LOCALadk Magazine

28 Fall 2015 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk to build this bridge, a good size spruce has been preselected by the trail's coordinator, Andrew Hamlin, to be harvested, debarked and cut to size. Originally from Westmoreland, N.Y., Hamlin grew up hiking, camping and fishing. These early experiences deepened his appreciation for the wild. Today, with nine years of experience under his belt, Hamlin, referred to as "Bones" in the trail crew community, is the go-to guy for trail crew projects. Advised by the Department of Environment and Conservation, or DEC, of poor trail conditions, Hamlin scouts, assesses and develops a work plan for professional crews and trail leaders to carry out. "The most critical elements in deciding where crews will work are the scope of the damage and the amount of use the trail gets," he explains. Hamlin tells me about his early days as part of a professional trail crew. "Hiking with 100 pounds on my back, fending off the blackflies and developing carpentry and stone skills was everything I ever dreamed of," he says. "After that first sum- mer with the pro crew I continued with it, not only because of my love for the work but also because of the friendship and camaraderie that develops on trail crews." Zach, the other trail crew leader, returns from scouting a camp site. Due to the remote and mountainous location of their project, the group has received permission to make a primitive camp off trail. Tall, with a solid frame, Zach is entering his junior year at Boston College as a sociology major. He smiles a lot and provides comic relief when the packs get too heavy or bugs too persistent. Charlotte and Zach's volunteer group consists of six teenagers ranging in age from 14-17. Many of the students have experience in the Adirondack backcountry. For example, one has just become an Adirondack 46er—following in the footsteps set by Bob Marshall and summiting all 46 Adirondack peaks over 4000 feet. (Note: it was later realized that 4 of the 46 peaks were shorter than 4,000 feet, but the name had already stuck.) Being in the group's company, it's easy to see the strong backcountry friendships that Hamlin referred to. The crew sets up camp and breaks for lunch before tackling the big task of the day—cutting down the spruce tree. The group smells human, thanks to working in the woods and going days without a shower. It's the earthy smell of hard-earned work. Conversation re- volves around food (what they'll eat for dinner—pita pizzas—and what they'll eat when they get out of the woods—Noonmark Diner's famous pies) and past expeditions. Charlotte talks about working through a straight week of rain and how the group huddled under the trap and didn't seem to mind one bit: signing on to trail crew, you know you'll be working in a variety of weather conditions. Food is unpacked and sandwiches are made. As a former wilderness instruc- tor that lived on bags of oats and dried lentils, I'm impressed by the quality of food packed in: loaves of bread, pitas, peanut butter, pret- zels, boxes of vanilla wafers, fruits, vegetables, eggs and pasta. "Our food director is awesome and gives us as much healthy, locally grown food as possible," Charlotte explains. Over lunch, I ask the volunteers what their favorite part of the experience is. The majority say it's the food, but one boy leans against a balsam and snaps a twig between his fingers. He thinks a few moments and then says, "Being away from everything and in the woods. Some of it sucks, but it makes the nice parts better." After lunch, the group assembles at the work site and hardhats are passed out. Zach and Charlotte giver a refresher on tool safety before the group sets off to fell the large spruce. The volunteers that were buzzing over lunch are now silent and hanging on every word from their leaders. Eyes are wide and hands are cautious. The one tool that is off-limits to the volunteers is the hatchet. Each trail leader has one, and it's protected by a leath- er sheath and personalized with a bandana. With their hatchets, Zach and Charlotte take turns de-barking the tree where the crosscut saw will go. Afterwards, the volunteers help clear the site and step back, giving more space for the sawing process. They step in one at a time, rotating in and out under the direction of their leaders. Back and forth the saw goes, making a clean cut through the tree and producing a fine mist of saw dust. Every now and then, the crosscut catches and stalls. Zach readjusts the angle. An hour later, the tree falls. The process of debarking and sectioning it off for the bog bridge will take days, and unfortunately I only have hours. I take a few more pictures, say my goodbyes, express my thanks and opt to tag the summit of Big Slide before descending. As I journey up, I read the trail in a different way. I'm highly aware of the trail work around me. The huge rocks that make a perfect stair- case, the logs chiseled and notched, and the erosion on the side of "Think of walking through the conditions pigs like to roll around in." Bethany Garretson Dove Henry

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