Edison Lake
Sierra National Forest
(7/15/ - 7/18/04) Page Three

Tonia knows how to get the most out of leftovers; truly, this woman does amazing things with food in the backcountry. She makes special salads from home, enough to feed 100 people, and makes homemade salsa, etc. Not only that, she is a gifted trout fisherwoman... We are truly spoiled... Anyway, this particular morning, we were facing a giant excess of rice pilaf from the previous night's dinner. So, Tonia went freestyle and dumped raw scrambled egg, sausage, bacon, onions, and then fried it similar to hash-browned potatoes, and served it up. There wasn't a speck left when the dust cleared. Two thumbs up; WAY up!

Frying the Rice Pilaf Breakfast Surprise to a perfect golden brown.

Linda Beaudreau, longtime volunteer and active member of her church. Refuses to ever spend the night Saturday night lest she miss her duties in Sunday morning activities at her church. Spends winters as a member of the Volunteer Ski Patrol at Sierra Summit and hangs out with us in summer. Trying in vain to get me to not take her picture.

Susan picking the brain of Mike Nolen about places to hike in the Sierra. Mike is the guy who's brain it's worth picking; there isn't a trail he hasn't hiked anywhere in the Sierras between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Mike (L) and Dave waiting patiently for Sunday morning breakfast.

Shane responds to questions from a reporter from the Riverside newspaper who was with us planning an article on our group.

Teenagers playing cards waiting for the dinner bell.

Duane chips a wedge out of a log as Mike looks on .

Crew leader Barbara Wingfield is sitting down on the job....

To remove a tree that is hanging suspended over the trail, first cut a wedge out of the top to relieve the pressure, then Steve and Manuel are underbucking or cutting from the bottom up to finish the job....

Here is Abby, creating some artistry before smoothing on a coat of paint on the end of a bear box....

Marty cooking the breakfast sausage Sunday morning.

Shane supervises loading of the truck as we pack up for home on Sunday. The two half-barrels are the barbecue.

Mike Nolen picking up the backpack crew at Bear Diversion trailhead.

The signage crew using a water bottle as a "level" on the installed sign.

The Forest Service one-ton backed up to the end of the road at Onion Springs trailhead to install the sign across the little stream.

Kris Hawkins, a long time volunteer savors dinner and considers dessert; ice cream topped with a peach mixed-with-brown-sugar-and-cinnamon sauce... It was amazing!

Looking for just the right piece of chicken...

Shane handing out t-shirts