Shift 1: Welcome to SoCal; here’s your mountain and an ATV

The first day on any job is always a bit crazy, and this was certainly no exception. After a whirlwind of forms, informational packets, names to memorize, and field equipment, I was given the honor of driving to the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge. Let me tell you, if you’ve never driven an overloaded Chevy Tahoe up a winding one-lane dirt mountain road, you’re missing out. Rumor has it that there are oil trucks which also make the same trip, though I can’t understand how such a thing is possible. Nevertheless, I eventually made it down to the ranch and met some of my fellow interns. My first interaction with them involved their planning on how to rid my trailer housing of a nest of starlings, and a short discussion on rattlesnake sightings in the immediate vicinity. ‘Nuff said.

Advertisement