7/8/18 Sunday

               Throughout the night I did not get that very good sleep. It was freezing during the night and I kept waking up. I woke up at 5:30am to get ready for a group hike up potato hill at 6:30am. When I went out of my camping tent, it was very cold and frozen. I was thankful that it was freezing because there were no mosquitoes in sight but that happiness did not last long as at 6:30 as the sun was rising the mosquitoes showed up again. We then proceeded to the hiking trail and to be honest that hike was difficult for me because it has been almost three months since I have not worked out properly and my condition was not at its best. What was most difficult of that hike was the terrain because the trail had very loose dirt and I would slide a lot. But I made it to the top and when I got there our leader Jake up started to sing a tribal song that felt very majestic. I had never heard a song from any of the Native Americans around the valley. He explained how that the meant that the creator makes the light but we also have the ability to make light, in other words, to make good in life. At the very top of the mountain, there was a very beautiful sight of Mt. Adams and there was a very delightful breeze that felt so good. Jake up then showed us where white swan was located at and Toppenish by using the environment of Mt. Adams. We then hike down the hill and all I can say is that it was crazy. All of the guys were sliding down the hill including myself as if we were on snow, that part has got to be the nicest of this trip so far it was so fun and memorable. 

               At 12:30 pm we headed towards camp chaparral to shower off all that dirt and insect repellant. I then had the opportunity to have met Dough Oley a forester for the Yakima Nation. He took us on a wonderful tour around the camp and demonstrated to us how trees were being affected by a plant known as dwarf mistletoe. Such a plant eats away the nutrients from the trees and dries them till they fall apart. To me that was the most interesting information that I learned that day. I always wonder how trees got to that stage and it was so wonderful to hear it coming from an expert.  What made my day was how he gave us permission to change the location of the camp that had fewer mosquitoes. In my opinion that change could not come at a better time because truthfully, I was not having a pleasant time dealing with the mosquitoes.