Inchworm Crew

Tales from Crew Inchworm
When you’re with your crew as long as RMYC’s Conservation Corps crews are, oftentimes crew nicknames surface as agreed upon by everyone. Such is the case with “Crew Inchworm” from the summer of 2024 as its members conducted trailwork and fire mitigation efforts in the Dillon Ranger District for the National Forest Foundation.

Inching Along
This past week, Crew “Inchworm” worked in White River National Forest on the Surprise, Upper Cataract and Gore Range trails, crosscutting and cutting back trees on Mount Powell. I loved seeing the landscape change as we progressively climbed higher on the trails each day. I also looked forward to spotting the trees I had crosscut the day before and getting to where we had cut our last log the day before. It felt rewarding to hike back down the trail at the end of the day and see all our hard work. I especially loved seeing other hikers pass by, enjoying the fruits of our efforts. Seeing them use the trails we worked on made all the early morning treks worth it. On our last day, we encountered heaps of snow on the trail, in some places over three feet tall. We stopped for a lunch break and froze—luckily, we had our raincoats with us, as well as our leather gloves and hard hats. My saw partner Keebler said that since it was our last workday and we were driving to Great Sand Dunes National Park that evening, we’d go from snow piles to sand dunes within 12 hours. Working on the crew taught me resiliency, especially with work like crosscutting. Hiking the same trail every day got tiresome, and several times, after a long workday and knowing I still had several miles to go, I almost felt like crying. But I told myself that I had done it before, and that I could do it again. And having my crew hiking with me made the final few miles less exhausting. The feeling of being all in it together and the sense of community is the best and most important feeling to keep with you.
—Eva Delgado

Backcountry Basics: Mistakes Crew Inchworm Made as a First Time Backcountry Crew
As first time RMYCers, my crew and I (Crew Inchworm) had no idea of what to expect for a week doing backcountry labor. Here are some mistakes we made so you don’t have to:
1. Bringing 10 pounds of cheese (two 2-lb. sharp cheddar blocks, two 2-lb. bags of shredded mozzarella and cheddar, and 2 lbs. of shredded vegan cheese). We eat a lot of cheese as a crew, however not ten pounds in four days. Don’t bring 10 lbs. of cheese.
2. Forgetting bug spray (for obvious reasons).
3. Forgetting lip balm. The air was super dry and cracked lips suck.
4. Learn how to use your stoves before heading out. Cold oats and coffee in the mornings are not fun.
5. Not filtering water while putting it personal bottles. The water we got came from streams and was dirty. If you don’t want to drink sticks bring a bandana to use as a filter (thank you Klena for thinking of this).
6. Muddy trails? Bring spare socks. Trench foot is no joke.
7. Don’t forget individual silverware! I ate leftover Pad Thai with my fingers for the first day. 8. Embrace the suck. It rained the last day and dinner was held under a pine tree. Your feet are going to hurt, your tent is gonna’ stink, and you might end up using a nature wipe. The days are gonna’ be long, the nights are gonna’ be cold, but the views are going to be spectacular. Just remember your experience is what you make it and you’ll be fine!
—Cortnee Pete