Why We Build the Wall

I've had a few weekends of office work, with a computer looking at a wall.  The Fire Prevention Officer shut the lights out on me one Sunday.  I said loudly, "Nope!", and he popped his head in and said, "Sorry didn't realize you were in here. We're going to have to cut a window infront of your desk so people know you're in here".

Haven't done that yet. But I did get to listen to a good ETown, from Burlington, VT episode.  The last song is Anais Mitchell and "Why We Build the Wall".  I love this song!

She Walked in the Wilderness with a Shovel

Farewell to my co-worker, Sarah, and enjoy your new adventures.

It is always a bold and daring move to...well... move across the country after quitting your job... to do a Student Conservation Corps internship, and then go back to school.   I was very fortunate to have such a wonderful person to hike with all summer who did just this.

I went to Utah and ...

all I took was pictures from the summit of Snowbird. And my cousin Chris took pictures of the tick he pulled off of my scalp.  Awesome! Thanks for the help cuz!

 Chris and his wife had a baby boy recently, so I went to visit.  My Grandma and Aunt flew to Utah. So we went to the top of Snowbird on the tram.

6000' Vertical Work Weekend

So all the lakes in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness you really have to work at to get to. There are less lakes than the Inyo, and people who want to go to them are either determined, or have pack animals!  We wished we had a pack llama named ... Edgar... (I just picked his name just now) to haul our tools. 

Either way, there's a lot of fishing in the CI, but a lot of areas in the Southern Region that are protected for two trout species.  The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and the Paiute Cutthroat Trout.  Where we went hiking was in the border area where you couldn't fish, to where you can.  Tamarack Lake outlet North is fishable. 

Sarah and I added it up... but our work week of 4 days was a lot of up.  But we hiked Mt. Rose (2300') on Friday.

Rare fish sighting in Lake Tahoe 

Work Can Be Distracting

As I sat and struggled with Excel the other day during my "office day" I realized I am lucky to have my job, and that although I often feel like I want to be somewhere that I am not (VT or Inyo where there are "real" peaks), I really shouldn't be complaining.  
 Read the text of the photo below.  The Wilderness I patrol and monitor is very little used.  It is WILD! The bear that was walking toward me sniffing the ground the other day was a perfect example.

There are some days where I'd rather have a faster pace of life, maybe on a bike, maybe at the shores of Lake Tahoe or June Lake, and there are days I want to be with friends.  I started to finally study the GRE (I applied to UVM without this score) in my tent at night.  Each night I think of all the things I want to see and do out here. Ultimately, I feel very far from home, but I am thankful for my friends out here for keeping me occupied and distracted enough not to go home yet.  My summer will be filled with things until mid-August.  Maybe then I'll get to some things on that tick list.  

Until then, I wish you all epic swimming holes and stunning sunsets, and as always the best of times with those you care about.

Stanislaus National Forest's Sonora Pass Trailhead. Part of sign. Leads into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. My area.

Zoom-a-Flume.... Trail...

Errr... Otherwise know as the Flume Trail. 

From Tahoe to Mammoth to the Mobil Mart!

The river crossings have been really high, and I can't get a lot of my work done.  We have done car camping last weekend, and did day hikes in the Reno/Carson City area in the Mount Rose Wilderness this past weekend.  It is hot. Whew.

Sarah and I took down some bridges that we for sure know someone will be mad about. But no makeshift bridges, other than logs, in wilderness.  We got misted on by a waterfall on Hunter Creek Trail.  This trailhead is really close to the PattyG Outlet.  We were too dirty after taking out bridges to go in.  It's okay.  I know how much all that costs anyway.

Mount Rose from Jones Creek Loop Trail, Mount Rose Wilderness