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Interview with a Volunteer – Claudio

June 1, 2020

 

A photo of Crew Leader Claudio Berstein

Crew Leader Claudio Berstein

Bringing the Trail Crew to you! This is a continuation of our “Interview with a Volunteer” series that we’ll be using to bring the fun of being a Trailkeeper to you while you stay safe at home.

Claudio is a volunteer Crew Leader, and recent addition to the Board of Directors.  A skilled hiker, and photographer, we caught up with Claudio and asked him about his time spent during the pandemic.

How are you keeping occupied during the COVID outbreak?

I’m in a two week furlough rotation, so I have two weeks of work and then two
without. When all this started, I made a list of home projects and other ideas I’ve
had but never had a chance, or time, to start. So I finished installing my a/v
system, did some electrical work in the bathroom, reordered the gear closet,
organized the garage. I’ve also gone for longer bike rides and walks around the
neighborhood and have found a small network of trails that I didn’t know were
there. All that has kept a balance and my sanity.

What are you missing most about trail work?

The camaraderie and friendship with other CLs, ACLs, and volunteers. Aside
from the work we do on the trails, it’s always good to see happy faces out there.

Volunteers group together to carry a heavy rock in a webbing basket

Heavy rocks are no match for volunteer teamwork!

Can you share a favorite memory from a trail work party?

When I was still relatively new, we were scouting a re-route on Trail 400 with
Curtis after the fire. We were walking on charred trees and blackened rocks. It
seemed impossible that something like that could recover. As we were flagging
one of the potential turns, I turned around and a frog jumped right on top of a
rock. It stayed there long enough for me to snap a picture with my phone (picture
attached), but seeing the frog there told me it was going to be OK. That the forest
was going to come back.

A frog rest for a moment in the burnt landscape of a post-Eagle Creek fire Gorge.

Thanks for reading! We hope this helps get you inspired to join a TKO trail party once we’ve all made it through this. Take care out there!

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