Our Wonderful 

2007 Trips

Nov. 17

Cosumnes River Preserve

Bugs and birds were the stars as 11 boys and girls from St. John's Shelter visited Cosumnes River Preserve. With binoculars (generously lent by the Audubon Society) and a scope, the kids saw (as well as heard) the endangered sandhill cranes and plenty of other waterfowl. While on a walk out the wooden walkways, they also encountered a fascinating praying mantis. After lunch, everyone enjoyed some spirited games, including Knots.

    Oct. 27    William Pond

Planting, playing, hiking and picnicking were all on the agenda for a group of 12 budding arborists from St. John’s Shelter when this group of 6-13-year-olds participated in an REI service trip at William Pond on the American River Parkway. Learning about the value of riparian forests, carrying dirt and water, building protective cages and placing cottonwood saplings and acorns in freshly dug holes were all part of the morning’s activities. A barbeque lunch provided by REI and a hike along the river in Goethe Park were the rewards for their labor. The group returned to the shelter tired, dirty and happy. A successful outing!

Sept. 8-9, 2007        Clair Tappaan Lodge            

By Tucker of Today’s Youth Matter

The 10 kids erupted onto the scene at Clair Tappaan Lodge and after sprinting up the long dirt path to the main entrance they were all gasping for air.  

“Why I can’t breathe up here?” says Jasmine with a fleeting tone of irritation.  

But as all kids do, they quickly adapted and the thin air at 7,000 feet was not getting in the way of their exploring the great old building and its many caverns.

The staff at CTL was exceptional and made us feel so at home.  They even made the chores fun when they explained about the working lodge.  

Reonna, age 13, was the first to ask “Oohh, can I do the dishes?” The five boys loved setting the tables for meals as well.  While there were other guests there that weekend, it was simply “the kids” who were taking on many of the cooking chores, on their fruition.  

The hikes were spectacular.  Our guide Aaron was so wonderful fielding questions and keeping the hikes both fun and interesting.  Saturday the group hiked just over six miles!  We explored and walked through the original hand-built railroad tunnel at Donner Summit, we saw the petroglyphs and learned about the differences among Ponderosa, Jeffrey and Sugar Pine trees.   We discovered (with Aaron’s help) the catfish pond that was stocked by the Chinese railroad workers.   

The last mile of the hike Saturday was downhill but you couldn’t tell by the sluggish complaints and tired sighs.  Isaiah was the youngest of the group at 7.  A series of hard-earned piggyback rides and lots of encouragement helped him get back.  Six miles was a great accomplishment for all the kids. And of course after a quick shower, all the kids were in the back yard at Clair Tappaan playing tag, volleyball, croquet and tetherball with plenty of energy.  

Sunday afternoon on the drive back there was scarcely a wakeful eye in my van full of kids.  When they awoke and parents and foster parents were picking them up, the stories were being told with zeal and excitement.  

Most of the kids asked “Can we go again next weekend?”  The weekend was a huge success for many reasons. Primarily because the kids experienced a trip they will, I believe, never forget.

Aug. 25-26, 2007

Lake Tahoe Campout

Twelve children from St. John's Shelter enjoyed a warm and beautiful camping weekend at Lake Tahoe, complete with an exciting bear siting. We visited the U.S. Forest Service's fun Taylor Creek Visitor Center, with its stream profile hike. We camped at D.L. Bliss State Park, where the kids loved playing in the sand and splashing in the chilly lake. Dinner included the obligatory s'mores. A brief hike to Balancing Rock completed the adventure.

July 17-21, 2007

Backpack at Grouse Ridge

Ten teen girls, most of whom had not backpacked before, experienced the beauty of the mountains and lakes, the variety of the mountain weather and the agony of hills. This trip was cosponsored by Today's Youth Matter. We camped at Round Lake, Glacier Lake, one of the Five Lakes (with an awesome jumping rock) and the trailhead. Highlights included playing in a snow patch amid the rocks and climbing Black Butte.

July 12, 2007

American River Parkway Bike Ride

On a nice, cool morning, we took eight boys and girls from St. John's Shelter for a spin along the American River Parkway. We started at Guy West Bridge and headed to the Watt Avenue Bridge, where we saw a river otter and took a close look at the river. After a little dirt track riding, we returned to Alumni Grove for a picnic lunch.       

Boys from the OK Program helped clean up some old barn and ranch debris, including barbed wire,  and then enjoyed lunch and a short hike to view the rolling hills, oaks and some raptors and other birds.. 

The plan originally was to take 11 kids from St. John’s Shelter for a wildflower hike at Deer Creek Hills. However, a rainy day would have been a poor first hike for children, so we turned instead to a John Muir-themed family day at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. The kids enjoyed leave-no-trace training, an animal identification game and gifts from REI. They heard environmental-themed folk songs and jokes from the Sierra Club’s Mr. Habitat. And they learned how to paint a waterfall watercolor using recycled things such as sticks and old credit card pieces. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, sometimes you must be resourceful and save the day for the children!