Orientation

24 August-29 August 2010

When dealing with new technology, it's always good to have a few days to experiment with your equipment while knowledgeable professionals are at your side. This is how we spent the first five days of service in the Mark Twain.

The crew learned the ins and outs of the TRACS program, how to properly use the Trimble GPS units and troubleshoot minor difficulties, we thoroughly went through all of the hardcopy forms, and got to see a few of the local trails.

After a certain degree of comfort was reached with the TRACS program, we bid our mentors farewell and dug a little deeper into the culture of the area, that which is Winona Missouri.

After visiting Big Springs, the nation's largest natural spring (outputting 288 million gallons of water a day--apparently enough to fill Busch Stadium within 30 hours!) the crew visited the Missouri Department of Conservation and marveled at old-timey logging equipment and armadillos.

Further adventures led to St. Louis, where we picked up our new and improved truck, and learned of the logging history here in Southern Missouri.