Back Country in the Sand Dunes

The week of June 28th started our first hitch for the Upper Arkansas Crew at Southwest Conservation Corps. We left the Salida, CO office and came to our first campground/worksite a long the Conejos River by Sheep Creek. The next morning, our crew (me, Josh, Tony,[Brink], and Pat) began work completing a set of stairs designed for fishermen to allow access to the riverbank. It only took two days to complete it and we were off to the Great Sand Dunes. The first day there, we met up with Bill and Carl, who worked there, and they lead us on a five mile hike putting in Carsonite posts in the Dunes and surrounding area. After that, we left on a van ride to move campsites, but arrived one member short due to complications within the group. Morale was low, but we kept on going, and eventually arrived at our backcountry location. The remainder of our time was spent clearing trails around our campsite. This lasted us a good while, clearing well over three miles of trail around the Dunes. Our last day was a hike into the forest where Brink led us on a climb up a giant rock structure. We eventually made it to the top where we had a fascinating view and Brink gave an even more fascinating geology lesson. Bill and Carl picked us up the next morning for a smooth ride home. All in all, friendships were made, friendships were lost, but we all had one hell of a hitch!

-Daniel Longfellow
Crew Member
Upper Arkansas Crew
Los Valles Region