OVERVIEW:
The month of May has flown by for our crew. We began four weeks ago on the coast of California just north of Santa Cruz, and then moved to the Stanislaus National Forest (NF) on May 12th where we set up camp just out of Groveland. After two weeks there we packed up and moved over to Strawberry where we’ve been for the last week. It’s been great seeing different areas and being able to work in different terrains. Our only setback so far has been the mountains of poison oak we have been lopping through. We’re looking forward to putting that behind us and getting up into the higher elevations.
Kirby Fosgate and the rest of the State Park crew in Big Basin did a great job of getting us up to speed concerning trail work and also gave us the opportunity to work in a number of different parks with some unique projects. After finishing up on the coast we headed west to the Sierras and met up with our new Forest Service sponsors—Foreman John Goodwin (Stanislaus, 1990), journey-level worker Samantha Theobald (Stanislaus, 1992), Adam Duke (Kings Canyon, 2001), and our new cook Florine Lindgren (Yosemite, 2002). Due to this winters exceptionally heavy snowfall we have had to change our original plans to move into the Aspen-Bell Meadows area and ended up working the Hamby and Tuolumne River Trails on the Groveland Ranger District. We found ourselves working down a series of switchbacks that lead to the confluence of the Clavey and Tuolumne Rivers’ which are spectacular torrents this time of year. (The 1500 foot elevation climb back up to camp at the end of the day was even more spectacular!) We are currently at our third camp this month just out of Strawberry on the South Fork of the Stanislaus River, and we have been working on the trails around Pinecrest Lake and downstream from Beardsley Reservoir on the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River. Though the snow has been keeping us out of our destination at Aspen-Bell Meadows, it hasn’t hindered the crews enthusiasm to get out backpacking on the weekends—there are mountains to climb, fish to catch and stories to tell!
CURRICULUM:
May has been a busy month for us not only because of the work we have accomplished on the grade, but also the classes we have been conducting in the evenings. We began the month with a number of classes in Big Basin pertaining to the local flora and fauna as well as stories of Rancho Del Oso’s colorful past. Thanks to Kirby Fosgate for sharing his knowledge of the area; and also to Gary Strachen for his class on birds; to Doreen and Jim for their presentation on the history of Rancho Del Oso; and to Todd for his slides and the presentation on his Backcountry season. We also had an evening class where the crew made Mothers Day cards, another celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a piňata, and had “The Boot Fairy” (George Hawley) teach a class on massage and relaxation techniques. Once we left Big Basin we have been busy with a couple of camp moves, but we have been able to squeeze more classes in. We have had a couple of community meetings and we are working on our crew mission statement as well as classes taught by corpsmembers. Shawn Tillman (CCC—Fortuna), instructed the crew on the finer points of fire building topped off with a fire building competition. Cameron Kester (Los Angeles CC/Strike Team) did an evening sign language class. David Gallaty (CCC—Chico), did a class on mushrooms. Larry Evans taught a class on soils, erosion and trails to get the crew excited about the work they have to look forward to this summer, as well as the potential for jobs in the future.
PERSONNEL CHANGES:
Cameron Kester returned to the crew after being gone for two weeks. Rosa Lizzaraga and Nubian Newson left the crew on May 20th.
INJURIES:
Other than poison oak, the crew is injury free and healthy. We have had to send four corpsmembers to the doctor to treat reactions to poison oak exposure. All members of the crew have now recovered.
ODDS AND ENDS:
May Birthdays: Gardner James 21st
Mehmood Nawaz 20th
PRODUCTION:
Trail Maintenance:
Aňo Nuevo: Franklin Point --
1 mile
