Nora, Crew Iguana
7/8/23
We drove to Minturn to start work for the week after spending the weekend in Moab, UT visiting Canyonlands NP and Arches NP. We arrived at our campsite next to two llamas which unfortunately were not very friendly.
Day 1: We started our first day of work by driving up a long bumpy dirt road to Tigiwon community house. We spent the day deconstructing fence, putting up signs, clearing sidewalks, and getting the house ready for weddings and events later in the summer. Our field coordinator came to visit us and brought snacks and treats! After work we headed home for chili and quesadilla dinner.
Day 2: The White River National Forest is visited by so many people each year that dispersed camping sites had to be confined to specific sites to prevent erosion. We spent the day cleaning up campsites, cutting down stumps, and getting to know our project partners. After work we hiked to a lodge and lake at the top of the road and watched a wedding party taking pictures.
Day 3: Best day of the week! We hiked up four miles to an old hunters camp to pack out trash they had left behind. Most of the way we were walking on a trail, but part of the way we had to bushwhack off the trails and scramble up a steep hill. When we got to the hunters camp we discovered a lot more trash than expected. It was layers and layers deep of old trash bags and loose trash. It was also years old, mostly from 2001, being left there for several years. At the end it was very rewarding to see how much we had cleaned up the camp. Overall we had collected at least 300 lbs of trash which we then had to hike back out with for 4 miles. It was definitely one of our hardest days of work but it was also my favorite.
Day 4: We spent our last work day for the week picking up trash and taking down fencing at an old shooting range. After work we rinsed off in a river at our campsite and headed to steamboat for Rendezvous, where we spent the weekend camping and hanging out with all the other RMYC crews!