7/29/10

Really? This is workamping??

I'm not sure what I thought workamping would be, but it is NOT sitting at your site and waving to folks as they pull in. 

In a national forest campground there is much to be done before the campground can open for the season.  There are fire-rings to clean, sites to rake, leaves to blow, and pit toilets to scrub.  Cleaning, raking, blowing and scrubbing take on a whole new meaning when done at 7200'.  I can say without hesitation that I have never worked so hard in my life.  SIDENOTE TO NEWBIES:  Don't ever be the first couple in - you will pay!

Soon enough we were joined by four other couples, only one of which had prior workamping experience.  We all worked like maniacs and  before long the campgrounds began to emerge from their winter's hibernation, looking inviting and fun.  Bring on the campers!!

Our first group arrived about 3 weeks after we did, on a cold and snowy night.  We're snuggled in the camper, Danny in his underwear and me in my long flannel nightie, when we heard a knock on the camper door.  We nearly jumped out of our skin because as far as we knew we were the only living souls within 5 miles.  I honestly didn't want to answer the door.

Cautiously Danny opened the door, peering into that inky blackness.  A young man was standing there and said he had a group of scouts with reservations for the night.  He didn't have any paperwork with him, we hadn't been alerted to expect anyone, and he had hiked in about a mile as our gate was locked and all the scouts were waiting back at the gate.  I just assumed he was an axe murderer.  Turns out he really was a scout leader and we had our first group.  It was quite a site to see all those tents lined up the next morning, snow covered and frosty.

Gee, I guess we really are workampers.

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