So, lots of field trips this sememster. The first was Friday. We went to Little Valley, a valley between Lake Tahoe and Washoe lake

Did some hillclimbing...




and found out just how out of shape I am.
We have to memorize and identify a number of plants (both common and scientific names) for the class. One that should be easy for me to remember is Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana. Contorted is how I felt after the trip. I wonder if the tree moaned like I did Saturday. Actually the walk wasn't that bad. It looks worse than it was. And it put things into context. A certain plant in a certain place. Why it grows there. The reasons it is one place and not another.
It's a good thing I wasn't driving. I'm the guy in the back yelling "Slower traffic keep right! C'mon let's move!"