Reflections

Trip One:

The field trip was incredibly insightful to me. There was an enormous amount of information presented to us. The immense diversity we were faced with was exciting, yet it was still surprising that after one day, we were able to name the majority of observed species along our Mt Si hike. I will admit that during the trip, my ability to keep up intellectually decreased as the day progressed. I do not hike often, so I was challenged physically, and a lot of my energy was spent during the hiking part of the day.

Trip Two:

This trip was very interesting. The weather was not exactly in our favor for the majority of the day, and the previous avalanches hindered our plans for the snowshoeing adventure. However the information about precipitation changes and elevation changes were amazing to see first hand. The side activity of building an ice pit was also very interesting. We dug into the snow vertically to uncover the various layers of snowpack. The weak spot is where a simple nudge of the snow can cause it to slide off of the hard layer beneath the soft upper layer. The activity was interesting, but a little frightening. I wanted to off the snow.

Trip Three:

This field trip was the most challenging of them all. I appreciated the difference in vegetation as we moved toward the eastern side of the cascades. The factsheets were all presented in a timely manner and it was great to see the majority of the factsheet species located in two small areas. The hike itself, was probably the most challenging thing I have done in a long time. The first half was easy enough, as we were still on solid ground and serpentine soils, which I found to be quite pleasant to walk on. But then we started to walk on snow. This snow was still fairly thick, and made every step more difficult. I am also not accustomed to such high elevations and it was incredibly difficult to catch my breath. The top of the peak was about 6000 ft, and it was a struggle to reach. We did though, and the view was fantastic. It was a wonderful way to end the course.

Methow Valley:

The Methow Valley field trip was a very unique treat. The entire valley felt like a completely different world. The scattered wet areas combined with the easy access to higher elevation was a unique feature. The sample plots we took were incredibly informative, not only in the selected areas current status and history, but also in regards to how forests are analyzed in the real world. Apart from that, I particularly enjoyed the riparian area walk along the river. It was a beautiful area filled with quaking aspen and a plethora of species we have not learned about yet. The trip was great, and well worth the time.