Beneath bluebird skies, the Middle Fork of the Flathead River sparkles with brilliance, and yellowing birches spring up from its snaking shoreline. Spruce Park cabin sits on a squat cliffside overlooking the river, six miles deep in the Great Bear Wilderness. Our crew spent our last days working together here, building a perimeter fence around the cabin. Our mornings started when the sky was still full of stars, huddled around the wood stove, recounting our dreams. The autumn sun is slow to rise, so our crew was eager to warm up and get moving. We dug holes deep enough that we could climb inside and sit with our knees tucked against our chests. We tamped so much that Erin started talking about it in her sleep. We celebrated every 8-inch nail sledged into the railings and posts. At the end of the workday, we sat on the cliffside and watched the evening light stretch out over the west-facing forest, groups of trees slowly turned into new shades of green, parted by shadows and wonder. No matter what was cooked for dinner, it was eaten gratefully and topped with chili cheese Fritos. And when the vespertine animals began hooting, howling, and flitting through the dusk, we knew it was time to retire to bed.

It was hard work, but our days passed too quickly. I’ll carry my time and the community I found with MCC close to my heart.