Field Program

For our fifth hitch, we had the pleasure of staying in a bunker that was basically being used as extra storage space for the BLM. To some people, sleeping on a concrete floor surrounded by dust, hay, and flaking insulation may not seem like a privilege, but to us, this felt like a luxury hitch. We had a roof over our heads to shield us from the rain, so there was no need to set up any tents. We could each make our cozy little nests of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows piled onto our sleeping pads. I was set up on one side between a lawn mower and a garbage can. There was even a bathroom in here!

Because of our extra resources on this hitch, we were able to watch movies with a projector at night by setting up a folding white table over our food storage tubs. One of the movies we watched was Into the Wild, which is about a young man, known by the pseudonym Alexander Supertramp, who gives up his fortune to live as a vagrant and then tests his survival skills in the wilderness of Alaska. When questioned about his lifestyle by a grandfatherly figure, Alex responds,

“I’m not destitute. I’m living like this by choice.”

“In the dirt?” the old man presses.

“Yeah, in the dirt,” Alex confirms.

This exchange really resonated with us because that is essentially what we are also choosing by being in the Conservation Corps, and it does not make sense to everyone. Despite enjoying the bunker, we missed being in a more primitive camping setup as well. We got that chance for one night when we went up to Pryor Mountain. This gem of a spot was also home to wild horses that we had the pleasure of watching! They were running freely across the ridgeline. We went up there on Day 5 of our hitch, so it worked out well for breaking up the hitch and giving us some novelty. We fixed some fencing surrounding a historic cabin and put up a new sign that the precious wild horses had used as a scratching post to the point of leaning it over. It felt good to know we were doing meaningful work to make a difference for this beautiful spot. That night, we slept outside and had a wonderful view of the stars.

Back in town, we did our compass lesson and finished it with a game of tag in the park. How often do adults get to run around like wild horses and play tag in the park? I can only speak for myself, but getting to play tag reminded me of the importance of play and how we tend to lose that as we grow older.

One of the coolest bunker moments was when we got to watch a fireworks show from a baseball field down the road. This was especially meaningful to us because on our previous hitch, we went into the nearby town on the evening of the Fourth of July, hoping to catch a firework show, only to be disappointed to discover that that town had done their firework show the previous night, on July 3rd. Not even expecting to see fireworks on this hitch, we were able to have an amazing view of them from right outside our bunker. This was a new core memory for me for sure.