My first service trip with Sierra Club

Service trip volunteers get a behind-the-scenes look at our national parks. Pat Kramer worked with a team in Yosemite National Park. Photo credit: Carla Gilbert

In August, I completed my first Sierra Club Service Trip, where I spent seven wonderful days at Yosemite National Park working on restoration projects. The trip was an eye opener for me in many ways: I learned a great deal about my capacity to serve on a work team, I came face to face with my limited stamina, and I got reacquainted with an old rotator cuff injury. On the other hand, I enjoyed living and sharing meals with 15 Sierra Club members who were more experienced than me, and, best of all, gained access to the behind the scenes workings of Yosemite, one of our best loved and most visited national parks.

For six nights, I camped at a pristine campground shaded by 50-foot yellow pines alongside the cool and clear Merced River. The view was like nowhere I have ever been, with the towering monoliths of Sentinel Peak and El Capitan on either side of us. When we weren’t working, I was gazing at or swimming in the mountain-fed river. I also took walks to the various scenic points in the park including Lower Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Village.

Sleeping in a tent was not new to me, but admittedly, it had been a few years since I had camped for more than two nights in the open air. What I discovered was that I don’t sleep well in the great outdoors. I heard every twig that snapped, every snore that was uttered, and every zipper that was opened on a nearby tent. This was probably due to my fear of bears making an appearance — or it could have been my general hyper vigilant state.

The work

The team shovels duff on a restoration project. Photo credit: Doug Pilcher

For four days of service work, we started each day at 9 a.m. and worked until 3 p.m. duffing and fluffing, weeding and seeding, and shoveling and breaking up hard dirt surfaces for new plants to be set in the ground. Each day started with a visit from Park Service personnel who instructed us on our mission for the day. This included a background explanation of what the park was trying to accomplish, whether it was for recreating a wetlands environment for birds and water mammals, removing invasive plants from the meadows, collecting seeds from native plants for replanting, or removing duff (mulch) from a Native American historical site.

Each task was within our capability, and we had plenty of time for rest and water breaks when they were needed. On the first day of service, we got to meet Bill, a Miwok/Paiute elder who oversees the sweat lodge at Camp 4, the site where his ancestors lived and where he grew up. He told us about the old days and what it was like living in Yosemite for four seasons and how his grandmother made traditional baskets that were sold there. 

The play

This trip, well organized by our outgoing and always cheery group leader Charlie, gave me a day off in the middle of the week. That allowed time to explore the many trails that intersect the park. On my day off I chose to hike to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point off Glacier Point Road. Joining me was a perky and energetic 79-year old woman and another who was 72. Both were in great shape and were excellent companions for the hikes.

We started the hike to the 8,127-foot Sentinel Dome first, which was just 1.2 miles from the parking lot off Glacier Point Road. The weather was beautiful although smoke from the two active fires there obscured some of the views. From the top of the polished granite dome, I was able to see Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, which were flowing dramatically in full force. There were also astounding panoramic views of the monoliths in Yosemite Valley,  El Capitan and a side shot of Half Dome, the most recognized and photographed mountain in the park.

From Sentinel Dome, it was another 1.2 miles to Taft Point which ended at Inspiration Point, a sheer cliff that dropped about 1,000 feet to the valley below. Taft Point is at 7,100 feet in elevation (as compared to the 4,000-foot Yosemite Valley floor). While we were there, we saw a group of young men who were straddling a thick cord tied to two points, about 40 feet apart, above the abyss. As we watched, one of them slipped and hung upside down by his hands while suspended in his harness. It was a frightening sight and one that I didn’t wish to watch for long.

Both hikes offered wide views of dramatic scenery and a good workout with all the ups and downs on the trails.

The camp routine

Yosemite's remarkable landscape. Photo credit: Carla Gilbert

Back at our campsite, we enjoyed freshly-made meals by our excellent cook, Laurel, who prepared three meals daily for each of our days there. I can tell you from my own experience, no one left hungry and each meal was nutritious and healthy. As each of us enjoyed our meals, we also got a chance to help assist in their preparation and in the cleanup that followed, overseen by our “sanitation engineer” group trainee, Doug.

At night, we sat around a roaring campfire and listened to informative presentations on the history of Yosemite by the acting supervisor of the park, who explained the park’s policies and various environmental concerns. We learned about photographer Ansel Adams and how he helped put Yosemite on the map. And we heard a proposal by one of our group members to create an integrated hut-to-hut system for America, similar to what they have in Europe and Scandinavia. We also got schooled, by our group leader, on Sierra Club policies, procedures, facts and figures, as it related to Yosemite.

After a long day of working outdoors, I loved swimming in that cool river and gazing up at the stars at night. But what I will most remember are the meaningful conversations I had with my fellow Sierra Club members, who each brought with them experience in being a part of Service Trips. On this trip, I got to give back and to be involved – not just as a “taker” but as a “giver.” It was a new role for me and one that I hope to repeat again as I help spread the word of “leave no trace behind.”

Pat Kramer is a member of the Management Committee for the Chapter's Crescenta Valley Group.