In remote pockets of Santa Fe National Forest, a team of young adults worked from early morning to late afternoon for days on end to clear fallen trees from forgotten trails where they were often more likely to see a bear than another human being. Grazing cattle were a common presence as Crew 6 members from the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps of New Mexico opened up dozens of miles of trails in the San Pedro Parks and Pecos Wilderness areas during their series of eight-day hitches where they worked and slept in the rugged backcountry. Crew supervisor Archie Garrett, 26, said at times he could sense the strenuous labor in what seemed like the middle of nowhere could make the team members question their motivation.
Whenever that happened, he said the group responded by growing closer and pushing harder. “I feel like there are times when we don’t see people for so long, and so, there are times when it can feel kind of meaningless,” Garrett said. “I feel like it’s a mixture of finding meaning in the work and then finding meaning in our relationships with each other.
So whenever you feel like it’s meaningless or you feel like you’re just doing it for the cows, you look around and you’re like, ‘No, we’re actually kind of doing it for us.’ ” Rocky Mountain Youth Corps adult crews work 10-hour days during eight-day hitches, with six days off in between. During seven hitches in Santa Fe National Forest from early June to mid September, Crew 6 cleared 2,004 trees fro.