All Corps at Robber’s Roost

                On the first day of All-Corps, the Wilderness Crew learned how to make an H-brace, in preparation for building the 1.2 mile long fence to protect the Robber’s Roost bird of prey nesting area from trespass that might disturb the nesting season. In the afternoon, Jawbone/Rands, Wilderness, and WildCorps explored Sage Canyon, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Burro Schmidt Tunnel.  The Burro Schmidt Tunnel is a handmade tunnel (which was the life’s work of one William “Burro” H. Schmidt) going through a mountain in the El Paso range. The tunnel is little more than average height and completely dark. The end of the tunnel opens on the side of the mountain and makes for a gorgeous sight.

That night, our dinner theme was “foods that look like other things”. We all took a tour through the various kitchens to gaze upon potato sailboats with cheese sails, a mashed potato snake with brussel sprout scales, a “strawberry” pie that tasted curiously like lasagna, green pepper snowmen, and lentil burgers that looked like real cheese burgers.

The next day we headed out to work on our fence after enjoying a muffin breakfast brought out by Dana. We split up in work groups of Jawbone/Rands, Wildcorps, and Wilderness folk. After work, we all enjoyed delicious breakfast for dinner menu items, ranging from stuffed latkes, huevos rancheros,  French toast, breakfast pizza, biscuits and gravy, and fried potatoes.

 In the morning a large ominous cloud hovered above the Kiavah mountains, and eventually brought rain to our work site. We continued on however, and worked a couple hours in the ever so rare desert rain- beautiful and completely worth it. After work, each crew competed in a top chef competition, judged on presentation, taste, and incorporation of the secret ingredients- avocados, eggplant, and ice cream cones. After judging the dinners, and naming multiple winners, we all shared German Chocolate Cake that our BLM contact Marty brought us.

Around that time, a wind storm struck our camp. As we sat in the white-wall tent enjoying our cake, the tent billowed and shook and the wind blew fiercely outside. We were all brought outside when word that the Wilderness crew green monster was slowly falling down. Chaos broke loose from there. All scrambled to fix our personal tents, chase after rogue items flying in the wind, and fortify all the cook tents. The next morning, the white wall was completely destroyed, another green monster had fallen due to a snapped pole. Exhausted from a sleepless night, and a scramble to fix our camp, we all headed to work for the last day of All-Corps and our last day to work on the fence. After a long day, the fence was finally complete.

In total all crews completed 1,604 meters of new fence.