- Expedition: Jan 5-10, 2003
- Planada and Le Grand High Schools
- Sierra National Forest. Hite's Cove
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 ). 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.
