Work, work, work

Work, work, work.  I am one of the lucky ones, I know.  Work for me provides great variety, time outdoors, amazing people and a good amount of exercise.  I work for the US Forest Service on the White Mountain NF.  I'm the Trails Manager and before doing this with USFS, I worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club in their trails department.  This past field season marked 15 years of working on trails in the White Mountains for me.  I get to hike, roll rocks around, dig in the dirt, use both hand tools and power tools of great variety and plan and implement incredible trail projects. During this time I have worked with hundreds of diverse  trail people who are endlessly interesting, inspiring and active.  Time flies when you're having fun!

One of the best parts of my job is working with volunteers.  Last weekend we went out on a ski trail to try and put a bridge back on its abutment from which it has slipped during Tropical Storm Irene.  We brought 2-2 ton Griphoists for the job, hoping to lift with one and pull with the other.  It didn't work despite many attempts from many angles.  That thing was stuck so deep in the muck and ice over the course of the day we didn't see more that 2.5" of movement.  These failures happen but this day was a huge success in my eyes.  We learned more about what we need to do to truly fix the bridge first of all and that kind of information can come at a high cost with work deep in the woods.  Second, the volunteers that came out with us we amazing.  These folks never stopped working and all the while cracking jokes, fully appreciating and embracing the learning experience and teaching us the value of a highly functional team.  To add to it all, the co-worker that joined me on this day is one of the most determined and resilient women I know-you know who you are.  This day was a recipe for pure "work" joy.  We were doing some good for the land and the people that use it.  We were outside and even heard a moose crash by-bonus.  We laughed all day and gave it our best shot.  Seriously, what more could I ask for in a day at the office?

Now not every day is like that day on the trail as you might personally understand or imagine.  Not even close.  Some days I am so overwhelmed by the complexities of working for the federal government it brings me to tears.  Even some of those days hiking and working on the trail can be brutal.  Like when its 40 degrees and raining but you have to go out to see a project because the rest of your week is booked and you have a crew scheduled to work the next week.  Those days are far from pure joy.  Or when it rained 28 out of 30 days in June a few years ago.  Blah.  This time of year can be full of that with a mix of too much office time.  That's what makes those days like the one last weekend so much more valuable.  So work is work no matter what any of us do. I guess making the most of what we have is the way to make it not only enjoyable but sustainable.

My work is a huge part of who I am and I am so thankful for how much it inspires me.  I only hope that I can inspire some of the climber's on my Climb Against the Odds.  I feel like I have a great responsibility to me team in that way.  We will really need each other in our summit attempt.  I know they will inspire me, I have no doubt about that.  Looking forward to what I can do for them is my inspiration today.