First Hitch! I wish I could say this Hitch was filled with days of long hard manual labor and evenings full of laughter, but it was not. This hitch was a last-minute substitute for our original hitch, which was canceled due to snow. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) based out of Billings, MT kindly took us on last minute, which led us to our project partner, the infamous Don. Don is a lovely older gentleman whose been working with us MCC young folks for the last 20 years. He understands us, our woes of trail work and seasonal life, better than we do at times. That being said, Don didn't actually have that much work lined out for us since it was all last minute. We all did our best to stay busy though. We drove miles and miles, from Montana to Wyoming and back again, checking out cowboy fences and seeing if they needed repair. We followed Don down miles of rocky roads, paused to gaze at his favorite sunrise spot, took turns riding in his side-by-side, and put-up truck gates where needed.

As grateful as we were to have work this first hitch, driving hours just to see if a fence needed repair wasn't what we were expecting. Most of our members were chomping at the bit, ready to swing Pulaski's and experience falling asleep sore and exhausted after a long day in the sun. What we got instead was a blessing in disguise, time with Don. Many of us learned how to use power tools for the first time and got lots of practice communicating and working with Don to create game plans for the empty parts of the day. We enjoyed his stories and jokes (I personally wrote down all the jokes I could remember), and some things he said, serious and not so serious, will stay with us for a lifetime. He encouraged us to utilize the time we had in that part of the state, sending us out to hike a canyon to see Petroglyphs, visiting a Japanese internment camp near Heart Mountain Wyoming, and swinging in to see Pompeys Pillar plus the interpretive center. He emphasized the importance of each of these places. Though all very different, they were integral parts of our history. Not just in this small region of the West, but as humans in the world.

This trip was unexpected, constantly changing, and full of long hours of driving. With that, it was a pleasure. I'm sure not all members of the crew feel this fully right now, but it really was a treat getting to work with Don. It's not very often that we have the opportunity to work with project partners who have been watching young people filter through this program for years and care so deeply for us. Don brought us red noses on national red nose day. He brought us joy and thoughtfulness in constant and consistent ways.

Thank you, Don