Spotted Bear Ranger District orientation had it all: catered food, hot showers, horses, damp socks, feats of athletic achievement, and most importantly, dogs. MCC’s immersion crew, who will head out to Schafer Meadows in July, spent the last week getting to know the district and our Forest Service peers while learning about everything from ethics and policies to timber and stock handling. By the end of the week we all felt a little more prepared to be thrown out into the wilderness for three months (and ready to ditch our dying rig for some mules, RIP again and again and again Beezy).