Field Program

The last hitch for our crew "Big Buckers", the last time we rigged up, the last drive to the work site, the last time we set up camp, the last stretch circle, the last safety meeting, the last check-ins, the last time Mike made coffee for us, the last time we ate lunch together, the last time we filled up our saws with oil and gas, the last sharpening, the last tree fell, the last pile, the last saw maintenance, the last teeth brushing circle, the last dinner, the last campfire, the last time we complained about the cold as we crawled out of our tents, the last time Tanner and Lucie explained the game plan, the last walk up to the worksite, the last walk down from the worksite, the last time we took down our tents, the last time we all slept in the sheep herders tent, the last car karaoke, the last dance battle, the last evening meeting, the last celebration of hitch being over, the last derig.

All these things have been a part of our daily routine for the last 6 months, and are all the reasons we grew uncomfortably close to each other, as well as the reasons for the bonds that we formed that won't be forgotten. At first, we were 6 outcasts that liked the idea of being stuck in the woods for the summer, but by the end, we were 6 outcasts that had 6 other friends who liked being stuck in the woods and cutting trees down together. We all promised each other that we wouldn't be sad or emotional and that we would instead celebrate. But all of us broke that promise as we sat in a small pizzeria in Wisdom, Montana, going around and discussing our favorite things about each other. To be truthful, we also all shed a few tears of relief that we had made it through the season. All of us had experienced a journey of a lifetime, and were ready to part ways and see what laid ahead.