Feb 10th

Finally made it up into the hills on our lunch break today!  The field station burned back in August so the landscape is pretty charred, but the views are gorgeous and there are little green shoots poking up out of the blackened bunch grass clumps.

When I stopped to take this photo and rest after schlepping up a big hill and before schlepping up an even bigger hill I got passed by my WFR instructor Gareth, who was trail running up the switchbacks.  I can only dream of someday being that hardcore.  Although I hear that trail running gets you cougared.