This page is dedicated to the exceptional pieces of art work and journaling done by students in 2004-2005 WildLink expeditions. Their artistic interpretation of their personal wilderness experiences is evident in their quality of work in journaling and sketching activities.

Samantha, Expedition I | Joey, Expedition I
Martha, Expedition II | Elena, Expedition II |
Tony, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition
Kantug, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition
Chia, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition | Sandra J., Expedition IV
Sandra G., Expedition IV | Shong, Expedition V | Roger, Expedition V
Daniel, Expedition V | Ale, Expedition VI | Luis, Expedition VI
Corina, Expedition VII | Siglia, Expedition VII | Francisco, Expedition VII

journal excerpt bySamantha, Expedition I

The wilderness was wonderful. I loved it. The river filled up with rain water and many rapids formed. As the dark gray clouds moved away and the blue sky appeared, I was overjoyed. I think everyone was overjoyed. The trees were green, coniferous trees, and the other (deciduous) trees were filled with different colored leaves; it was all very beautiful. Our campsite was bare with only a little bit of grass and trees. Down in Yosemite Valley it snowed a little bit but it wasn’t bad. Everything green was frozen with snow and it just reminds me of Fantasia, the move, and the ice fairies. It all looks very beautiful.

journal excerpt by Joey, Expedition I

What is your expectation of wilderness?

I expect it to be good. I love the wilderness, I feel that I shouldn’t expect anything from it, but I should have much expected from me. I should be expected to treat it with respect and not to harm it in any way. In feeling that I should expect anything from it, it makes me feel that it owes me something. It doesn’t owe me anything; I should owe it a lot, for the wilderness is life. Life for all.

journal excerpt by Martha, Expedition II

Dumfounded was I,
In discovering what I was missing
Seeing the beauty opened my perspective.
Can anything so beautiful be destroyed?
Over time my question was answered.
Viewing nature, living in nature, opened my eyes.
Everyone should preserve nature
Remember humans belong to the earth.

journal excerpt by Elena, Expedition II

Today we came back. It was a good experience for me, because I never have been in the forest camping. I learned a lot of things like how to take care of the forest and the animals. In my 18 years I grew up enjoying the nature and animals. It made me enjoy and love all the nature, more and each day more. I enjoy to be here, in the forest and to breathe the fresh air. I know that some day I will come back again and I will learn more and more about all the beauty of the world. Well, I know that someday I will be here or in other points in the world loving all of this. I love the mountains. I see the mountains every day but I couldn’t touch or breathe its air.

But now, I was in the top of the mountain. I enjoy, I breathe, and I touch, and I breathe, I love, I enjoy, and I feel all this. It makes me feel free.

journal excerpt by Tony, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition

Deep breaths, HHHHHhhhhhhh,
Fresh pine tree, red wood, and dripping snow,
Oatmeal sweeting tang.
Warming body soothing in vines
Snow brighten the flesh of the soil,
Freedom of wildness
Freedom of Wilderness
I am Free

journal excerpt by Kantug, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition

In the wilderness
At nighttime, alone
Walking quietly slow
The snow falling
The sequoia tree
Is tall and dark
The sky is dark
And cloudy
It is cold and
The snow is
Slippy.

journal excerpt by Chia, Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition

From this expedition, I learned that the wilderness is not just some big dark forest. It is rather a safe and peaceful place that has thousands of stories waiting to be told. It is also full of treasures.

journal excerpt by sandra j., Expedition IV

Wildness for me is something else than little plants, big trees, etc….For me it is another kind of life that not everyone knows how to use it. Wildness is a place full of peace, where you left all your problems behind. It is also a place where every day you learn something new. In the wildness every single thing has its function: the rocks, leafs, rivers, trees, everything. Because from one way or another they have life as we do, and sometime we kill them. When we kill or destroy wildness we do it without thinking that we don’t give life to wildness, wildness give us life.

journal excerpt by sandra g., Expedition IV

How do I feel in wilderness? Aqui en “wilderness” me siento muy bien y pues la verdad esque tengo muchas rezones las cuales pueden explicar mis sentimientos. Una de las rezones por la cual me siento bien es porque aqui me siento muy relagada, contenta, emocionada en saver que es lo que vamos acer manana. Lo que mas me gusta esque todos mis companeros, los demas mempros de este paseo, son muy amables, bromistoas, y lo major de todo esque siempre te ayudan, te dan animos para seguir adelante, me siento como en familia. Otra razon por la que me siento bien es proque aqui, en tu al rededor solo miras cosas bonitas que las naturalesa nos da, aunque no todo es color de rosa porque tambien ay plantas y animals venenosas asi que para eso tienes que tener mucho cuidado. Yo siento que al estar aqui es para que tu te olvides do todos tus problems y que sob pienses en divertirte y experimentar nuevas cosas que quisas te puredan server mas alla en el futuro.

journal excerpt by shong, Expedition V

Vast beauty can come in many forms. Yosemite is more like rejuvenation of my life. For once in a while I saw something that I liked more than what I can explain. Trees growing on the side of the mountain plus snow equals unexplainable beauty. Mountains bring high hopes and happiness, trees and the greenery brings life for all and snow brings purity. Although I am atheist (belief in no god) I can create my own traditions mixed upon mine. This place will always be a place that I would think of in harsh times. Would I worship these mountains like gods? Answer is something similar, like a shrine that belongs to Gaia (Mother Nature). What I don’t like is the hunting parts in the forest. Killing for sport or poaching should be banned in this whole world. Like my fantasy, I will scar the world of this. I have done this myself and guilt has pressured me, especially the young, that it cares for.

journal excerpt by roger, Expedition V

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter, drip, drip, drip.
Slowly rain falls on my jacket
Splosh splosh breaks the silence
Then I stop and listen.
The icy wind howls and yearns for the days of
Yester years, when we were all one with nature.
The trees see all, hear all, but keep all
And say none at all.
The trees rise from their roots, trying to reach
Higher heights trying to be one with the
Clouds, pitter patter drip drip drip
I walk further along as a river is heard
Rapidly flowing, freed from its icy rest.
Giving life to old and new alike.
Nature speaks and I hear with my soul.
I close my eyes and open my soul to
Listen to words of wisdom that age
Carries. I ask only to be granted safe passage
But am granted more. I’m granted the right to
Be one with nature and enjoy the bliss and
Comfort our mother gives. The life she
Gives and knowledge. For all to use for
Better or worse. Time shall only tell how
I use my mother’s kind words and cold
Snowy grasp. One can only hope that
It’s for the better. Pitter, patter drip, drip, drip
Silence is now restored once more.

journal excerpt by Daniel, Expedition V

What makes Yosemite sacred to you?

The Yosemite Valley to me seems like I can meditate easily by myself; a place where there are no distractions. Since I am a Roman Catholic, I see Yosemite as a place where you can see God in everything. You can converse wit everything and you know that somebody is listening. You feel a deep peace that comes all through my body. I get chills every once in a while because this place is so beautiful. The trees are taking care of me, protecting me, and making sure I’m safe. These trees are here for a reason, to show me the power and gift of life. This is my world without material item. I can just look around and see peace. Even the most violent things can be peace in its rugged form. There is no violence, no danger, no pain when you are here.

journal excerpt by Ale, Expedition VI

Dear Wilderness,

Thank you for everything you have given me in the past 17 years of my life. I love the way you make me feel about myself. I feel confident, relaxed, and I also feel like if I was to be alone in room full of the wonderful natural surrounding you are providing me with at this moment.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the nice waterfalls that gave me water to drink. Thank you for the quietness that made me feel so relaxed and helped me get my thoughts straight, also made my way of thinking of life different. I am really glad to have found such a wonderful place that I can actually feel comfortable with without anything and anyone to make me feel like I don’t belong.

I would of never done such a thing if it wasn’t for my friends, my true friends. You made me realize how important they are to me. My friends have helped me through a lot. Also you made me realize that true friends always stick with you during the good and the bad. You have taught me how to pass any obstacle that gets in my way.

I want to also thank you for letting me see a new side of me. The new me that I thought I would never become. I didn’t think that you would actually make me feel this way. Everything is so clear to me. Know that, I guess, that things that I have done here are kind of not so silly anymore.

As time has passed by I can actually say that I am really proud of myself to do something I was actually scared of doing. Nothing will ever make me feel better than what you have made me feel.

These weather changes have made me realize that we are lucky to have water because without water we wouldn’t be able to come places like these.

You have discovered the new me, and I want to thank you for letting me realize how life outside the material life is better for me in order to actually enjoy day by day. Not by shopping, or fixing my hair, nails, or even by making me look fancy, but the Natural and the inner me.

Thank you for everything!!!

Love,
Alejandra

journal excerpt from Luis, Expedition VI

What makes Wilderness special to you?

Wilderness is a very special to me. When you come here, you feel some sort of spiritual comfortness. It also holds a lot of the word’s wonders. People should treat the wilderness as their homes and not trash it because it loses its natural potential. This place is very special for what it gives us, all the water and oxygen we need. You can visit this place with your family, and that way, our family bonds grow stronger. When you come to the wilderness, you don’t worry about a thing, you just think about the beautiful sites that God has given us to make our lives happier.

journal excerpt by Corina, Expedition VII

High Mountain

High Mountain on the ground
That I can’t even see around.
High Mountain so thick and high
That it blocks the sky.
I wonder there’s any other
But why even bother.
What about the trees
There so tall you can’t even see.
The clouds cave in,
With just the wind.
How ‘bout the animals,
I think most of them are mammals-
Let me name a few,
Like bears, deer, birds, & there’s more too.
High Mountain is so beautiful
That is so truthful.
High Mountain on the ground
That I can’t even see around.

journal excerpt by Siglia, Expedition VII

What makes the Wilderness sacred to you?

This place (the Wilderness) is important to me because it’s sacred. Being up on a mountain takes you away from all the crazy drama back at home. It’s so relaxing to get away from all the things I’m used to . I was actually in a cloud right now, and it was amazing. The views are so gorgeous and I love it. The fresh air, the birds chirping, the trees, everything. Being up here, you’re able to think a lot clearer because it’s so quiet. It’s peaceful. But, I think that it’s so sacred to me; being here, because it’s hard work. Most people don’t have the chance to see what I see right now-it’s a great thing. If you can come, I would suggest it. You feel so free, and alive. You loosen up and just have fun. Most people take what they have for granted, being up here makes you think clearer. We should be grateful for all that we have. Being up here makes me feel at home, and closer to god. Being here also brings me closer to my team. I’ve gotten to know them a lot better, and it’s fun being able to share this experience with them. Thank you again, Cynthia, Enrique , and WildLink!

photograph by Francisco, Expedition VII