It doesn't rain ALL the time in Oregon...

...in fact, during our week of perusing the Northwest over Thanksgiving, it only rained three times. The luscious green fields and bright fall leaves of red, orange, and sienna were a refreshing change from Southern California's brown ground covering!

Besides the greenery, I also experienced the incredible length(mileage-wise) of California - in a car with three other friends, it took us nearly 16 driving hours to reach the California-Oregon border. Luckily, we didn't have to do it all at once - we stayed with a co-worker's family in San Francisco for an evening to break up the trip. The stop gave us the opportunity to: meet a gracious family dog, talk of politics and conservation issues around the dinner table, and cross over the Golden Gate bridge the following morning!

In the front seat of our car, the driver Lauren and I screamed with excitement as we made our way across the American landmark! We recounted the bridge's appearance on shows like "Full House" and "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" as we marveled at it's bright red features in the morning sunlight.

Nearly 6 hours after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, we needed a break from the car and pulled into the small town of Mount Shasta, CA - a mere 56 miles from the Oregon border. Named after the peak looming beyond the downtown area, the town's fresh mountain air was welcoming to our stiff legs and drooping eyelids. ("Shaaaa-STA!" was said in hushed voices repeatedly, to our car's amusement only.) :)

After a quick look in a used bookstore and some coffee in our systems, we moved back to the northbound interstate with our eyes searching for the coveted Oregon border. Several Journey songs later (including "Don't Stop Believing"), it finally appeared....

"WELCOME TO OREGON" sent a round of cheers through our Subaru Impreza, and we proceeded to pull over to capture a typical vacationer's photo opportunity by the state sign. Within four hours, we reached Eugene - home to the University of Oregon, Steve Prefontaine's incredible running career, and a co-worker, Carrie's family. Their cozy home was our "home base" for the week, and I had the opportunity to make several ventures from their middle-of-town street to other sights in Oregon, mostly by way of bicycle. On one particularly sunny day, Carrie and I biked around "The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors," making stops in downtown shops and the university campus... I was enamored with the city instantaneously! :)

I also had the chance to tour Salem, OR's downtown when I spent an evening and morning with hometown high school friends Heidi and Jordan Oschwald! It was fun to catch up on life happenings, reflections of Mt. Pleasant, and future dreams. [They're planning to stay in Oregon for a while, so visit them when you're swinging through...they are wonderful hosts!]

My reconnections with friends continued back in Eugene. On Thanksgiving morning, I biked across the Willamette River to Springfield and spent the day with Michelle Brown and Michael Herron, two friends and former Student Advisor co-workers from Truman State! Having not seen each other since graduation in May 2007, it was exciting to exchange stories and laughs as we prepared mashed potatoes, an African peanut soup, homemade stuffing (with Michelle's homemade sourdough bread!), and pumpkin pie for an evening Thanksgiving meal. With a few hours of sunlight left in the day, we hopped in the car with their dog Lira and embarked on a pre-dinner hike up Spencer's Butte. The peak looks out over the city, but we were shrouded in clouds that day. It was still a beautiful hike, and we enjoyed each other's company! We all decided that a Thanksgiving hike should be a tradition included with every future Thanksgiving... :)

Michael (with his Indiana Jones hat), Michelle, and Lira at the top of the peak!
On my last day in the middle of Oregon, I knew my trip wouldn't be complete without a trek to historic Hayward Field. I jogged up to the entrance just in time for the track's public use hours and ran a lap in Lane 8, taking in the somber, foggy atmosphere and crisp morning air.

As I was running back toward Carrie's house, I saw an interesting memorial for cyclists at a downtown street corner. Entitled "Ghost Bikes," a bike was painted white and chained at the corner where an accident had occurred, reminding travelers of cyclists' right to safe travel.

After a delightful few days in Oregon, we faced reality and started the long journey southward. Before exiting the state, we made one last stop to meet with my friend Carol, a co-worker from my time with Gore Range Natural Science School in Colorado this past summer. It was great to see a familiar face and quickly recount our adventures with each other. If only the whole naturalist crew could have been there...we missed you all!

An hour later, we hopped out of the car for another photo op...hello Cali! 

We took the windiest road possible to reach the coastal Highway 1, which took us through the heart of Klamath National Forest. As we ventured through Klamath, there were several small towns that had a strange obsession with Big Foot. (The statue pictured below was too irresistible and was begging to be photographed...)

Long after sunset, we reached Highway 1 and wound our way through the darkness, seeing redwoods with our headlights only and laughing every time the sign "Coastal Access" appeared. We pulled off onto a trailhead to sleep for a couple hours, then continued our journey down the Pacific coast. As the sun rose, we caught our first glimpse of the water! It was beautiful!
The luster wore off when we realized we still had a full day's journey in the car. With several more sing-a-longs, silly car games, and books read aloud, we finally crossed into our familiar stomping grounds and made it back to our San Bernardino Mountains at nightfall. Exhausted but happy, we hugged in honor of a well-balanced week - relaxation, adventure, laughter, and thankfulness were had by all.

And now, I'm willing to be a helpful and enthusiastic tour guide for anyone going to Oregon sometime soon or in the future. Just slip me in your suitcase... :)

A Series of Autumn Ventures

The autumn months have passed quickly on the West Coast. The sun continues to shine, but the days are getting progressively colder and shorter. Fortunately, the students continue to thrive in the high mountain air and so do I as I continue to explore as much of the Wild West as I can! Weekends have been key times for getting out into various parts of the area to act like a tourist, plant like a local, and embrace the snow like a true Midwesterner...

Venture #1: Cactus Flats Restoration
A co-worker, Jordan, and I drove 40 minutes to the town of Big Bear to help with a tree planting one hot weekend. Just over the side of the mountains lies a great expanse of desertland, and a Boy Scout was doing an Eagle Project to restore an old firing range to its natural state. With gloves and bucket of water (5 gallon orange buckets), we planted pinon pines and spread Joshua tree seeds across the desert sands. It was a sweltering yet rewarding part of our weekend! There were several people who helped out, and it was nice to chat with the other volunteers.
To protect our seedlings, we also put plastic cages around the plants so ground squirrels and mule deer wouldn't have the chance to munch on them.


Venture #2: San Diego Beach Bumming and Balboa Park
The following weekend, several of us headed to San Diego, a mere 3 hour drive from our home! We camped out on a popular surfing beach for an evening (somewhat illegally); it was worth it to hear the waves lulling us to sleep! Then we drove to Balboa Park, a huge city park in the heart of the city that hosts San Diego's infamous zoo and the Natural History Museum. [http://www.balboapark.org/] Our sights were set on the Natural History Museum and its large display on "Water: H2O=Life." (What can I say...we're all science nerds!) :) Outside the museum was an intriguing globe display on conservation issues, and we particularly like the "Be A Teenie Greenie" globe. After hours in the museum, we found a delicious Peruvian restaurant to eat at before heading back towards the mountains. We got ridiculously lost on the way back as we searched for an elusive National Forest, but we had a great time and positive spirits.

Venture #3: Sequoia National Park
A final adventure involved our escape from the ponderosa pines of our forest to the giant sequoias of Sequoia National Park, about 5 hours north of the San Berndardino National Forest. We had grand plans to backpack to an isolated Redwood grove along the southern part of the park. During our first 20 minutes inside the park boundaries, we saw a momma black bear with her two cubs - it seemed like a good sign for our adventures to come!

However, our luck took a turn for the worse - no, we didn't get attacked by bears. Instead the rain attacked our hiking parade...for about 14 hours straight! With soaked sleeping bags and drenched tents, we knew we should turn around, especially as the temperature started to drop. Before leaving the park and heading home, we decided we wanted to see the Northern part of the park before leaving - it was a little bit higher in elevation and hosted the more "touristy" part of the park. Within 10 minutes of the Giant Forest, the rain turned into SNOW! We all gasped at the beauty of the red-orange bark of the sequoias and their fresh coat of whiteness. I remember saying "Wow, it's like Christmas here," to which a travel companion countered, "Ya, Christmas on steroids!" (in response to the height of all the trees!) We tumbled out of the car like little kids and ran to touch the cold, wet snow.

It was one of the most beautiful winter wonderlands I've ever seen in my life, and I couldn't believe how fortunate we were to see this first landing of snow on the giant, prehistoric-looking trees! We slide down the path to General Sherman, the world's largest tree on record (in volume), and I felt a sense of smallness more impressive on my memory than similar experiences next to tall buildings. Our group of five couldn't stretch around half of the tree, despite our fully outstretched arms!

After seeing "the Big Guy," we continued our winter stroll, exploring the magnitude of other trees in the forest. There was an eerie yet fitting silence weaving throughout the big redwoods and sequoias - it matched our wandering eyes and hushed voices. We wondered aloud what the first explorers in this area thought upon arriving in these over-sized forests - did they think everything was bigger than life, including animals?

We completed our walk just before sunset and watched the sky change colors as the last rays of light reflected off the snow. It was a breathtaking experience, and I wish it upon everyone - the chance to see sequoias up close and personal. Failing to wrap your arms around the trunk of a sequoia speaks volumes more than any picture ever can.


Venture #4: An Oregonian Thanksgiving [in progress]
I'm spending the week of Thanksgiving in Oregon and hoping to visit several friends while I'm here. I long for the Midwest and a meal surrounded by family - alas, Christmastime will bring that joy in time. I will share tales of Oregon's Thanksgiving in coming posts - it will probably be a moisture-filled day, but that shouldn't damper my thankfulness...

...for my family and our long-distance "family meeting" conversations; for the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents that make me smile with fondness; for friends with supportive voices and happy stories to share; for students who are eager to explore the woods; for frozen banana smoothies and community potlucks; for boundless beauty in a creation so vast; and for adventures great and small - the opportunities to learn new things and create resplendent memories.

Love love, Jilly

Back to School, San Bernardino Style

My treks in California are in full swing again...I have returned to High Trails Outdoor Science School for another season of science and sixth graders! This is a picture of my first field group for the season - 11 students that made me laugh and were great hikers too!

On the last day of our program, two of the boys volunteered to carry everyone's bags, which was hilarious and ridiculous. :) It was a great week and easy to get into the swing of things with lesson plans and teaching again. 

I've had one big adventure so far, and it was in our "backyard" - hiking San G, the tallest peak in Southern California, standing at 11,499 feet and 14 miles away from our home. Aron, my roommate Molly, and I headed out with intentions to camp at the top. We entered the San Gorgonio Wilderness about 4 miles into our hike, where we captured our first glance of the peak. From this point, we had 10 miles to hike (and 3000 feet in elevation to gain).

Taking a picture of the overlook spot before we ventured on...

Grueling switchbacks, bitter winds, and conversation filled our hours as we hiked higher and higher. By the time we reached the top, we were above the clouds and ready to find shelter! We quickly set up my tent and retreated from the 30 mph winds! I was skeptical of my tent's ability to hold off the winds for an evening...

A closer look at our tent, surrounded by rocks and the clouds...

We cooked dinner inside my trusty 2-person tent, bundled to the brim with gloves, hats, scarves, and flannel. The weather reminded me of bitter wind chill nights in the Midwest...brrr! Our combined body heat, hot tang drink, and black bean burritos warmed us pleasantly.

Upon our one venture out of the tent to see the sunset, the clouds looked like a frothing sea of splendor - it was incredible!

The sea of clouds was visible in the morning too, so we wandered around the top for a while before our trek down to "regular life." :) Luckily, our housemates had gone apple picking while we were gone, so we came home to warm apple crisp - our trip couldn't have ended better!

After our mountain journey, I started my first week as Support Coordinator - a new position infamously called "The Face" of High Trails. As SC, it is my job to work with the students as a large group - I give them our expectations speech at the beginning of their day and serve as the main liaison with teachers that visit for the week. Most of the students thought I was the "principal" of High Trails and were excited to impress me. One group of students left me a message when they heard I was from Iowa...

So there you have it...California is treating me well, but Iowa will always rock. :) Love, J

This is what I do - my job in pictures!

I had a fellow instructor, Charlie, observing one of my classes last week. He took a couple pictures, so I thought I'd share them - my "in action" teaching shots - exciting!

I was teaching Little World, a class all about decomposers of the forest - we like to call them the FBI (fungus, bacteria and invertebrates). This is my FAVORITE class to teach, because students don't often realize the essential role that these creatures fulfill!

After explaining the basics of these creatures' roles in the woods, the students went to work, creating their own version of a decomposer, complete with niche, adaptation, and mimicry information!

When everyone was done, the students took turns sharing their work in front of their classmates. It was a great way to wrap up class and the lesson!

Boardin' and Beachin' it

An extra week off of work marked some big "first's" for Jill the California adventurer. The first week in April, I committed to visiting my dear friend Heidi in Avon, Colorado. It was a week to remember, as I got to spend a lot of quality time with one of the coolest girls I know - we spent mornings at a delightful coffee shop, stayed up late listening to music, and cooked up yummy treats. And then, she showed me her world - the slopes of Beaver Creek. With some borrowed ski googles, clunky boots, and a snowboard, I headed toward my destiny (as seen in the below picture).


Inside, I was slightly flipping out at the thought of sliding down a mountain or a slick metal board. I tried to hide it though, and I didn't have to worry too much because Heidi was a patient instructor.


Heidi started me on a green slope (the least steep, although it seemed monstrous to me at the beginning). As I struggled to stay standing once I was strapped onto the snowboard, I was surrounded by 4 year olds learning how to ski - with their 36-inch statures and 36-inch skis, they made it look so easy! Little by little, encouragingly coaxed by Heidi, I made my way down the slope, feeling out how to stay upright and feel out the edges of the board. At the bottom of the hill, I realized I had been holding my breath the whole time...so I let out a big "whew!" and raced to the lift to do it again! Once I got the hang of it, snowboarding was incredibly fun! I wasn't as graceful as Heidi, but I tried to follow her down the slopes as best I could. She convinced me to do a blue slope before we ended our day, and I successfully made it to the bottom! If I find myself permanently residing in a mountainous area in the future, a snowboard and gear could be at the top of my "to buy" list.


The fun didn't end on the slopes - we made a trip into Denver with Heidi's friend Noah and caught a Rockies game live from Coors Stadium! Upon entering the stadium, we all receiving commemorative "National League Champion" rings that celebrated the Rockies' successful season last year. We laughed as we posed for a picture showing off our "newfound bling."


I left Colorado unwillingly, but I am still smiling about the memories created that week. I arrived at the LAX airport in Los Angeles and started another phase of my week-long adventure with my roommate, Lori. She was staying in Redondo Beach for the weekend with some college friends, so I tagged along for the fun. We spent a relaxing Saturday at the beach, surrounded by surfers and skateboarders. The hot sand scorched our toes while walking along the beach, forcing us to refresh our feet in the chilly blue salt water. After a few minutes of wading around, it hit me - "THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN!" I yelped in delight! It was a startling and exciting thought. :D


We ate at a few delightul eateries and enjoyed the breeze of the Pacific mixed with the hot mid-90's temperature. One of the most hilarious things I saw at a surfer venue was the following sign showed below, and it served as a happy way to end my week of traveling.


Only in California, only in California...

Spring Break (aka "Jill falls in love with Southern Utah")

Six twenty-something girls + Two cars + Dark chocolate covered edamame and oatmeal packets + Four states + 3 climbing harnesses = ONE INCREDIBLE TRIP.


Five instructors (including myself) from High Trails and an instructor's friend from Virginia all met up in Las Vegas and stayed on "The Strip" with some fellow instructors on our first evening away from California. It was a far cry from what the rest of our trip looked like. From the ritzy lights of the Flamingo Hotel, we headed to the hills of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just west of the city and started the exciting part of our trip - rock climbing!

Being my first time, I was thankful to have so many experienced climbers with me - all of the other gals had some great moves/tips! Additionally, we met up with Erin's friends from a previous job who also joined in the climbing fun. It was a great afternoon of mentally and physically challenging progress up the red rock faces. We did "sport climbing," in which there are bolts that trace up the wall and climbers use the pre-designated route to clip in their rope with carabiner quick draws.

After many moments of tense clinging to small cracks and crevices, I eventually hit the top rope of a route and felt the adrenaline-fueled joy that many climbers experience once they've conquered a climb. :D My muscles ached, but it was completely satisfied with the pain - I felt, in a true sense, that I "earned" my view from the top.


Following our afternoon in Red Rocks, we stayed with Erin's friends in a small town right outside the rec area called Blue Diamond. A small town with a sense of humor, the first thing we saw when entering the outskirts was a sign that read, "BLUE DIAMOND Population: LOW, Elevation: HIGH, Burros: ?" (Burros are similar to donkeys, roaming wild in the area.) We spent a relaxing evening talking over curry vegetables about the next part of our journey. After a good run in the morning to see the sun rise and a delightful breakfast, we drove with our sights set on Utah.

We reached Zion National Park in the mid-afternoon and found a frontcountry camping spot for the evening. Then we made a quick hike to Angel's Landing - a popular hike located in the heart of the park. Towards the top of the canyon, we had to start using CHAINS (yes, metal linked chains) to keep our balance as we precariously moved upward. [See picture below - it was CRAZY!] We made it to a perch that offered a beautiful view of the interior canyon. It was starting to get dark, and so we didn't venture all the way to the top of Angel's Landing - it would've required continual chain clinging, and we didn't want to risk coming down in the dark.



Our second day in Zion, we drove to the northwestern side of the park and backpacked into Kolob Canyon. We celebrated our 3:11 hour hike success to our campsite with a lucious meal of quinoa and chili. Our campsite was located right near the river that cut through the canyon, so I easily fell asleep to the sounds of rushing water.


We hiked out the next morning and surfaced in Springdale, UT hot and sweaty. We ate at a great Mexican restaurant called Oscar's and treated ourselves to Ben & Jerry's ice cream bars. We hopped back into our cars and found a campsite at Snow Canyon for the night, near St. George, UT. [Snow Canyon was the backdrop to such films as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "Jeremiah Johnson."] A good night's sleep energized us for another day of driving until we hit Nevada again. We drove across the Hoover Dam to a remote trailhead within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with the hope of finding some remote hot springs. The hike was a beautiful, fairly flat trek through a slot canyon that wove its way to the Colorado River.

With only a few nights left for adventuring, we shared a campsite with some fellow climbers in Red Rock Canyon. We climbed a for a little while on our last day, but the wall we chose was packed with other climbers in town for a climbing festival. The climbing ledge reminded me of a jam-packed city sidewalk - bustling people full of gear and talking loudly! Only 3 1/2 hours from our home base near Big Bear City, we booked it back in time for a weekend of relaxation at our place.

There were many shared laughs and memories that I will not forget anytime soon. The people and scenery definitely made the trip worthwhile and exciting - everything from the rock climbing to singing in the car, camp food to crazy campground hosts!

Oh, and I have a definite "crush" on Southern Utah; I hope to visit it and its red-tinted canyons much more in the future...

Springtime Loveliness

As an outdoor educator, the weather has a supreme effect on the happenings of your week, at work or at play. As the weather has started warming up, I've enjoyed a sense of renewal in my energy and adventuresome spirit - hiking further during classes and seeking out wildflower bloomings on solo hikes.

I am continuing to learn in leaps and bounds about classroom management in a "classroom" that could shorten ANY individual's attention span. My best solution so far? Embracing the distractions of acorn woodpeckers and coyotes with vigor, encouraging the students to take the focus off our lesson plan and give their attention to the things that are way cooler than anything written in my field notes. Another field group saw some bear prints in the mud this week - I look forward to interrupting my classes more for those moments as the forest wakens from its winter slumber!

One of the neatest things about working here is seeing the variety of students that come to our school and succeed, regardless of circumstance. The most inspiring student I've worked with in all my weeks was a girl named Leah who came up with her parents this last week. Leah had muscular dystrophy and was confined to a wheelchair - it didn't confine her ability to learn or participate though. She was a dynamite ball of positive energy and inquisitiveness, and the other students loved it when she joined their class on the trail! She participated in a few of my classes, including astronomy and snakes class, and I was struck by her love for learning. I am proud to work with a company that embraces the spectrum of students, including (in past weeks) deaf students with sign language interpreters, students with cerebral palsy, and many others.

I look forward to the newness that transitions between seasons brings... "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." - Hal Borland

A picture with a group of my students - they continually cracked me up with their talk of the Jonas brothers (whoever they are?!) and snowball fights.

A photo taken at Burnt Flats during a solo hike - the side of a mountain that was burned during the wildfires in October 2007.

Me "staying protected" in a student-built shelter as a part of our Outdoor Survival Hike class in which kids learn about Leave No Trace ethics and how to navigate through emergency situations in the great outdoors.

Oh, sick days...who likes them anyways?

Not a whole lot to report on for the past week - I was hit hard with a sinus infection that had me flat out and gasping for air. [I figured you didn't want any pictures of that, so I didn't take any.] Luckily, after a consistent rotation of 9-hour sleeping nights (with naps during the days too), I have finally broken through to a new week and feel like a real person again!

The only thing that could've made the week better? A batch of Momma's homemade chicken noodle soup, simmering on the stove to ease my aches and pains. Somehow, being sick always makes me remember how wonderful Momma is. :D

At the end of this week, I hope to post some pictures of the place I was hanging out all last week - my room and the community "Square House." Keep on the lookout! Love, Jill

Snapshots in J-Tree

Here are a couple pictures from my backcountry camping adventure in Joshua Tree National Park. It was amazing to hike into the desert, surrounded by trees that looked like they came straight out of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax." I'll fill in more details soon...