Northeast FSYC 2026 Reflections -Week 3

We spent four days in Carrabassett Valley to help construct new bridges for the snowshoeing trail on Carriage Road. The first day was spent walking the trail and having a chainsaw demo be shown to us. We then began clipping branches from the trail and clearing it off. There was a waterfall at the end of it, which we frequently visited to decompress and take lunch breaks. After work was finished, we walked back out and found our AirBnB. We settled in for the night after picking our rooms and having dinner. It was hard being far from home, but I would learn to get comfortable in the room I chose. 

On Tuesday, we moved some logs to different bridges. I helped Gabe carry one to the third bridge, which made my shoulders and legs ache the next day. I also straightened out some boards on the first bridge to get them ready to be screwed down. Earlier we had been shoveling mud out from underneath the bridge to create better drainage for the gathering water. I was getting more used to sleeping in the AirBnB and getting through long, grueling days of manual labor—and having everything I touch being covered in mud or dirt.

Wednesday was pretty slow, since we were still recovering from Tuesday. I shoveled some mud around the frame of the bridge, observed the construction of the fifth bridge, and managed some tools. I eventually sat down and began writing my reflection—the one you’re reading right now. I screwed a board down and held down some boards with my weight to keep them still while the other crew members drilled into them. On the way out, we got hit pretty hard by torrential rain. It was a miserable ride back, soaking from the knees down with my rain poncho underneath my feet. Didn’t help that we had some technical difficulties with the trailer attached to our truck, so we had to stop at the gas station for around ten or so minutes. 

Thursday was our last day. We packed our things into the truck and went to the trails one last time. We were planning on simply wrapping up, lugging the remaining lumber to their designated areas and finishing off bridges two and three. I walked ahead of everyone else and had a pretty nice nature walk. It was quiet and cold, which gave me an Autumn vibe. Ash and I carried a small log to bridge three. It was very tedious, but we made it. I dug out an area to place the support of the bridge. Then I stood on the boards to hold them in place as they were drilled, and I got to screw some of them down. 

When the third bridge was finished, we separated from the other youth group we were working in collaboration with and decided to take our lunch break together as a crew at the waterfall. We hung out for a bit and took photos before we left. 

It was hard finding stuff to do, given that we usually had eight or so people hovering in the same place. I’m also someone who thrives off of instructions, which didn’t mesh well with an environment where most of the people are proactive workers. The conclusion I’ve drawn from this is that I should be more proactive, even if I’m not sure if what I’m doing is the correct way to go about things. It’s better than sitting out because I’m waiting for someone to tell me what’s right and what I should do. The best I can do is take on a task and ask before jumping into it.