Expedition IV
Ten students arrived
in snowy Yosemite Valley on January 5th. They didn't have
to drive very far to visit; Yosemite is almost in the backyard
of Planada and Le Grand! The first day was filled with snow
wars, learning about Yosemite Valley, getting to know the
instructors and learning more about Sierra Wilderness and
the upcoming stream biomonitoring project.
Tuesday morning arrived
and the students geared up to hike the four miles to Hites
Cove on the South Fork of the Merced River in the Sierra
National Forest. Carrying their 20-40 pound packs, they
hiked up the river. Some places along the trail had sheer
drop-offs plunging 60-120 feeet straight down to the river.
Around a river bend they saw a Great Blue Heron lift off
and fly upriver. California Newts were everywhere along
the trail (for a picture of a newt check out Andre's
web page). For the next two nights, the students explored
this old gold mining area, conducted archeological monitoring
for the Forest Service, sampled the river for macroinvertebrates
and experienced "the spirit of adventure". Click
on their names to read more about their experiences in wilderness.
