Sierra Outdoor School

                         Flower Flower Give Me Your Nectar Ahh yes!  For many of us the winter months are a time for flu shots and watching movies.  Then the birds start singing their lilting tunes and the days become a little warmer and longer.   Creatures of the forest begin to emerge from their winter hiding spots and previously dormant plants wake up.  Humans wake, stretch and bask in the spring sunshine, and maybe, just maybe, catch a glimpse of the first flower of the year.  And Oh My! That little firework of color swimming amidst a sea of brown leaves always makes us so happy!  So, with spring in mind, let us talk about flowers!                       The  Dodecatheon jeffreyi  or sierra shooting star  Photo: sierrawildflowers.org Little Sierra Shooting Star, why are you so pretty?  The qu...

GOLD LEAF MINE (MINERS CABIN) "Is it haunted...?" The Miners Cabin at Sierra Outdoor School (SOS) is known as the  Gold Leaf Mine . The mine was founded in the 1890's by two brothers from Modesto, CA. The brothers believed that gold was coming out by means of a spring and began mining into the hillside. They ran the mine until the 1940's when during WWII all pit mining was shut down. After WWII the Forest Service took over the land. The brothers went to court for the mine, but were unsuccessful in reacquiring the land.   The cabin sits on a rock pier foundation with sill (horizontal timber) and wire nails. It measures approximately 19'3"x 28'1/2 with front and back porches. The cabin is basically in good shape except for the floors which have been deteriorating these past years. The doors, with original key locks, came from a Hotel in Columbia. The cabin was fitted with electricity, heating, and insulation when SOS (formerly Regional Learning ...