Expedition

Members

bryce

edgar

jesse

kara

kellie

kevin

leith

meghan

michael

sara

scott

Chaperones

anthony
gretchen

Instructors

savannah

stephanie

expedition index
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SEKI expedition III

On May 14 -17, 2007 students and chaperones from Turlock High School joined Stephanie Strickland of Creative Outdoor Recreational EDventures and Savannah Boiano of the Sequoia Natural History Association for a four-day expedition in Kings Canyon National Park. We were blessed with wonderful weather and blooming dogwoods as we traveled through Redwood Canyon which boasts the largest grove of sequoias.

Our first day of walking was on the Hart tree loop where we explored the life of sequoias and used our amazing math skills to estimate the size of the Hart tree. Many small creeks provided us with water and beautiful scenery, and a fallen giant sequoia provided us with a path across one of these creeks.

Our second day of walking took us toward Big Springs. The trail followed Redwood Creek, which was a reminder of the dry winter in the Sierra; the creek had already submerged into the marble cave network of Kings Canyon National Park. Luckily, water was located just as it was needed. Though we didn't make it to Big Springs, we did have the opportunity listen to the sounds around us, find our place in the world (map reading), and learn about the flora, fauna, and geology of the area.

Our final day of walking took us back to the trail head. Along the way we had the opportunity to walk alone in the woods. The solo hike is usually one of the most memorable experience participants have, and this time was no exception.

Stephanie and Savannah would like to acknowledge Mr. Anthony Silva. For many years he has organized WildLink trips for his students, yet he had never gone backpacking himself. WildLink SEKI is honored that he chose to take his first backpacking expedition with us. He added a wealth of knowledge to the trip. Thanks!

Sequoia-Kings Canyon WildLink, Creative Outdoor Recreational EDventures, the Sequoia Natural History Association and all of the students involved in the Sequoia WildLink program this spring would like to thank the following companies:

• Leki, USA for the trekking poles that helped make the hiking easier.
• Gregory Pack for the backpacks. Everyone had a pack that fit properly!
• Kiva Designs for the ponchos and the convertible day pack. We were able to carry lunches, journals, and water filters with out our big packs, and had the peace of mind of knowing we had rain protection if we needed it.
• Light My Fire for the sporks. They made cooking easy and eating fun.