AmeriCorps Corner with Jake

Jake and his cousins at 9,000 ft

Jake and his cousins at 9,000 ft

What a crazy and fun April it was! To start the month off, two of my cousins flew out from the Midwest to visit and explore California. With this short time off, I was expecting to get some rest and relax. Boy was I wrong.

Our first main outing was to Mount Shasta. With the road open all the way to Bunny Flat, we parked, hiked, and trudged through the bright mountain snow…which I forgot about. By the end of the day, my face was as red as a tomato. Even the insides of my ears and nose were burnt! A mental note was taken that day; snow + mountain + no sunscreen = bad idea.

Our second main excursion was to the coast and the redwoods. For what seemed like ages of driving in the car, it was well worth it for the awesomeness of the coast! Even though I’ve been there back in 2008, it was still so new to me. Walking in the cold, salty, water, eating fresh seafood, and getting lost in the forest...I’ll definitely be back there!

With my cousins back in the Midwest and a good couple weeks at work, it was time for SNAP Spring Training! A good amount of the time was spent doing restoration work in the Deer Creek watershed in the Nevada City area. With the entire group of SNAPpers hard at work, we pulled countless numbers of scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry plants. Nothing is more satisfying than the sound of roots from an invasive plant ripping out the ground!

It was an awesome month with family, friends, and exploring more of Northern California!

Until next time,
Jake