The Heads on Fire Community

Today we went on a hike at Mission Trails Regional Park to map the area.  We were given a tour of the Mission Trails Visitor Center. The ranger at the center showed us a map of the regional park and its surroundings. He informed us about the endangered species and the wildlife that habitats in the park. He warned us about how to behave when sighting animals such as rattlesnakes, bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. Before we started our hike, we assigned people to take pictures and geo-tag locations, plot waypoints, and title the locations of pictures and time stamp the waypoints. We saw many beautiful locations. We saw the San Diego River and Grinding Rocks. The grinding rocks were used to grind materials for food; much like a blender today. We also saw a chair made out of stone. As we progressed, we saw the Old Mountain Dam. It was beautiful. The dam was made out of stones and had a small area for the water to flow through. As we approached the water, we saw the various types of fish that populated the waters. We then traveled to the grasslands; however, the grass wasn't so green (haha). The day was very humid and hot. The conditions made the hike a little more difficult. However, we stayed hydrated by drinking lots of water. Even though the water heated quickly, it was still necessary to stay hydrated. We found rest stops on the way with shade and observed some rock climbers on the way. When we reached the Grasslands Crossing we saw a variety of different objects in and beside the water below the bridge. In the water, we saw an orange and a basket. We also saw mating dragonflies and and a black frog. After we observed this, we started to head back to the Mission Trails Visitor Center. When we arrived we did not sit on the the seating available; we collapsed (haha). We were all so glad to be back inside an air conditioned area. We then went into the classroom and transferred the data onto the three computers that we brought with us from the Fab Lab. While the data was being transferred, we decided to play 'Mafia' to pass the time. Overall, we had a good time learning and observing the Mission Trails Regional Park. It was a great experience.