Becoming a Wilderness Woman: My SCC Experience

Written by Lara Redmond, a crew member with the Los Valles Region:

Lara and a fellow crew member in their climbing gear on one of the weekend expeditions

It’s official: this city slicker has become a wilderness junkie.  I can hardly believe that mere weeks ago I didn’t even know how to set up a tent, much less maintain a trail.  I came onto my SCC trail crew anticipating endless embarrassment for my utter lack of knowledge about the outdoors, but I’ve been blown away by how painless it’s been to pick up the ways of the outdoorsy.

Working on trails in some of the nation’s most beautiful parks and forests has renewed my love of nature.  Never again will I take for granted the effort that goes into keeping these trails in usable condition.   Being an educated outdoors woman will surely enhance my future experiences in nature, which – with all the knowledge I now have about living in the woods – will be many.

The crew poses in their PPE while working in the Great Sand Dunes National Park

I’m so glad I stepped out on a limb and came to work with SCC.  My crew members are all so different, but they’ve become like a second family to me.  Without a doubt, I’ve become a stronger, smarter person in these four short weeks.  Some people work toward a corner office; I was lucky enough to land a job that gave me breathtaking mountains as my office.  My experience with SCC has been an unforgettable one, to be sure, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.