Elk River – AB

Well it has been alwile since my last post, this bush camp living is taking a toll on my blog but not for long. Tomorrow afternoon I depart on my next adventure across the country, after visting Rossland, Fruitland and Sandpoint. Treeplanting camp has been a very interesting and an amazing experience, I can see why people get hooked not only on the money but the lifestyle itself. You can express yours self in anyway and be accepted in this community born on reforestation.
Elk River camp is about an hour out of Drayton Valley, A smallish down that was founded as a gateway for the endless oil industry in northern Alberta. As the name directs its along a currently swollen elk river that winds its way to Brazeau Dam, With the current wet spring has made all the roads difficult to say the least, Alberta has a tradition to have the worst logging roads when it rains due to the clay base.
The past few weeks have flown by, now my excitement has changed for the road trip. Van preparations have been made with the contributions off more curtains leaving only the two rear windows un curtained. Started a picture collarage on the ceiling and raided the Drayton Valley dollar store for a bunch more useless stuff.
Jeremy my buddy from Rossland that was also working for Rhino, arrived from the other PG (Prince George) camp with another 50 planters joining our camp has pushed the number of planters to over 100! Has made meal times a nightmare, so many people that sometimes you feel you can move without treading on someone toes. But luckily this for me is only till tomorrow; some off our camp is heading back to horsefly for another contract at the end of the shit making it easier around here.
The moral of the planters have been down, from talking to quite a few the lack of organization is leaving planters without trees to plant and places to plant them in this fast planting mounts that have been machine prepared. With trees getting paid at their lowest for the season due to the ease of the land, making money depends on a well organized foreman and many have not been.
With things coming to an end here I feel a sense of satisfaction and relief I have made enough money to comfortably travel across the country for my next job, meet some amazing friends that I will stay in contact with for the years to come. This experiences has definitely opened my eyes and helped me grown seeing the how many make there only income for the year in a short four month window and spend the rest on EI. See you on the road!