Wayward Anneke: Treeplanting #21: Chains and Wizards

Note the impressive glove tan.

Perfect timing as Jake douses me with water

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Being on Uncle Jim’s crew has actually been excellent. In my first year, he’d have to explain everything to me, which I think annoyed both of us, but now he expects me to understand and I do. I can appreciate his dry humour so much more now. It’s also amazing how he carries the immense respect of literally every other tree planter. Even Jake, who has a fair bit of pride, is constantly sneaking a glance at Uncle Jim for fear of disappointing or frustrating him.

On my last day, we were on a fairly high-altitude block. These are typically saved for the end of the season because they are still covered in snow at the beginning (at least that's my assumption). However, they also tend to be muddier because the snow melted most recently. Since Uncle Jim drives the "best" truck (I think he's the only one Rainer trusts with it), he's usually sent to the more difficult blocks because his truck has the highest likelihood of actually reaching it. However, since it's his truck that normally pulls out the stuck trucks, he also can't take as many risks with it because if we get stuck, we probably can't get towed out by any of the others. So whoever drives this truck has to be extremely aware of what it can and can't do - another reason why only Uncle Jim drives it.

We reached the block without any major setbacks. There were a couple fallen trees over the road but driving over them was no problem. However, getting to the landing at the back of the block was a bit more difficult. Uncle Jim ended up pulling out the tire chains, which was exciting and pretty damn effective.

Attaching the tire chains onto the rear wheels

Pre-mud pit chains. I never got a picture of them afterward.

After the chains were firmly fastened, we could slowly make our way in and out of the massive mud pit blocking the entrance to the rear landing of the block.

We had a party on the last night off and it was actually pretty wild. I didn’t get wasted, but five of my own drinks plus one of a friend’s spread over seven hours can actually keep me tipsy (respect for all the other lightweights out there who can have a good time for less money). A few of the guys had already started playing “Wizard’s Staff” at supper, where they tape every new can of beer they open on top of the one they just finished. When the staff of beers reaches as tall as they are, they become a “Wizard.” The winner is some combination of Tallest Staff and Last Wizard Standing.

Since it was so nice that evening, people pulled all the tables and chairs outside the tent to eat (never mind the fact that this is bush camp – it’s all “outside”). Among the people at our table was Jim (not the uncle, remember – the younger one). At one point, he left his chair to go get something else, leaving his plate and drink at the table. Promptly, Jake confidently strode in an sat himself down in front of Jim’s plate.

Upon Jim’s return, Jake cooed, “oh were you sitting here? Oops.” Jim rolled his eyes, picked up his plate, and switched to another table rather than engage. Two seats over, Jasmine and I made eye contact and grin, both acknowledging the other having witnessed the amusing event.

At some point several hours later (after both food and daylight had long disappeared), Braeden initiated a game of Flip Cup. Unfortunately, the rules of the game were a bit confusing for the inebriated players and several didn’t realize the game of Flip Cup involves flipping their cup. (For anyone unfamiliar with the game, it’s not worth explaining).

At another point, one of the players drove his van toward the mess tent and a couch was hoisted on top. Different people climbed up to sit on the couch at various points. At some point, one of the crew bosses (we’ll call him Leo) jumped from the van onto one of the tables (which were conveniently pulled out of the mess tent, remember?), and everyone cheered. Encouraged by all the cheering, another planter jumped off the van onto the couch, but this time the table bent completely in half. That table was promptly moved out of the way and another put in its place. Next Danan jumped from the van, managing to buckle the legs of the table on the first jump (he also did a sort of side-chop onto it which looked a bit painful). This table was then cleared away to make room for a third table. Before anyone jumped, however, Braeden quietly snuck in, subtly pulled the third table out of the way and replaced it with a tiny plastic lawn chair.

“That’s enough tables…” he said, sort of apprehensively. No more tables were broken after this.

The next morning

There seemed to be sort of fight between Leo and another planter (let’s say Dylan) but they were both too wasted for it to actually become dangerous. They are also both pretty sweet and harmless guys, so the whole thing seemed to alternate between Leo shouting angrily, Dylan looking confused, Leo coming closer and other people starting to get worried, then the two of them just start hugging it out and end up laughing. Then they would separate, but Leo would still look and angry and start shouting again a couple seconds later. Then the whole thing would repeat. An equally wasted and harmless Benoit (who would later move on to become the Champion of Wizard’s Staff) seemed to have appointed himself as Mediator and would sometimes be standing, or rather tottering, between Leo and Dylan to keep the peace. Meanwhile, all three of their Wizard Staffs were looming tall overhead. Well, Benoit’s was looming tall overhead; Dylan’s was looking pretty floppy by that point, the sad result of too many Wizarding Duels.

The next morning, Jasmine, Sandra, and I all headed to the nearby burger bar for hangover food and to chat about the night before. The most exciting part I seemed to have missed was when Braeden was making some sort of disparaging comments about women, so Jasmine (who is quite small) aggressively pounced on his back and put him in a chokehold.

The morning of Day 1 on the next shift, I left. This year, I had to leave camp early to attend a wedding. While the wedding was lovely, leaving camp early was disappointing. I actually started missing the feeling of planting a tree on the drive back from work on Day 3 last shift.

It's so sad seeing all the crews in the morning and my name's not there :(

I came out of my tent around the same time as everyone else, just for breakfast and to say good-bye. I joined Nina in waving good-bye to the trucks (something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance). Before leaving, Celine jumped out of Ben’s truck to give me a hug good-bye.