Esther portrait
  • Expedition: Apr 13-18, 2003
  • Esther
  • Bakersfield West, Reseda, Crenshaw High Schools
  • Sierra National Forest: Hite's Cove

April 15, 2003 Tuesday
Walked The one thing I saw and liked the most was the waterfalls and the mountains filled with snow. Then watching all the nice birds, huge trees. Then I saw some rivers and some willow trees. I saw El Capitan is a big huge mountain; it was filled with snow and with trees and snow. Then I saw historical places, I saw how Yosemite is growing every day, year. Then I got to see a river with a lot of melted ice, then some snake scabs. Some really, really big rocks. Then I saw some glaciers rocks. Then I saw the cathedral rocks (mountains) they are sister rocks.

The best thing I liked was the team work, how we got to know each other. We got to know how they are, (if they are funny, shy). Well I agree with everything we did yesterday. I have no negative commentary to say about. I am really enjoying my spring break spending time with nature and big nice, huge, big, beautiful Yosemite.

Now that you've experienced wilderness, what do you think about it? What did you think of wilderness before you visited it?

group hiking to Hite's Cove

Now that I have experience the wilderness I have better respect at looking at it. Now I care about what goes on in the wilderness, like for example if the trees were on fire. Something bad was happening to the animals. Before I just do not even care what happened to the animals or even the trees. I just to say the wilderness was just a place for wild animals to live in. But now that I have gotten the change to know the real true wilderness I have a better respect for it. Now I like to go and visit and I care about the animals even if they are dangerous. I like to see the water falls and listen to the noise of the river. I even like to explore what the wilderness is, how big it is, and its true beauty. I even starting to like hiking thru the mountains looking at the beautiful water falls and flowers and don't forget huge trees. Then before I did not really care about then, I did not really pay attention to the wilderness. I just thought it was a place in the earth were dangerous animals, huge trees, lived. I thought that if the wilderness was not a place were people belong. Then that the wilderness was a place were people belong. Then that the wilderness was a place were a lot of dangerous things can happen. That it was only for the animals that are just to living in the wild part of the world.

students by Hite's old hotel site

Before I just to say that if the wilderness had any animals but that people can see like a zoo. That it has a boring part of the world it was not interesting. That nothing good can happen at the park, that it would always be invaded by animals. If they say a person they would jump at them at eat them, and if would be scary place to visit. I am so happy that I got a chance to come and see how it really is and it's beautiful.

April 15, 2003 Tuesday Day 1

Hiking Well today I got up and got really for the hiking trip. Well I seen waterfalls, rivers and a lot of poison oak, trees and mosquitoes. The hiking trip seems long but it truly was only 5 hours long. Boring! But hey at least I had fun discovering all those different things I mentioned. But I have to say one thing, my legs HURT!!! I'm so tired of walking for 5 whole hours. We walk 3 whole miles it seemed more, but because we walked it seemed longer. Well I have my tent and sleeping bag really to go to sleep. But it is freezing out here. I'm writing to you and all kinds of little mosquitoes keep in coming up to me. I DON'T LIKE THAT!!! Well I really had a fun day getting to know people, and then I got to see some wonderful things.

April 16, 2003 Wednesday Day 2

interior of the old Chinese store

Today you've learned about the history of Hite's Cove and explored the ruins. Imagine what life would have been like to live at Hite's Cove during the gold rush era. How do you think they viewed wilderness back then?

Discovery
Well today I learned about the gold rush (mined time) I would really like to have been a guy because looking for all that gold. That will be so COOL!!! GREAT!!! It would those things because I can buy myself some clothes, shoes, house, and cars. Then I would have like to built a farm with all kinds if animals, or even have started my own business of a shoe water or something, But hey I would not have shared my gold with anybody because I found it with my struggle. Then I would have become a person that would travel around the world. I would not like to be a girl because they had to fight for other people won't find the gold. Then they had to dirty their clothes and be shooting at people. NO WAY-NOT COOL!!! But the coolest thing would be to find like a big rock and it was gold. But I don't think that can truly have happened that I would be wanting looking for gold to not be shooting at people. Well that is all I truly had to say about the old time. That they looked exciting and very adventurous. Well I have to go now because I have to go to sleep.

Esther's signature
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