I have this thing for the letter M

So it has been well over a month since I last wrote and in that time quite a bit has happened. I was a team leader for two weeks in Winona and it was a great chance to spread my wings. I had a great time and learned a little bit about leading a team... it really wasn't all that hard ;). We finished our connector trail... and let me tell you I was so happy to say goodbye to that project. It was a lot of very physical work in the 90s with high humidity. It is also a project I feel very proud of... if you are ever in Missouri I suggest that you walk the connector trail between Big Spring and the Ozark Trail off of highway C!

The last day of that project I got a message from my brother telling me that my aunt and uncle's(Mike and Jen) farm was hit by the awful storms that ripped through Minnesota. I was instantly concerned and talked to my teammates about maybe taking a team up to help with cleanup. Everyone was way into it and after talking to my program director I had a team of four with some chainsaws. We left Saturday morning and started cleaning up on Sunday. There were trees down everywhere... one even landed on the house, but luckily no one was hurt and the damage was minimal. We spent one day cutting trees off of a fence and a couple other days cutting, piling, and stacking wood in their backyard. My friends had a great time helping out and really liked meeting all of my family. It is amazing what four people can get done when they feel so connected to the people they are helping. It was an experience that will stick with all who were involved.

I was back in St.Louis by the end of the week and that weekend I found out that I would be on the first trip out to Montana. That is my excuse for taking so long to write and that is also why you will not be getting any pictures at this time. I am blogging from a library in downtown Butte. We left for Montana on the fourth of July and stopped at Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park on our way out. We didn't spend much time at either but it was still very worth it.

For the last three weeks I have been doing a variety of projects including digging trail, clearing trails, spraying invasives, building fences,picking up sticks, and weed whacking picnic areas. My favorite task was spraying invasives. We walked through random gulches climing the hills and hoping over streams to kill non native plants. There were so many pretty wildflowers that I got to see and except for our presence the area was realtivly untouched by man. I don't know how I feel about spraying chemicals in these wilderness areas, but I am trying to figure it out.

I just came back from a spike out in the grasshopper valley area of Montana. The experience was mixed for me. The first night we stayed at a hot spring and had a nice cabin for our team of four. The next three days were spent carrying 55 lb plus bags up and down mountains and clearing trail as we went. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if the mosquitoes hadn't found us so very delicious. We hiked somewhere around 15 miles total and cleared and fixed trail as we went. Over all I am glad I had the experience and I am very relieved that I only have to relive it in my memory! The last two days I spent with my team of 14 building a trail on the Continental Divide Trail. There were a bunch of volunteers with us and in two days we completed over a mile of trail.

Now I think you are all caught up. I am not sure how long I will be here, but I will try to keep you posted.

Happy trails,
Elsa

P.S. I realized the other day that while in AmeriCorps I have only served in states that start with M... Maine, Massachussetts, and Maryland... your next ;)

Feeling Hot, hot, hot

The VRC we set up in Choctaw County

My days in Mississippi have come and gone. It was an incredible experience and I am really lucky to have been a part of something so worthwhile. Our team helped over 70 families in Choctaw county, 40 families in Atalla County, and 130 families in Holmes county. We managed volunteers from all over the country, cleaned up peoples homes and yards (or what was left of them), and put in place a long term recovery committee to get them looking toward the future. My big job was to drive around and find people that were affected by the storms and offer them free assistance. I learned a lot doing this, but one thing is for sure: Southern hospitality is real... every single person I talked to was very kind and went above and beyond to make sure I felt welcomed. There were many who needed help, but wouldn't accept it because they knew someone who needed it more. Mississippi has the highest poverty and lowest education rates in the country. The people were trying to help had been helping themselves for years... they didn't know anyone cared. It was so gratifying to work for those who appreciated it and who needed it. The last of our team came back on Friday. Now these counties Mississippi have to work with the long term effects of these storms and plan for future disasters. They can do it!

A trailer once stood here... this car is all that is left

A group of high schoolers from Michigan who came to volunteer.

These national guard tents held those who lost their homes and us

We formed a chain to get a big Red Cross semi unloaded

These are the amazing Americorps folks I worked with

I actually left Mississippi on the 19th of May to fly home for a wedding. It was beautiful and so great to be home for a weekend. I even got to go to a cabin up north with my mom to fish and hear the loons! When I got back to St.Louis I spent a week working in the office... mostly sharpening chains but also doing some case management training.


The last two weeks I was in Winona MO building a trail. It is about a mile and a half and we are building it from scratch. The project is slow going, but very worthwhile. We start our days early so we don't have to work in the hot part of the day. Just so you know today's heat index was 105 in St.Louis. In the afternoons we go to swimming holes and springs in the area to cool off.

Us building a trail

This is Big Spring the largest spring in the world!

Last week I got to challenge myself and act as the team leader for our project. It was a blast and the feedback I got was extremely encouraging. I found out that I am going back to Winona... our goal is to finish the trail this week! Wish us luck... I will let you know how it goes later,

Trying to keep cool,

Elsa

What has four i's but can't see?

One of the many morels we found... they are delicious

So I have a ton of stuff to fill you in on, but unfortunately no time to do it. Quick update: I went to a SEMA(State Emergency Management Agency) Conference and learned a ton about the Missouri emergency system. That was the end of April when I did that. The next week I sprayed garlic mustard at Athens state park in northern Missouri. I got to go fishing, morel hunting, and we camped outside. It was wonderful. That weekend I got to see the Wartburg Choir sing in St.Louis and host some of my friends. Also some of my home friends visited me... so good! We did the touristy things.

This is me bucking up a tree in Mississippi... FEMA took the picture!

For a week and a half I have been in Mississippi working with the tornadoes that devastated five of the counties. We are working in Choctaw County and Atalla County. I want to tell you more, but I am stealing Internet from a law firm across from the county courthouse at 10 at night. This town is small and I will get caught very soon. Hope everything is going well... I will fill you all in when I have more time and a less sketchy location.

Thinking of you,
Elsa

P.S. The answer is Mississippi

Fire Danger: Moderate to Low

I am trying to be like Smokey!

Well fire season is coming to a close, and although I am enjoying myself it will be nice to slow down for a bit. The last time I filled you in I was at a fire house in Camdenton. Well in that week I went on some very big wildfires... including a couple night fires. My most memorable night was spent fighting a small wildfire below a ridge. The fire itself was pretty intense but the craziest thing was watching the arsonists lighting off the ridge above us. Within an hour I watched a fire grow from 2 acres to 75. There were so many fires and not enough people to fight them all. Instead we just saved all the structures and let the land burn. Also, I got to watch people cut down burning snags... I could have joined in but resisted... it was probably for the best ;) It was a week full of long days and early mornings, but talking with grateful homeowners made it worthwhile. Oh and in case anyone is dying to know... yes I did slide down the fire pole!

Night Fire

The last two weeks I have been in Potosi, MO. We spent a couple days doing trail work, but mostly were there to do prescribed burns with the National Forest Service. I went on some pretty big burns, the largest being a 3, 125 acre burn. We had beautiful weather and I got to watch all of the trees grow from buds to leaves and the flowers pop up. It didn't rain at all and the fire danger got higher and higher. Our last burn didn't have favorable wind conditions and that led the the biggest spot fire I had ever seen... over 200 acres. We started that day at 6:30 am and didn't get back to our housing until 12:45 am. Talk about a long exciting day, I will be honest though... I was really glad to finally have a day off this Sunday.

This was a big prescribed burn

Also in Potosi I met someone I aspire to be like... his name was Rob. He owns a farm with a vineyard complete with a wine grotto (cave but grotto sounds cooler). He also makes his own Maple syrup, he built his own log cabin and cut and milled all the lumber for it, and he goes on long canoe trips with no food and lives off the land. I love some of the people I meet in this program.

Last Saturday I did some case management training and am now a certified case manager in Missouri. This means that I can work with families after disasters to put their lives back in order. I don't know how much of that I will be doing but it seems like a really worthwhile endeavor.

Tomorrow I leave for a SEMA (State Emergency Management Agency) in Branson MO. It will be a four day conference and I am one of three people being sent by Americorps St.Louis. I will let you know more about it when I come back.

Enjoy the nice weather

One Wild Day

The Camdenton Fire Station

For the last couple weeks I have been stationed in Lebanon and Camdenton Missouri. The weeks have held the occasional perscribed burn and a couple false alarm wild fires, but today that all changed.

This week I am on a four person team stationed at a really cool fire house, complete with fire poles. We started our day around noon and went on a four acre wild fire at one. Around two we responded to another wild fire that was only about one acre. At three we responded to a 60 acre fire and by six thirty we were on another fire that was 86 acres. This last fire went until eight thirty. We put them all out and had a really good time. In one day I went on more wildfires then I have all fire season. Tomorrow is supposed to be an even better fire day... wish me luck.

Ready, Aim, Fire

For the last three weeks I have been putting in fireline at a place called Peck Ranch in southern Missouri. This included cutting and dragging logs and sticks thirty feet from the line and using backpack blowers to blow around dead trees by the line. It was a long three weeks, but today it all became worth it.

I went on my first fire. It was a prescribed burn on two hundred acres of land. We used torches to light the fire from the line and watched as the flames grew. The wind helped us out but we had to be on constant watch so that the fire didn't cross over the line into an area that wasn't supposed to burn. The fire took about six hours but the time flew. I get to do another one tomorrow... I think I am going to like fire season in Missouri!!!

A month in a nutshell...

So initially I was avoiding writing because I didn't feel like there was much to say, but recently my writing has been null because I am overwhelmed by all the things I haven't documented. Therefore all you faithful readers are advised to stay intrigued while I try to recreate the last month of my adventures.

December 20th through January 3rd was spent at home in Minnesota with the family. We spent a couple of days in Lutsen skiing, saunaing, and enjoying each others company... and of course the beautiful Lake Superior. I got back to St.Louis and was supposed to o to a place called Potosi Missouri for a week, but the weather got cold( at least cold for Missouri... yep I am kinda a Minnesota cold weather snob). So, we spent the first couple days doing some fire training. On Wednesday we learned that due to the cold temperatures the city of St.Louis wanted us to open a warming shelter for the homeless in the area. It was supposed to hold twenty people but we decided to go above and beyond. We not only supplied people with a warm place but we also organized food and blanket donations and set up cots for over 40 people. I was privileged to work a shift from 6pm to 12am and it was a very rewarding experience. I talked to some great men and women, learned some important lessons from them, and really had fun during the whole thing. One man asked me why we weren't handing out Bibles. I explained that we were not affiliated with a religious organization but if he wanted to talk about something I would be happy to have a conversation. He went on to quote great deals of scripture and advised me of some passages to read. This man was so open minded and he told me he didn't care what I believed. He said if I believed it and acted on my beliefs to the best of my abilities then I was doing what I needed to do. I definitely took more away from that conversation than I expected.

The next week I spent back at Roaring River in Cassville Missouri. You know the drill... cutting cedars and all that jazz.

On the 18th(MLK Day) I was privileged to be chosen as a Volunteer manager for a service project at Stevens Middle school in St.Louis. This was an urban school with a small budget and a great deal of need. I spent the day organizing over 70 volunteers with tasks like painting, cleaning, and weatherizing. The turn out was mostly community members, both young and old and very diverse. I barely did any physical work that day but was so exhausted by the end. Managing people is one of the toughest jobs out there. They seemed to have a great experience though so it was all worth it.

The rest of the week was spent at Potosi Missouri. We were clearing fallen trees off trails. They had a huge wind storm a year before and there was an incredible amount of damage done in the state parks there.

For the last couple of weeks I have been working in Roby Missouri. We have been working on blow down from the same windstorm that hit Potosi, but instead of using chainsaws we are using cross cut saws. Essentially we are cutting up trees like loggers have been doing for hundreds of years. The park we are working in is a Wilderness park so that means no mechanical devices are allowed in. We have to hike miles in to cut all these trees by hand. I must admit, for as physically demanding and exhausting the project is there is a great amount of satisfaction that developes with each tree cut. Its a feeling of "yeah I did that!" Oh another cool thing about Roby is I can get cell phone service... ok there is a catch. I have to climb to the top of a 10 story fire tower to get it... but man whats better then a conversation with a view!

Wow... I cant believe you stayed with me this long :) A lot has happened and I will never put off writing this long again!!!

So until we meet again or you receive a call from a fire tower... best wishes

Elsa