Day 9

It all started out like a normal day. We ate breakfast and loaded the cars up for Ramona Trail on Thomas Mountain. Now that I look back on it all it had not been such a scary experience. It had been more like an adventure in which I was Batman. We started going up the trail and I had already drank one water bottle. Keep in mind we are in the desert and its like 300 degrees out there. We decided that on the way back we would collect plants instead of on the way up. I asked Rusty how much farther and just like always he says " a little bit farther" which means 300 miles. We stop for one last time, and after that it was all a blur from there. I remember getting very weak and dizzy in-between all of this... Monica was the first to notice how bad I looked. Rusty started talking to me very loudly trying to get me to answer him and I would not do it. He decided that it was time to make an emergency phone call. I remember them trying to take me down the mountain by walking, but I kept forgetting to open my eyes and tripping over my own self. We were already 3 miles up, and Shannon said I cannot walk and picks me up on her back and beasts me down the mountain for a mile or so. All of this of course is what they are telling me after I got back from the hospital that night. Shannon said she would scream for me to say anything to her, and previously they had put this metal sheet on me to prevent me from going into shock. All I ever said to Shannon was a few mumbles and then finally said I'm Batman. Okay, there was seriously wrong with me for me to utter that statement. haha. SHANNON IS NOW MY HERO BY THE WAY. Everyone could tell that she was getting very weak so Rusty puts me on his back for a few hundred yards and then these men in yellow interceded. Then followed men in orange which I am soon to find out are convicts who work for the Fire Stations.

Ok so HC has now retired and wanted me (Shannon) to fill everyone on her experience down the mountain. So it's as crazy as it sounds but the situation was handled perfectly with everyone playing an important role. Rusty sent Skadoosh and Robert down the hill at a nice safe sprint as they would call it because we couldn't tell if people had heard our radio emergency. Needless to say they sprinted their butts off and Katie, Mon-icka, and Anthony went down the mountain with pounds of packs running fastly. Then Julie (nursing HC down the trail) and Rusty (calling for help and taking control) stayed with me while I took HC down the mountain. It was hot and hard but I wouldn't say I was a hero at all because everybody did something really important.
But everyone stayed in control and it all ended up perfectly. There are funny facts to know about the day though and they are: 1. That like 20 vehicles came to help HC (ok 6 seriously but still a lot!) 2. HC only remembers me huffing and puffing down the mountain and forgot all about the jokes and me screaming at her to stop muttering. The most interesting conversation being "Hannah how are you feeling?" "Mmn." "Hannah when I ask you a question you need to answer me with a real word." "Mmn." "Hannah! How are you feeling?" "I'm Batman." 3. Monica did a power knee slide down the mountain that she bounded up from which I'm sure she did just because of sympathy pains 4. Everyone was bounding with joy when they saw all the rescue people (especially some key firemen) 5. HC is the only person that would use her phone to call someone in the back of an ambulance and 6. After the long day HC was in great spirits and everybody felt better and content to be at the James Reserve....
Needless to say we are all glad for the experience to be over and excited that HC was such a trooper about it because otherwise it would've been a sad day. One thing is for sure and that is that we make a great group, definitely worthy of the title Team Dominate :)

And now Hannah picks up during the ambulance ride...

Well now that Shannon told us the funny things I will add to all of this. I got in the ambulance and the IV had definately helped me. Julie rode with me on the way to the hospital, and it was the longest ride of my life... though I do admit it was pretty sweet laying on a bed inside of a moving vehicle, but thats besides the point. Then, I told the lady " Julia" that I had to pee very badly! She said," The best I can do for you is a bedpan." I had to go so badly that I just said to give it to me. She asked me a series of questions in which I really did not feel like answering at all. I had literally been asked if I was pregnant like 30 times that day. I was just about to get rude with the people and tell them... do you really think that I would be climbing a mountain if I was carrying an embryo in my stomach? NO! Ughhhhh I was sick of that question. Well after about 20 minutes the bedpan was a success!!!!! Victory! We then arrived at the hospital, and they wheeled me in on my domination bed. I looked rough but I felt much better! I waited for a while in the hallway watching everyone pass by. I really felt like I was in a movie. Haha. Next, I got the neat armband and doctor to go with it. Its like a 2 in 1 package. I was almost airlifted. How sweet would that have been? Well, I was eventually discharged right after I put on the hospital gown. After a few crazy pictures and car rides later I was back at the reserve telling everyone that I was indeed okay. I have to say out of my 16 years of life that day was the most legit of them all. All in all I have the coolest story to tell my kids when I am 30. :) I love firemen! ( and convicts)

~Hannah C. and Shannon

Day 8

Day 8 was different than many of the other days here, today was our day off! That means no hikes, no collecting plants, nothing but a day of relaxation. Which was well deserved. We had chores. I vacuumed and cleaned the tables off. Everyone else had their part, whether it was doing the dishes, or anything else; we did our chores like we do everyday. Then we met Mike Newkirk, the guy from the Durfee Foundation. He basically is the one who granted us our scholarships. (in the picture, he's in the middle.) Hey Mike! Thanks again for this lifechanging opportunity! Well, after he told us he was in the room when the Mars rover landed. (which is amazing) we talked about the program, and where each of us was from, and it was a nice afternoon. Afterwards, we went into Idyllwild and did laundry. It was hilarious watching us all try to do laundry, pushing the quarters into the washing machine and dryers. It was pretty fun. Afterwards we ate at "the greek place." Thats what it was called. The food was amazingly good there. After we got home, we started a bonfire in the back, and Rob's side of the fire started burning faster than mine. It's not fair though, he cheated. He's an eagle scout. Once we finally got the fire going, Taylor got some nice looking marshmallow skewers that we used to make smores. Rusty and Julie got to see a shooting star, so im kinda jealous. I tried to see one, but never did. I saw a bunch of satallites though. Maybe on the overnight I'll see a shooting star. well, time for bed. Wake up at 7 tomorrow.

Day 7

WOW! The sights today were flippin' awesome :)) We set off today with a longer and possibly more strenuous hike planned. So myself being from a flat landscape land I was rubbing my calves and feet in preparation for possible pain later that evening. But being the lucky duck that I am, we began our hike to Fuller Ridge at our decent pace and the sun through the trees and being surrounded by great people got me pepped up and craving more plant pressing. So no pain. haha I was the official "process" photographer of the day and I rather adore this position in the group. I get to catch the awkward moments on camera. Could it be better? NOPE! I took pictures of lichen and moss collected by Anthony, as well as those gorgeous lupines collected by Skadoosh. The hike was much more than the plants collected, yet the plants collected were of new orientation and at different altitudes than most of which we have already recorded and pressed. The ridge where we were hiking today was much narrower than those that we have been on before and a little bit more rough. Many rocks and more steep. But it was still an exhilerating experience. So off we travel one by one with our packs strapped on and humming up the mountain like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The only downfall of the day was when HC (Hannah) accidentally taped over all her footage of the day. There were some rather hilarious clips on that. But with this group there never is a boring day. We work hard, play hard, and adore every minute of it. Well unfortunatly I must cut this blog short for the day because the last time I blogged I got a little wordy. haha it's just so hard to keep back all the great experiences I have had here. So before I bid adew for the evening, one last thing.

THANKYOU EARTHWATCH!!

-Monica (Ick)

hello mom,dad,and family from cali.

hello mark from cali.

The Students

Because SCAP students have always proven exceptionally able, I look forward to meeting them and figuring out exactly how they are going to fit into the project … and how they will interact together. On paper, there would appear to be many reasons that this year’s group would have difficulty in finding common ground. They are from all over the country and arrived from highly diverse backgrounds and academic experiences. But they want to be here … and they’re teenagers … and in an incredibly short time period they have impressed me with their skill, work ethic and togetherness. So here they are. - Papa Bear

Hannah aka Skadoosh (Virginia): High energy, creative, funny, irreverent … and that was just the first five minutes I knew her. She is an enigma (like a Care Bear tattoo), but she is very good at translating her energy into production and has learned every aspect of the project.





Anthony aka Tony the Tiger (New Jersey): Self-professed “super shy guy”, Anthony broke out his dancing shoes at the zydeco concert on Thursday. He has become quite the lichen hunter during our field hikes. He turned a laptop, a hunk of tin foil and a ball of twine into Friday Night at the Movies. And he waits for Julie to catch up on long hikes.


Monica aka Icka (Iowa): Monica is the most expressive manipulator of the English language I have ever met. And she laughs heartily at every joke I tell … even when it’s not funny … and even when it’s not a joke. I’m not gonna lie, she keeps everyone in a good mood and has become my best “process” photographer.



Robert aka St. Jerome (Missouri): John is the All-American boy, an Eagle Scout but with a better sense of humor. Ron has become a workhorse, volunteering to carry the big framepack even when he’s not responsible for the press. When Mark wants to relax it usually involves a comfortable cot and his I-Pod. And he answers to almost any male name in the book.



Katie aka Katie (Montana): Katie processes data the way enzymes digest human waste. OK, that’s not exactly the analogy I was looking for. But she has taken on the important Recorder position, assembling all collection data, pictures and geo-coordinates. She loves keeping things organized … and now that includes me.

Hannah aka Arky or H.C. (Arkansas): Hannah loves the camera and the camera loves her. But I’ve put her in charge of the video for this project. So if we can avoid it becoming an outdoors version of “The Office”, it’ll probably be the best project video yet. Arky’s from my mother’s home state so I gave her the nickname.

Introductions for the group

Well hello there everyone! It is here tonight that three girls sit in front of the glow from the computer: "Skadoosh", Katie, and Mon-ick-a. We have the coolest blog assignment of them all... to introduce the gang of temporary mountaineers. So let's get this shin-dig started already eh?

Rusty (the ring leader): "I think this is the road here... well at least I thought it was."

The 'papa bear' of the group. Rusty is the most resourceful (except when it comes to a flat tire), kind-hearted, and greatest joke maker around. His quick wit and vast knowledge of all the plants around him constantly surprise us and his general concern for our safety makes him a MVB (most valuable botanist) in all our eyes. This crazy botanist has inspired all of us to be the amazing people we can be. It might just being just like our 'Papa Bear' or getting out and doing things we haven't done, this man manages to excede all of the above. Whether it's his constant desire to learn more and more about his workers for two weeks or new found love for bar-b-que pizza, Rusty makes sure that everyone is well informed and being educated on the California mountains. Always leading the pack with his eagle sharp eyes and 'papa' like personality. Rusty made sure that everyone was comfy and cozy from the moment we met at the airport. He's definitely a keeper in the science world and in all of our hearts.

Julie (mama): "Who's joining me on the dance floor?!"

Julie is defiantly the peace keeper of the group. She maintains a good pace on the trail and brings up the rear with pride. Her great sense of humor and multitude of never ending card games keep all of us entertained. We can all agree that it was Julie who pushed us to be more of a group. Especially those first couple of days, where social awkwardness could not be found in this lovely woman's vocabulary. While hiking Julie is the caboose eyes and makes sure we've gotten every specimen possible. Never leaving a breadcrumb behind. When we travel off into town to refresh our engines at The Lumber Mill, Julie ensures that everyone is full and happy. Driver of the red car, she can sure maintain her composure while the ruckus in the backseat seems to explode from all of us excited campers! Although she may use ski poles while hiking, we still adore this inspirational leader.

Shannon (the one who couldn't get away): "DROP AND ROLL!"

It's fair to say that EVERYONE on this trip absolutely LOVES Shannon. You couldn't meet a more intelligent, beautiful, and warm souled young woman anywhere else other than the James Reserve in California, maybe the world :) Her experience with Rusty has helped him immensely and helped us new kids decoding some of his crazy plant talk! Her crazy and wild stories have filled us with tears of laughter during those many a car rides to trail spots. Always lending a helping hand or a welcome opinion when needed and making sure everyone is up to speed on the plans of the day. No doubt about it, Shannon is a fabulous mentor. Her maturity and friendly nature make everyone feel as if they have known this gorgeous young lady their whole lives. Thank-you for returning Miss Idaho :D

Robert (the boy with many names): "I don't remember anything that happened yesterday..."

This eagle scout surprised us all with plenty of quick come backs and a great sense of humour. He is a good hiker and sets a great pace at the front of the pack. Not to forget to mention his ability to carry the press pack with mucho gusto. This midwestern missourian sure does bring the fire in a game of egyptian rat screw (card game) and don't be fooled by his rough exterior, he has a way with close up photography and the natural beauty of flowering plants ;) Without Robert, the three men would only be two and two can be a lonely number. Robert is a wonderful sport when us girls tease him and pretend to forget his name. Also his adaptability in the field is super useful when situations get prickly. (like a chinquapin plant!) So as far as "John", "Ron", "Tyler", and "Jerome" goes he is one vital team member on this earthwatch expedition. Even if he refuses to play on his school's football team. We adore you Robert.

Monica (The girl with the laugh) " I just choked on my cough drop"

This girl is a survivor. She arrived sick and is fighting this cold of hers with nothing but cough drops and the fresh mountain air. But it deff hasn't brought her down because she is liveliest one of the bunch. Right off the plane Monica fell in love with California. The HUGE mountains and CRISP air was nothing like the Iowan landscape. So she said. Monica might just skip the flight next sunday and stay in this amazing place with the rest of us. Never knew that this crazy, loud (in a good way), amazing girl would soon become one of the many cool and amazing people in the group. Her loud laugh would add so much to the trip. Her energy towards the group has been amazingly amazing no matter what strange dream, odd cuddle sessions or late night conversations we had it didn't stop her to climb that mountain the next day. Monica's thing has been doing process photos. She absolutly loves this job. She gets to take all of the pictures we later laugh our butts off too. She has become on of my best friends and she is the kinda of person that anyone can talk to and without her on this expedition i would be lost, actually not just I but all of us would be lost. It is her amazing ability to adapt and love everyone to the fullest that we all love the most.

Katie ( the forest ranger): "I'm pretty sure that it's an elephant."

Holy cows, what can Hannah "Skadoosh" and myself, Monica, say about this extremely smart and kind young lady. Well we can deff say that we wouldn't know what to pack the first day. Her advice is ooberly important and her ever curious questions never seem to end (but it's a never ending goodness, sort of like how you wish a chocolate bar would be.) This gal is more mature than any other seventeen year old around. Her 'mama-ness' has been the nurturing kick in the pants every morning and every evening. Her love for plants runs almost as deep as their roots. She may be the quiet one, but her presence is surely missed when not around. Thankfully Hannah and I can say she's in our car 95% of the time. PHEW! GO TAHOE TEAM!! Katie has been named pretty much our official recorder. We would say that this is the most important job (other than us two who are the entertainment). She manages to keep all of us crazy teenagers in line with her positive and upbeat personality, but her firm hand only appears when numbers, descriptions, and plants are being collected without the proper "katie-how-to". We love this gal's organization, sweet giggle, and awesome plant knowledge :)

Hannah "Skadoosh" (the techno-pop queen): "I'm gonna shred you like cheddar cheese!"

Oooooooh boy. Where to begin... the very first day Katie and I were stuck in the same vehicle as this crazy Virginian. Little did we know what to expect until we got a not so slight sneak peek as she began to thrash violently about the car seats to some techno music that Katie had managed to get stuck on the satellite radio. We knew immediately that this gal was going to be a keeper that we'd come to love. Her curiosity is always thriving and her wit is never quite matched by anyone else on this trip. We love her running about the woods with her pants half-way down to her ankles (no worries, there are always shorts on underneath. Modesty still exists for this outdoorsy fisherwoman) and her 80's Donald Duck aviators about her blank stare face. And trust us folks when we say it just keeps getting better. Not only does this rough and tough girl run about with enough energy to match a day care, she can get down to work faster than a squirrel (her favorite animal) can run up a tree! She makes an awesome close-up photographer, plant presser/collector, car DJ, and best of all a wonderfully wicked friend. Her adaptability to every situation makes her vital to this group. Despite getting sick a few days in (yes, we blame Monica) she managed to kick the cold and get right back to work. Once up in the morning and paired with her red camelback, she hops in the car first ready to fly into action. Almost like those sugar glyders that she has spoken of so often!! We love you Skadoosh :)

Anthony (the new jersian w/out the accent): "It's not about the air, it's about the quality of the air."

This boy is not the so "shy guy" everyone expected. Other than his unfailing humble and kindness, Tony is a hardworker. Just like his fellow earthwatch SCAP boy, Robert. Tony came a day late, but worked that much harder to make sure he caught up on missed information. He has become the official lichen and moss collector as well as Julie's company towards the end of the pack. This boy certainly loves computers and without his help we would be lost. He has been able to willingly help us fellow computer dummies all the time. He has an answer to almost everything and a deep thought to share. Anthony is willing to ease anyone's load and carry it for them or take a picture here and there. While he may not always be the first one out of bed at 6 in the morning, he is the first one to be ready for the unexpected. His flexibility and calm demeanor is the final piece to our jigsaw puzzle during our August adventure. We enjoy this New Jersey boy's addition to this team. Without him we'd be lost in a world full of lichen and moss!

Hannah (Arky): "I just freakin' ran up and down that mountain with your nasty flowers!"

What's better than a gal from Arkansas with an awesome accent and mad actress skills?! A gal from Arkansas with an aswesome accent, mad actress skills, and on our earthwatch trip obviously! H.C.'s down to earth personality has helped floor all of us and keep us focused on our task at hand to press these plants. Yet this girl is not all business, in fact she is very much party too. (On and off the hiking trails) Whether she is singing in the cars, dancing at an Idyllwild concert, or video taping the day's collections with pizazz, she has brought the much needed relief in the group with one of her jaw dropping smiles! She is daring in every way whether it is dancing with the people of Idyllwild or climbing a huge mountain this girl never gives up. Hannah has been away from home for awhile and yet her attitude towards the adventure is outstanding. :) Without her on this expedition the team would be missing a corner to its puzzle. but thankfully with all of the greatness including Hannah on this trip we are 100% compelte. Hannah we all love your smile, laugh and awesome jokes. Keep it real girl!

THUS THE END OF OUR INTRODUCTIONS!

-Katie, Hannah "Skadoosh", and Mon-ick-a.

DAY 6

Hmmmm..... Let me think about it. Today was awesome!!! Every single person was mentally prepared for the longest hike of their lives, and then Rusty said oh lets just stop here and collect a few specimens. I dont know about everyone else but I was saying THANK YOU JESUS!!!!! I am still worn out from the first hike we did. My job today was camerawoman. Yeah, I know what your thinking, Hannah Culwell has the coolest job of them all. BINGO! WE HAVE A WINNER! I basically get to catch what all of the photographs and recordings can not. The visual contemptment of the research and data that everyone is collecting. We collected different specimens such as the Indian paintbrush, Eriogonum, and lupine. After we collected them we went to different elevations and often found the same specimens. With such a lack of water it makes you wonder why these species thrive at such high elevations. After gathering up all of the equipment(I call it gear it sounds cooler) we parked the cars and set off for a mile hike up the mountain. When they told me that we were going to the Black Mountain Lookout Tower that made the mile go by so much faster. On the way up I fell in love with the view. The peace that the mountains give to you is often breathtaking. We arrived at the lookout tower and met its keeper Mr. Joe Jackson. He had been stationed at this particular lookout tower since 2003. Underneath the tower there were chipmunks running around eating whatever they could get there hands on. I started feeding them peanuts, and Skadoosh even attempted it out of her hands. We said our goodbyes to Mr. Jackson and and the beautiful view. Heading back down the mountain was an interesting experience, and thats something I will say is Earthwatch talk. After arriving back at the reserve, we all got ready to go into Idyllwild for dinner and as Monica says, " My food baby is not liking me right now." A few of us headed back to the Reserve and here I am now typing this blog to you guys. Robert and I who I call " John" ( He just looks like a John to me) are watching an episode of The Office. I am looking forward to the days ahead because you never know what Skadoosh will do next. We are keeping it cool here in Cali. Peace :)

- Hannah (Arky/H.C.)

DAY 5

Day 5 was amazing! We woke up, ate breakfast, got our gear ready, stocked up on water, and headed out to meet Dani who works with the U.S. Forest Service. We wen to Alvin Meadows where we collected 29 plant and moss species. Among some of the plants we collected were thistles, and those would have so bad without Dani's gloves. We actually told Rusty that we decided to classify these things as trees and that we should not be aloud to press them. He just laughed and insisted that we continue. We found a shrub that I saw that looked just like a strawberry, and we soon realized that this is not gentle at all. It hurts! Especially if you have to collect and bag the plants for pressing like myself. After pressing all of the plants, and eating lunch, we went back to the reserve and got ready for the long night ahead of us. Rusty told us that there was a concert in Idyllwild and of course every single one of us were stoked! All the girls got dressed up and Rob and I just put on shorts and a t-shirt. But when we got there, we realized we should have dressed in jeans, it was freezing! But the dancing part of the night was the best by far. I have never country danced in my life, but I can be sure it's something I will do again. Julie was a master of country dances, she showed me how to dance that night. Even though everyone else did not share the same enthusiasm that I did, they all enjoyed themselves quite a bit. I can say with confidence that I have never dance with so many people in my life. :) Goodbye for now!

- Anthony