a great way to end the day.
Chivithaya (Chivi) Xiong (Boulder Crew Member)
This photo was taken at Backcountry Pizza the day we returned from our eight day backcountry hitch. The distorted picture shows us devouring the much anticipated meal. The eight day hitch was tough, but the end result of our hard work made it all worth it.
One of my favorite memories was walking on the bridge that took us five days to build. The feeling of accomplishment was priceless. The bridge was definitely my favorite project.
James “Jimmy Bobby” Hanks (Boulder Crew Member)
This summer has been full of great memories and projects that will be on my mind forever and also serve as tokens to exemplify the great life I am so privileged to experience! The Boulder crew has been very close the whole season, so the best memory I have with the crew has to be when we were together on the eight-day backcountry hitch, camping and completing an awesome project! The photo submitted was shot on the last day of the hitch at the bottom of Elk Tooth Mountain, where we hiked with our Forest Service supervisors and now friends, Paul and Cait, to have a great, last hike together as a trail crew! The laughter of the group filled the air, and the realization that the summer was coming to an end was a little disheartening, but I’ve been told that the great moments often come to an end but always assimilate in your conscience as a great experience! The sturdy backcountry bridge, which we built in a rather quick three and a half days on the hitch, is also my favorite project because we used teamwork and the skills we have learned throughout the season to construct a long lasting structure that will aid adventurous hikers looking for a wilderness experience for many years to come. Our crew and myself are very proud of our work this summer, and I love the fact that this internship opportunity has improved my ability to work as a team and also my character!
Annie Makuch (Boulder Crew Member)
Favorite picture:
Top of James peak. This very accurately describes the dynamic of our crew.
Favorite project: obviously our big projects, such as the bridge and Boardwalk, were fun to work on and we used as a template to show off our skills. However, sometimes the little projects are the most impactful. My absolute favorite project was a culvert that my USFS supervisor Cait and I worked to reset. It turned out to be incredibly difficult, taking two days to complete, but once it was done the sense of pride and accomplishment was completely worth it..
Favorite memory: at the end of the 8 day hitch, we were all exhausted, yet plowed our way through the 5 miles hike…with out stopping. When I arrived at our meeting spot, I was greeted by sweaty, smiling faces and the promise of pizza and wings. The car ride back was giddy and exhilarating, as we realized we just did an incredibly difficult hitch with ease. It made me realize how strong our crew was and how much we had grown as a team.