![[Image Description: Two MCC members taking a brief break; one is sitting on a rock, the other is standing nearby. They are both in their uniforms, looking out at the expansive, mountain view surrounding them.]](https://cdn.firespring.com/images/c3f85e97-43a9-4810-8081-e8e6338173d0.jpeg)
On our first hitch in Anaconda we climbed mountains, sprayed weeds, and admired wildlife and moose scat alike. We navigated a new area known as Muddy Gulch. We also learned how the Anaconda smelter stack (the tallest surviving masonry structure in the world) polluted the soil, waters, and vegetation over its 73 years of operation. At the peaks of the mountains we climbed there is little to no organic material in the soil due to the heavy pollution over the years. The root balls of long-dead trees were exposed as the soil slowly eroded away. Pieces of chert from the arrowheads of indigenous peoples many years ago can be readily found. Despite being heavily polluted in the past there is still an abundance of life to be found. The progress back to a healthy ecosystem is palpable. Beaver dam analogs and revegetation projects are slowly taking hold and making this area more habitable for the many creatures and plants that may call this place home.
