NEW BLOG!!

Attention all blog readers!

We have decided that Blogger, though a great simple blog template, was not our cup of tea. We wanted to be able to customize more features in the blog, so we have switched to Wordpress!

HERE IS THE NEW BLOG LINK: 

http://inmybackyardnw.wordpress.com/ 

What’s New at the Zoo?

The Experience:

Tree kangaroo

The Woodland Park Zoo is home to a remarkable range of animals from all corners of the world. When we, the SCA interns plus Jimi and Leila, visited on Tuesday we were able to see most of the animals. As we entered the zoo we were handed tokens which were used to show support for research and conservation projects funded by the zoo. I placed my token in the box supporting northwest carnivore research since that is a local project. The zoo funds these projects from a percent of the admission fee, no matter the percent support shown by the public. Another admission related fact: if you take public transit to the zoo and show your transfer or ORCA card then you are eligible to receive two dollars off admission.

Ghost look-a-likes

We spent the entire day at the zoo exploring all the exhibits. The animals, according to Leila who volunteers at the zoo, were particularly active when we were there. My favorite area of the zoo is the Northwest Trail although most of the animals that live there can be seen by hiking in the area. The white wolves were a highlight and they prompted many references to Jon Snow and Ghost (a white wolf from Game of Thrones).

A orangutan hiding from the rain

Since we visited with Leila, she was able to tell us lots of interesting facts about the various animals and the zoo in general. I love biology so it was a perfect opportunity to learn some more. Fun facts: cheetahs are the only felines that don’t have retractable claws, flamingos have to eat brine to remain pink, and there is one ostrich that can be very mean. The orangutans were very fun to watch; one clambered up a tree while holding a cardboard sheet over its head the entire time to protect itself from the rain.

A bird building its nest

Although we typically think of zoos as places for younger children, in reality they are perfect for all ages. The Woodland Park Zoo offers opportunities to view and learn about animals and efforts being made to conserve their habitats. At times I have my doubts about the ethics of caging animals in relatively confined exhibits but the Woodland Park Zoo disproves my assumptions. Many animals are almost extinct in the wild due to hunting or habitat loss so being in a zoo is actually safer. Also, animals are provided exhibits that are similar to their natural habitats including stimulation that keeps them from being bored. All in all, the Woodland Park Zoo, as we learned, is a leader in zoo design and ethics making it an enjoyable place for both visitors and animals.

Youth Opportunities:

The Woodland Park Zoo offers programs for all ages, but their opportunities for youth are particularly rich. There are a variety of changing summer programs that cover topics including natural history and anatomy. Since the times of these programs change you can find current information on the zoo’s website here.

Relaxing gorilla

ZooCorps: Teens 14+ and in 9^th or 10^th grade can apply to participate in the ZooCorps volunteer program. As the zoo’s description states, youth are provided “a unique opportunity to develop useful job/public speaking skills, increase their knowledge of animals and their habitats, and to expand their conservation awareness, in a collaborative and fun learning environment at the Zoo and beyond.” If you are interested in an in-depth internship-like program at the zoo you can learn more at http://www.zoo.org/page.aspx?pid=1976#.U9KfkfldXT9.

Getting There by Bus (you get a zoo discount for using public transit):

Klondike Gold Rush NHP: 5

Ballard: 44
West Seattle: 21
Capitol Hill: 47 or 49 to 5
Columbia City: 7 or 9 to 218 or 550

Bellevue: 210 or 212 or 554 to 5

Cost:

Bus Fare: Anything from $1.25 to $2.50

Zoo Admission: Under 13 – $11.75, 13 and above - $18.75

- Sarah, SCA intern

Trails & Rails

Early Wednesday morning Claire and I boarded the Coast Starlight line from Seattle’s King Street Station down to Portland, OR. The train ride was around four hours long and we were allowed a two-hour layover in Portland to grab some lunch. After the layover we headed back to Seattle. Our goal was to get idea of what Trails & Rails is about. Trails & Rails is an innovative partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak that provides rail passengers with educational opportunities about the history and geology of the landmarks they are visible on the ride to either Portland or Seattle. The Trails & Rails volunteer park rangers dedicate their entire day to teaching passengers and expressing their passion about the history of the area.

Steve and Bud were the two Trails & Rails rangers that accompanied us on the train on Wednesday. Steve was extremely passionate about the history of the area and he was quite funny as well. Bud seemed very well versed on the subject and he had a soulful voice. This program really fosters an appreciation of the Pacific Northwest’s natural and cultural heritage. It also promotes and informs passengers, especially ones that are not from the area, about National Parks in Washington and Oregon. On Wednesday we learned many interesting facts, especially about Mount St. Helens’ eruption and Auburn, WA and how it used to be called Slaughter, after Lt. William Slaughter, who died in a skirmish in 1855.

The Trails & Rails program operates on an assortment of train lines all over the country with more scheduled to come in the future. In this area Trails & Rails currently only operates on the Coast Starlight line but next year Trails & Rails may be operating on the Empire Builder which goes from Seattle to Havre, Montana. 

~ Sophie, SCA Intern

ORIC - Information Right at REI

Waterfall at the Seattle REI

This week, the interns were lucky enough to be able to spend a whole day at REI shadowing the USFS and NPS employees at the Outdoor Recreation Information Center (ORIC) at REI in downtown Seattle. I've always seen the ranger station at our local REI, but I'd never really thought much of it. I just assumed they sold passes and might be able to hand out pamphlets and such about hiking and camping. I was right, but I completely underestimated what a treasure trove of knowledge the ORIC rangers really are.

Natasha and Sarah holding sockeye salmon after pricing them

People who shop at REI tend to be outdoorsy (obviously), but it turns out that the Seattle REI - being the flagship - also attracts a lot of tourists right from the airplanes who are planning outdoors trips through the USA. A couple showed up from France planning a bike trip down the West Coast. A Polish man showed up seeking out biking directions around Seattle. Some folks showed up planning to climb Mt. Rainier, while others just wanted a suggestion for a hiking trip that's kid friendly around Seattle. No matter what the question was or how knowledgable the customer already was, David and Ed had all the answers. When people asked about burn bans or road closures, they knew exactly where to find the right information, and when people needed to contact specific ranger stations around Washington, David was able to quickly write down the phone number without even having to look it up. 

Claire and Sophie at the Desk

ORIC really is a fantastic resource for any Seattlite wanting to get outside and I highly recommend that people utilize their huge amount of knowledge. However, it is definitely advisable to visit them in person. They will return your phone call when they get a chance, but the sheer volume of visitors means that it might take a while. Also, their vast supply of maps and information are great to see in person. Plus, you get to visit REI, which is sort of like Disney World for those of us that enjoy the outdoors!

Transportation
From Klondike - Bus #s 590, 594, or 595
From Ballard - Bus # 40
From Columbia City - Bus #s 7 or 9
From West Seattle - C line
From the U-District - Bus #70


Cost - $1.25-$2.50 (Bus) or FREE (walking/biking)

Trail Work and Hiking at Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest

Natasha sawing a log.

Early Monday morning we, the interns, piled into cars to drive up to Denny Creek in Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (MSNF). After a groggy shopping stop in North Bend, we arrived at the Franklin Falls trailhead. There we met Marta, a former telephone company employee who after retirement joined the Forest Service and now leads trail work parties. Marta instructed us on how to use a totter (mechanical wheelbarrow) since we were spreading gravel along the trail.  We worked with a Student Conservation Association high school trail crew to fill the totter and buckets with gravel. When the gravel was dumped on the trail we raked it out which was surprisingly tiring. We ate lunch on a rock overlooking the river which only became a problem when a plastic cap fell in. Luckily we were able to save it with some quick maneuvering. After lunch we continued with the gravel work but took turns removing roots from the trail. I find trail work very gratifying since it’s easy to see the progress I’ve made.

We had the opportunity to chat with Erica Keene who is the youth coordinator for the MSNF (she coordinated our visit). She explained that her job is a combination of organizing group visits and helping youth with applications for federal jobs. Her tips for navigating usajobs.gov (the federal employment application site) should prove useful. Apparently federal resumes are quite different than other resumes as they are supposed to rely heavily on detail and narrative.

Fun at Franklin Falls!

In the afternoon, after we finished working on the trail, we hiked up it to Franklin Falls. The trail follows the river up the valley to the falls. Although I-90 is visible from the falls, the view is still quite impressive. The water was very chilly but I still managed to immerse myself. Sitting around our campfire was the highlight of my evening. We cooked hotdogs and foil veggies which were very delicious although I’m not sure if they were actually that good or if I was hungry from our day of work.

Sophie hugging a tree.

The next day we hiked up to Lake Melakwa, the hike that Sophie wrote about a couple of weeks ago. It was a very warm day but we were able to power up the steep talus slopes. We saw some spiral trees which made me remember that
I’d learned that the ratio of right spiraled trees to left spiraled trees is the same as the ratio of right handed people to left handed people. After doing a bit of research on the internet, I’m not entirely convinced of the verity of that fact. Nonetheless it was quite amusing when Natasha queried as to whether left spiraled trees are more creative.

The lake was freezing (or very close to it) but I was warm enough to not care. We ate a late lunch at the lake then headed back down the trail. After a rather uneventful hike down, aside from spotting an interesting blue bug, we reached the trail head and traveled back to Seattle.

- Sarah, SCA intern

Transport - Take I-90 E and get off at Exit 47 - Take NF 5800 to FS 5830 - Turn left onto Asahel Curtis Rd/NF-55 - Turn right onto NF 9034 - Take 1st left onto NF-5800 - Turn left onto FS 5830 - Campsite will be on the left - 45 min-1 hr 


Cost - $20/night for single campsite or $35/night for group site (camping) - Reserve here, Need Northwest Forest Pass for parking at trailhead

Mount St. Helens Underground Wonders

This weekend, I wanted to go camping. However, between my two friends and I, we barely had enough money to fill up a tank of gas and buy some mac-and-cheese. The question was, where could we go that would be beautiful, cheap, AND available last-minute? After much last-minute scrambling for food and supplies, we started driving south with no plan other than to find a good camping spot. After some detours to various state parks where all the campsites were full, we decided to make our way down to Mount St. Helens. On our way into the park, we realized that to go to the official campsites, we had to have a Northwest Forest Pass. At the time, we were pretty unaware that it only cost $5 for the day and that you could pay with a card (none of us had thought ahead and brought cash...).

Solution? We found a service road which wound up one of the slopes next to the mountain. After some rough driving on some old dirt roads, we stumbled on an unbelievable campsite with a perfect view of the mountain and some little trails all around that we could explore. There had been several spots along the road that were clearly used for camping, so we knew we were following the Leave No Trace principles and since we were on National Forest land, it is legal to camp on any previously used campsite. After an evening of exploring the trails around the area and experiencing some awesome views, we settled down with some mac-and-cheese and summer sausage. Like the smart people that we are, we'd only brought one 2-person tent for the three of us, so my friend ended up sleeping in her hammock, which turned out to be a bad idea because it started to rain at about 2 am and she had to move to the car. At least it was a large car!

The front Entrance to the Ape Caves and
one of last natural sources of light you will see

The next morning, we woke up pretty early and packed up camp. We were intent on seeing the Ape Caves which two of us had never visited. We drove down the mountain and since it was early (10 am-ish), we had no trouble finding parking. We sucked up our pride and paid the five dollars for a day pass and started in on the caves. We decided to do them backwards in order to avoid being stuck behind groups of people. This meant that we hiked about 1-2 miles out to the far end of the caves and then came back through the lava tunnel to the parking lot. I highly recommend going this way because not only do you get to hike a lot of it on your own, but when you emerge from the caves, you don't have to hike back at all to your car.

The caves themselves are pretty unbelievable. They are essentially a super long lava tube (2.5 miles) and happen to be the longest lave tube in the continental United States. It's pitch black, so make sure to bring a light source with WORKING BATTERIES. Also, it gets pretty cold down there, so make sure to bring layers. Finally, there is one section that is slightly difficult to climb down, so it's helpful to have other people who can work with you to get everyone down.

As I was leaving the caves, I heard one guy turn to his friend and say "It's pretty crazy this is right in our backyard!"

-Natasha Way, SCA Intern

Transport - Take I-5 South and get off at Exit 22 - Take Old Pacific Hwy towards Cougar to Lewis River Rd - follow signs for Ape Caves

Price - Need Northwest Forest Pass for parking ($5 for day pass - can buy at Ape Caves entrance)

New Calendar Feature! July Calendar!

Hey guys! From now on, In My Backyard will create a calendar of fun events happening in Seattle's museums and parks each month. We will be looking out for cheap or free fun that can be found around the city. Here is our July calendar. Click on the calendar to get a zoomed in version.

JULY

Introducing Sarah!

Stoic mountain pose

Hello everyone! I guess its time to officially introduce myself. I'm Sarah, another of the SCA interns working on the In My Backyard project this summer. Like my fellow interns, I am an outdoor enthusiast. I enjoy quite a range of outdoor sports, everything from cross-country skiing to rockclimbing to kayaking, and I'm always looking for more chances to get outside. The past three summers I have volunteered on SCA high school trail crews in Olympic NP, Palmer AK, and Humboldt Redwoods State Park CA. On top of learning how to build and maintain trails, I had a crash course in professional tree climbing, built a sweat lodge in an island in a river, and baked lots of bread in the backcountry. All in all, my trail crews were tons of fun!

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

Most of the places I have traveled have been stops on family road trips or on other outdoor adventures. However, there are a couple exceptions to that rule. In my sophomore year of high school I traveled to Israel and Palestine to learn about the conflict there. It was an amazing trip that taught me that there is no easy answer to the world's problems. Last summer I spent a month on exchange in Lima, Peru. While I did have some trouble adjusting to the fish heavy diet, I had lots of fun attending Peruvian school and living with my host family. Hopefully I will be able to visit again in the future.

One of my favorite photos

Another of my passions is photography. I love taking super artsy macro shots of plants I find while hiking or funny shots of wildlife. I'm also a big fan of stoic posing on top of mountains.

Next fall I'm heading off to Walla Walla to start my freshman year at Whitman College. I'm thinking about majoring in one of the environmental studies programs but I have yet to officially decide. I'm super excited to experience all that college has to offer.

I hope you enjoy learning about the cool opportunities in Washington as much as I do!

- Sarah, SCA intern

This is Natasha!

Hey there! I'm Natasha, the fourth and final intern here at Klondike Gold Rush NHP. I am a Seattlite at heart although I grew up in upstate NY until I was a teenager. However, Seattle and Washington state are what turned me into the outdoors enthusiast and conservationist I am today. I moved to Seattle and immediately started skiing, hiking, boating, and just getting outside. The mountains blew me away and the access to water seemed unreal.

Currently, I spend most of my year in Montreal, Canada where I go to school at McGill University with a major in the School of Environment and a minor in Anthropology. Although I miss the mountains (and the water!), it's been amazing to take my love of the natural world to new places and see different environments. 

With the handcrew in Colorado

Between my first and second years at McGill, I took a year off to work with an AmeriCorps Team in a program called National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). I did 4 different projects, but 2 stand out as my favorites. I got to build a trail just outside St. Louis, Missouri, learning all about how trails are planned and then built and living in an old visitor's center in the middle of a park. I also got to work on a wildland firefighting handcrew in Colorado, where I learned about wild fires and got to spend my days outside, either fighting fires, or working on fire prevention. During my free time in AmeriCorps, I traveled to other national parks around the Southwest, visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon. 

My favorite things in the world are mountains, especially large mountains. This means, predictably, that Mt. Rainier is my absolute favorite place in Washington State. I've done the Wonderland Trail as well as many other hikes on the mountain. I've also spent some time volunteering with trail crews to improve the trails in and around the Park. 

Near the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

This last winter, I was lucky enough to be able to spend my semester doing a field study in East Africa and traveling around Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, while learning from various professors and conducting research projects in my areas of interest. After the program was over, I set off to fulfill a dream I've had since I was a little girl and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (also known as the roof of Africa!).

I'm now here interning with SCA at the Klondike Gold Rush NHP for the summer, where I hope to improve outreach to urban youth and learn more about the NPS and Washington's National Parks!

- Natasha Way, SCA Intern

Meet Claire!

Hiking in California/ trying to be trendy

Well hello there friends! My name is Claire and I am one of the four SCA interns working on the In My Backyard project. I am going into my junior year at Santa Clara University and I am an Environmental Science major with a physics emphasis and a Theatre minor. I was born and raised in Seattle which probably contributed to my everlasting love of the outdoors. When I was a kid I would frolic through the vast yard of my childhood home. I loved to watch the wind rush through the trees and feel the rain on my skin. However, if you asked my parents if I was an “outdoorsy” kid they would laugh and say no. I really did love being outside, but whenever we went camping some disaster would strike like the time I managed to get a 102 degree fever in the middle of an 8 mile hike or the time I got hypothermia on one of the San Juan Islands when our tent was pitched over what some would call a stream. Despite the plethora of nature disasters that happened to me as a child, my love of the Earth endured. I chose Environmental Science as a major because I knew that I had to do my part to help protect the Earth against the threats of Climate change and even sometimes humans. As for the theater minor, many would attest to my flare for the dramatic. (Fun fact: theater has been equally as disaster filled as some of my outdoor experiences! During the dress rehearsal of Alice and Wonderland on the night before we opened the show, I fell off the tea party table and fractured my tailbone. Had to sit on a weird doughnut cushion for too long after that accident.)  Mark my words: whenever there is a chance to dress up in gold miner uniform at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, I will be dressed up.

My other interests include: reading (Game of Thrones, am I right?), traveling (especially South East Asia, I speak some Thai), kayaking, guitar playing, and long walks on the beach.

I hope you enjoy reading our blog and following our project!

Adventure on the North Fork of the Skokomish Trail

Olympic National Park is composed of a varied set of environs, everything from verdant green rainforests to coastal beaches to jagged mountain peaks. The Staircase area of the park, in the southeastern corner, is one that I am quite familiar with having lived there for a month while working on a trail crew. Perhaps my residence there makes me biased, but I can attest that the Staircase area is one of the most beautiful areas of the park.  The Staircase Ranger Station is only a two hour drive from Seattle, quite reasonable when compared with the five hour journey to the coast. This wilderness is even closer for residents of Olympia. I love the two lane highway that winds along the Puget Sound then into the park, even though I do tend to get a bit carsick on the twister sections. After passing many swimming holes and diving rocks on the shores of Lake Cushman, I am always excited to see the petite Ranger Station at the end of the lake.  Procuring overnight permits only takes a few minutes, then it’s time to put on my hiking boots and make some adjustments to my pack before starting up the trail.

The North Fork of the Skokomish trail parallels the Skokomish River as it tumbles down from melting snowfields. The first nine miles of the trail weave through groves of cedars and fields of ferns. Huckleberries and salmonberries line the trail making perfect snacks for hungry hikers. I hike past a few backcountry campsites and the junction to Flapjack Lakes and Black and White Lake. Flapjack Lakes is one of the most popular spots in the park for good reason with two emerald green mountain lakes separated only by a thin strip of land. In the past, I’ve backpacked a loop, climbing up the steep trail to Black and White Lakes then crossing over to Flapjack Lakes, but this trip I head straight, continuing up the North Fork trail.

Seven miles in, I set up camp at Camp Pleasant which is true to its name. Its location on the bank of the river is perfect for cooling down after a hot hike. The only downside to its proximity to water is that there is an abundance of mosquitoes but they are bearable. After a good night’s rest, I’m up and moving again, ready to gain 3000 feet in elevation up to First Divide. For this stretch of the journey I only carry a daypack since I will be spending another night at Camp Pleasant. A relatively flat two miles provide the necessary warm-up before steep switch backs that start past Nine-Stream Camp. Though the elevation gain gets me breathing, it is worth it once I reach the wildflower meadows in the subalpine zone. I see a rainbow of colors: red Indian paintbrushes, orange tiger lilies, yellow daisies, indigo lupines, and purple asters. As if this were not enough, I am greeted by views of rugged peaks and sharp ridgelines, their grey sides coated with swaths of green. The panorama is completed when I reach First Divide, the pass between the Skokomish valley to the east and the Duckabush valley to the west.

I soak in the views as I eat a late lunch and catch my breath but I am propelled back into action with the appearance of grey storm clouds on the horizon. The hike back to camp is much faster on the way down although I start to notice the sunburn I’ve been developing. Finally, exhausted, I reach my tent and happily consume dinner. The hike out the next day is uneventful, although the scenery is just as spectacular the second time.

I highly recommend this hike to anyone who has a love for wildflowers, huckleberries, mountains, or being outside in general. Even though I did not see any wildlife on this trip, in the past I’ve seen grouses, bears, and elk along the trail. If you’re looking for an adventure, hike the North Fork of the Skokomish!

- Sarah, SCA intern

Burke Museum: Not Jurassic Park, but Close Enough

THE EXPERIENCE:

This Wednesday, we, the group of SCA interns, made our way to the Burke Museum. Located in the bustling University district, the Burke Museum is a treat to visit. As we entered the museum we were greeted by our tour guide, Michael. Michael is post undergrad and a volunteer in the museums docent program. Michael, the former zoology major, told us that he never considered education as a life path until he became a volunteer at the Burke Museum. Though it was Michael’s first guided tour, he did an excellent job keeping us involved by asking us questions about what we thought certain artifacts were.

Giant sloth fossils from the ice age

 In 2017, the Burke Museum will be moving into a new building. Because of this change of location, the museum has begun to experiment. The Burke wants to change some of the ways the artifacts are displayed. In many museums, including the Burke, only 2% of the museums’ collections are actually displayed to the public. The Burke Museum has decided that their exhibits should show more of the artifacts, therefore they have designed a new way of displaying the artifacts so that more are shown. Cassandra, the Burke’s Docent Programs Manager, phrased this experimental display wonderfully. She stated that “In a digital world where everyone is on their cellphone, people are starved for real things.” If you find yourself at the Burke Museum in the future, you will indeed get to experience these real things, in their new exhibits located right by the front door. The older exhibits are also very cool. When walking through the museum look forward to seeing the only real dinosaur bones displayed for the public in Seattle, various interactive walls to post your questions and opinions on, and various researchers working on their projects for the public to see and inquire about. Fun fact: apparently during the ice age, giant sloths roamed North America and you can see their bones at the Burke Museum! We all, honestly, had a blast wandering through the various exhibits. Cassandra mentioned that the museum’s strength was objects and after spending hours exploring numerous artifacts, it is clear that is true.

Seattle's first coffee mug

After our tour of the museum (thanks again Michael!), we sat down with Cassandra the docent program manager. Cassandra is a University of Washington alumna and former fisheries major. She got her start at the Burke Museum creating various programs, many about salmon. After working for a few other museums, she recently returned to the Burke to train, recruit and retain all docent volunteers. She mentioned that there weren’t many programs for high school and middle school aged students, but that is something that the new Burke Museum hopes to experiment with in the future. However, there were some programs she was able to tell us about.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND FUN PROGRAMS:

·       Many of the Burke Museum hires are for UW students. If you are a UW student, look into becoming a docent volunteer or work to create programs for the Burke. Cassandra mentioned that her UW student employees, “can do anything and they do everything.”

·       INTERNSHIP!- every year Cassandra hires at least one intern to help her at the museum. It is an unpaid position, but would look great on a resume. To acquire this position, the high school candidate must be driven and independent. If you want this position you must contact Cassandra yourself, don’t let your parents do it for you.

·       Summer camps - there aren’t too many summer camps for high school students, but middle school students can rejoice. One camp all of us interns were interested in was a Girls in Science summer camp for middle school girls. It looks incredibly fun.

·       Free First Thursday - the Burke participates in the free first Thursday program like many other museums in Seattle. The first Thursday of every month is free. On this day, the Burke normally does something more exciting, such as allowing guest to touch actual dinosaur bones. These days are often more hands-on.

·       Family Days - These days are super cool for all age groups. On these themed days there will be activities throughout the exhibits. On September 21^st, there is a Bug Blast day were not everything is dead…Also on October 18^th there is a Birds at the Burke day where museum goers will get to see how the birds on display are prepared. Fabulous quote from Cassandra about this day, “Birds don’t have a lot of guts so it’s not too gross.” This day certainly sounds fascinating to me.

Scientist in the museum sorting krill and fish eggs.

To conclude, the Burke Museum is a lot of fun to visit and their new era of experimentation will be particularly fascinating to keep an eye out for. I asked Cassandra if she wanted our readers to know anything special about the Burke. She said that the museum was special because it was created by a group of students (many were sons of the founders of Seattle,) The museum was not just created by a boring old guy, it was created by the youth of Seattle.  





After museum fun: the University District, while mildly questionable during the evening, can still be a fabulous lunch spot. After wandering around the Burke Museum, there are plenty of delicious places to eat. Our intern group went for Pho at Than Brother's Pho. The pho was amazing and they give you free cream puff treats! (Pro tip from Claire: I actually worked in the U district a couple of years ago and one of my favorite things to do was to try out new food places at lunch. The variety of different kinds of food is spectacular. Every food genre from sandwiches to Ethiopian is represented. Go forth and eat!)

Transportation
From Klondike - Bus #s 71, 72, 73, 74
From Ballard - Bus # 44
From Columbia City - Light Rail to Bus #s 71, 72, 73, 74 OR Bus #7 to Bus #48
From West Seattle - C Line to Bus #s 71, 72, 73, 74

Cost
$1.25-$2.50 (bus), $10 admission or $7.50 for students (with ID) OR free every first Thursday!

Meet Sophie!

           Hey guys, I thought it was about time to introduce myself! I’m Sophie, one of four SCA (Student Conservation Association) interns doing outreach this summer at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park! I’m a born and raised Seattleite but I will be returning to school in the fall for my junior year at UCLA. At UCLA I'm a member of the Hiking Club and Student Wellness Commission's Health, Nutrition and Fitness Committee. Ever since I was a kid I’ve had a passion for the outdoors. My family and I have a tradition of going hiking together every summer. In college I go hiking almost every weekend with the Hiking Club at UCLA. During my junior year in high school I took my love of the outdoors to the next level by working with a Northwest Youth Corps back-country trail crew for five weeks in the Cascades. That meant five weeks of solely a diet of beans and rice and only one opportunity to shower. At the end of the trip we were rewarded with a steak dinner and copious amounts of ice cream. I don't think I've ever been happier.

Bumping Lake

            During my time with Northwest Youth Corps I was able to help build a bridge and a series of turnpikes. I loved being able work on technical projects. We spent two weeks in Glacier Peak Wilderness on the trail to Little Giant Pass and three weeks at Bumping Lake which is east of Mount Rainier in Yakima County. Both areas were incredibly beautiful and swimming in Bumping Lake was my activity after a long day of trail work.

            Fortunately in college I’ve also been able to pursue my interest in conservation and I am majoring in Geography & Environmental Studies and minoring in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & Technologies. I hope to continue my education at graduate school after I finish undergrad at UCLA.