A busy couple of weeks have set
Umar's journal schedule back a bit. This week Umar sat down
with Moose Mutlow to reflect on his first visit to Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Question: It has been a busy couple
of weeks, you have been on your first expedition, attended
a major graduation dinner in Fresno and conducted your first
big presentation in front of nearly 50 people. So why don't
we start with the expedition. Where were you and what did
you end up doing and seeing?
Umar: I went to Sequoia National
Park (about a four hour drive from Yosemite) on an expedition
with 6 kids from Reedley and Woodlake High School. It was
a small crew but it was nice. We hiked the first day up
to Lodgepole campsite carrying all our gear, each backpack
weighed about 30 - 40lbs. While we were hiking to the camp
site it started snowing, it was cold but we kept going.
I felt cold but the group surprised me and just kept going.
Our leader John Lockhart wore shorts the whole time and
insisted on sleeping outside in 30 degree weather. He even
slept outside while it was snowing.
The motivation to get to the campsite
was the thought of a big warm fire! As soon as we arrive
at the campsite we built a huge campfire. It got so warm
no-one wanted to go to bed. In the morning we decided to
head back down the mountain, we were at 8000', so that we
could do activities below the snow line.
Most of activities we did were focused
on water quality and we sampled pH, water temperature and
dissolved oxygen. The students used Palm Pilots with environmental
probes to sample, it was neat it was the first time I had
seen them used like that.
The most exciting thing was when
I saw a bear. In the morning of the second day we were just
about to leave camp and there he was. He was walking along
and totally ignored us. I could not believe it was real,
the only times I had seen a bear before was in the movies
and on TV.
Question: What were the big differences that you saw
between Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks?
Umar: The trees in Sequoia were HUGE!
and so many of them… a whole giant forest. There were
less people and cars, it seemed quieter and peaceful. But
I was happy to get back to Yosemite, to get back home!
Question: What was your visit
to Reedley High School about, why were you invited and what
did you say to them?
Umar: I helped do a presentation
about WildLink with the kids that were on the expedition
with me. I talked about what I have been doing with YI and
WildLink and where I was from. Fortunately the week before
I had been to a class on how to do presentations, so I had
more confidence in standing up in front of a group of people
and speaking. At the end they gave me a certificate and
a big round of applause.
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