- Expedition: May 26-31, 2002
- Seng
- Detroit Metropolitan Community Center, Atwater, and Owens Valley High School
- Mono Meadow
what is wilderness?
wilderness to me is the forest and you're alone in the forest. you're alone with the animals in the forest. you and yourself are thinking about the trees, water, and animals. are you in wilderness now [yosemite valley]? i think we are not in wilderness. no, because there are too many humans in the forest. [i am] not really seeing animals around. [wilderness is when] you're alone in the forest listening to the sound of the wind, trees, water, and animals
there are more things i [am] going to tell you about the wilderness.
Goals and Expectations
My goal [now] that I'm here is to learn about the forest, animals, mountains, and other [things]. My other thing is that I want to come here to get at least a week of school off. I want to see [the] outdoors and get away from houses, stress, buildings, and other [things]. To me, it's like I want to play outside of the house and learn by what it shows you, not like you're doing homework all day. I just wanted to come out here in Yosemite and see how backpacking is, because students, teachers, and other [people] are doing it on T.V. So I wanted to try. [It] seems on T.V. [that] it was fun to them. I want to experience that. That's why I'm here today on May 29.
The thing I like about Yosemite is the beautiful waterfalls, the trees, and the animals out here. The thing I like is that the food. It was good, sweet, and delicious.
Water
Water is a good thing in the world. Without water we [would] not [be] here, [like the] animals, trees, plants and other living things. We need the water, same as animals, plants, and other living things. We drink water, trees' roots want water. The water we use goes deep into the ground, then it goes to a river, creek, or lake. After we use it or when the water [is] at the lake, the cloud comes down and gets the water. After that, the cloud carries it and makes snow, or rain, then it comes down, the snow melts it, the rain goes everywhere, in the air, mouth, river, lakes, and other [places].
Day 1: May 26
My first night I was freezing to death in the cabin. On that first night around 2 to 3, I hear a bear voice next to our cabin (302). I got scared so I went back to sleep. I've got some new friends, like Kyle, Rivers, Muhammed, Paul, Andy, and some others. These new friends, they are cool.
Day 2: May 28
Now we are in the backcountry or in the middle of the backcountry. I don't know, I'm just guessing. We put up four tents. Me I didn't want to sleep inside the tent. So I slept outside with Paul, Andy, and Anthony.
Day 5: May 30
Meadow, meadow we started hiking with a 50-pound bag on our backs. We started hiking down. Everyone was excited about hiking, so everyone got tired, their legs hurt. We rested a minute and drank water. We walked about 6-8 miles [on this trip]. Then now we walk uphill. I'm so tired I just want to go home. So I keep walking anf walking [and] I see a snow plant. It was red, and beautiful.