Tree Planting, the First Shift (Prince George)

Holy mother of Zeus, tree planting is ridiculously hard. And though I imagined it would be back breaking work I willingly admit that knowing that it will be hard and going through the motions of tree planting are vastly different. One involves the frustration and pain of Mother Nature trying to fuck you over with every twig, rock, root and red-rot she can cram into your dibble. But I'm determined to keep on trying my best, and so far, despite being probably my crew's low-baller, I am slowly gaining surety in my work and speed.

Here is description of what my day is like: I get up at 4:15 am and make breakfast (high in complex carbs for energy) gulp down a cup of instant coffee, pack a lunch and lots of water,  change into my dirt and mud-streaked gear and then head out to the trucks for 5:30 am. Once everyone on my crew has gathered we load up the trucks with trees, numerous boxes of spruce and pine and then drive 45 minutes on winding bumpy roads to our block. The ride is always filled with laughter and good music, pumping up for the upcoming day.

Now, I want to make a point of explaining what a "block" is. Imagine hell, where every flickering flame is instead a sharp thorny sticks. Sometimes there are giants piles of logs and bush that you need to scramble over. Technically, a "block" is an area that's been clear-cut; it's land stripped of all it's surviving healthy trees, and what's left behind are stumps, debris, rocks.  I'm 100% sure that the people who created the term purposely did it just to fuck with any naive tree planters to be. And I work on one four days on, one day off. For at least 10 hours.

My body, due to my attempts at trying to plant as many hours as possible my body is littered with bruises and scratches. My hards are have blisters and sores. For the first three days I wrapped them in ducts tape, hearing that many planters preferred it. The result was my fingers and knuckles being shredded. They're still healing.

Additionally, if you muck up, which is ridiculously easy because there has to proper spacing between trees no matter the shape of the block and the trees need to be planted properly, you have to replant. Which means you plant trees for free. For hours. the EXACT same ones you already did.

So, basically, I'm tired sore, and covered in dirt and bruises ALL the times, and absolutely loving it. I'm not really making any money though.