Orion the Hunter

Written by Thorin Gustafson, a Climate Corps AmeriCorps member with the Los Valles Region:

Orion

Orion, the hunter, ascended in the early morning sky as we laced out boots in his twilight. A new moon drifted overhead. My hands sore and weathered moan in rebellion as I cinch a doubled knot; I leave the protest unheard. The sound of tents zipping closed intermittently interrupts the primordial silence of this high desert valley. We are the Desert Crew, closing the doors of our simple homes and stepping into the challenge. Today we will continue what we set out to do. We will etch a path with pick and shovel, with sweat and will, from civilization into the wilderness.

This is the home of coyote, prickly pear, piñon and bunching grass. In this land only the hardiest creatures survive. In subtle ways we adopt the characteristics of our neighbors. Every drop of water we spill goes noticed and every patch of shade is noted. In this land we must learn to adapt or the ever-beating sun will keep us from our goal; a single pink ribbon tied to a strong pine limb one and a quarter miles from the trailhead.

To walk along this desert trail would take half an hour, to bike one far less, but to build one… To build a mile of trail takes the most that I and this crew have to offer. Eight devoted people and eight days of devotion. Every foot we gain on that fluttering pink flag comes with the swing of a pick, the clang of rock, the scrape of a shovel and often far more. Consider that for every step you may take along this trail, every voyage along the course of our gift, the humanity that lies beneath your feet.