Sunday, June 6th, 2010
So much has happened in the past few weeks! We’ve started working on TMR (Travel Management Roads), my parents came to visit for Memorial Day Weekend (bringing themselves, my puppy, and lots of goodies like McManis wine, which I can’t find out here), and I’ve successfully driven a stick-shift vehicle!
Travel Management is a tricky subject, especially among the locals in the area. The project is about closing roads and opening designated dispersed camping spots. It will limit the amount of damage done to the forest. When people hear that the forest will be closing roads, they begin to panic, thinking such major roads as Forest Road 22 and Forest Road 462 will be closed. Instead, the roads that will be closed are roads already overgrown or mere ATV tracks the Forest Service cannot maintain. Plus, most of the dispersed campsites will stay open. The only dispersed campsites that will be closed are the ones obviously no longer used and those that conflict with archaeological sites.
Which is where the archaeologists come into the picture. Last year we were working alone, driving around the forest, searching for campsites and recording the campsites. Mostly we were making sure they were not in conflict with archaeological sites. This year, we’re often paired with a Trails and Recreation crewmember. Trails and Recreation focuses on the campsites themselves, how often the campsite is used, how much trash is present and the size of the use area of the campsite. We archaeologists focus on the surveying around the campsite, checking for anything cultural, not associated with the campsite.
Currently we’re working in part of the forest made up of large ponderosa pines, even into higher elevations with spruce and aspen mixed with the ponderosas. What this means for the archaeologists is the ground is covered in pine needles and leaf-litter. We can’t see the ground all that well. In the past two weeks, we’ve found only two isolated occurrences of lithic debitage (the refuse created when someone has been flint-knapping). We’ve found a few dendroglyphs, or aspen carvings, but other than that, nothing. It gets slightly frustrating when we can’t seem to find anything.
Despite the many frustrations with TMR, I have to admit it is quite fun. We’re in the trucks all day, but we’re in good company. We talk, we jibe, we sing along with the radio… I can’t speak for my colleagues, but I know I have fun!
We all have a few complaints in regards to TMR. Firstly, we don’t get enough exercise, but that could change soon. Colleen recently found out that we could get three hours a week of Physical Training time. That would be wonderful! Secondly, our trucks. For the most part, they are wonderful vehicles, getting us through thick brush, over deep ruts, and generally being entirely useful. Then there’s Brutus. Brutus is one of the Trails’ trucks. It groans, complains, shudders, refuses, and is generally a cranky old truck. Matt and Zac (Trails) named him Brutus because they’re afraid he’ll turn around and stab them in the back. I have to agree with them. I don’t think Brutus realizes it yet, but he’s being put out to pasture after this season.
Another of the Trails’ trucks is Betty. She’s much better, but the first time I got behind the wheel, I had no idea how to turn her on. She’s stick shift. Before this season, I only drove a stick shift twice, both times last season. Kayla, one of the Trails crew and my cabinmate, taught me how to drive Betty. Once I figured out how to drive stick, I began to really like Betty. Driving stick isn’t as hard as I thought at first. Of course, going forward is one thing. Backing up out of a brush thicket uphill isn’t the easiest thing in the world…
The archaeology trucks are a bit nicer. We’ve got one truck from last year, Bruce Banner. He’s a big, green F-150 with a hair accelerator. Barely touch the accelerator and he’s off roaring. Then there’s The Cage. It’s a Chevy Tahoe with a grid separating the trunk area from the cab. The grid becomes loose due to our bumpy dirt roads and begins to squeak incessantly. We want nothing more than to remove the grid, but we don’t think the Forest Service would thank us.
Now for the big news! I ordered stuff from my Café Press store on The Mummy’s Wrap! I now have a new sketchbook, a coffee mug, stickers to give out and a t-shirt. I’m so pleased with all of this! They all came out wonderfully, too! I am ridiculously pleased when I’m wearing around my official Mummy’s Wrap t-shirt! There’s something highly amusing about the mummy’s bottom and the little Anubis.
Tags: Archaeology, archies, archy, camps, campsites, dendroglyph, dendroglyphs, dirt roads, forest service trucks, Kaibab National Forest, lithic debitage, rec, recreation, roads, tmr, trails, trails and recreation, travel management roads
June 18th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
[...] it was brought to my attention that I did not explain TMR very well. I mentioned it in the post Of TMR and Trucks, but I figured I should go into a bit more [...]