Students learn about avalanches from a Forest Service seismologist


For some students, this trip was the first time they had been on skies!

Class Writing

WINTER ECOLOGY SKI TRIP IS A HIT!

          On January 28 and January 29, students from Forks and Sawyers Bar Schools went to Mt. Shasta Ski Park to learn about animals tracks and nordic skiing. Students rotated through a ski lesson and a classroom session. They they skied out into the park to check animal track boxes with wildlife biologist Mellen Colberg.
     The track boxes are four pieces of board (2 feet in length) tied together with bungie cords. Inside the boxes are a carbon sheet, a metal tray, and mylar sheeting. The animal steps into the box to get the cat food bait, then makes an impression on the sheeting. The animal’s prints are visible on a sheet of paper under the carbon. Americorps Watershed Coordinators set the boxes out the week before, so there were prints to see. We saw squirrel and mice prints! We were also able to identify the tracks of many animals that were in the snow at the Nordic Center. There were deer, rabbit, mice, squirrel, and human prints!
     What really made this trip popular was the second day of skiing. Students and teachers alike were able to improve their skiing on this day and challenge themselves to some of the black diamond runs!