Americorps Epilogue I: Colorado

Back in colorful Colorado!  Since being replaced in Joplin, I made a trip home to Spokane for some 3-on-3 basketball, and then returned to Colorado to wrap up my service year with some camping and conservation.  We’ve spent the last two weeks split between work at Mt Evans and work in the San Luis Valley. 

We started out at Mt. Evans, quarrying rocks to be used in rock steps along the trail to the summit.  It was gorgeous up there.  Mt. Evans is one of Colorado’s 14,000 ft peaks, and the views were pretty spectacular.

That weekend, my old Spokane buddy Sean Wolf joined us for some camping and for the hike to the summit. 

After Mt. Evans, we headed south, to the San Luis valley where we built barbed wire fence and did some invasive plant removal (fancy talk for weeding).  We also paid a visit to Great Sand Dunes national park:

We spent one night hiking from our campsite to an abandoned mine (dubbed the “glory hole”).  There we witnessed the outflight of some 250,000 bats (dubbed “night prowlers”).  The outflight lasts 25 minutes at dusk, during which time we used every Batman quote we could think of. 

I am the night! 

Tomorrow and throughout next week, we’re back at Mt. Evans, putting the rocks we quarried to use in the trail, and next Thursday is our LAST DAY OF WORK.  We do have another week or so of wrap-up before they release us into the wild.  Like Free Willy being released into the ocean.  Or like a colony of “night prowlers” being released from the “glory hole.”  As for me, I will be returning home to Washington to resume my duties as a stay-at-home son.  Those tortilla chips won’t eat themselves, mom and dad!  Two weeks left!!!