My name is Angela, and I'll be your tour guide today

Our newest intern, Marian, hadn't been to Hopper yet. I got a call early this morning asking if, after I'd done flight pen observations and checked to see if there were any fires on the refuge, I could drive down to Fillmore to meet her that afternoon and caravan up the mountain with her. It seems like just yesterday I was trailing behind Geoff's SUV in the dark, crawling up and up and up the mountain, the road obscured by the dust the car kicked up. Now that's me, driving ahead, without so much as a second thought--each turnoff familiar. I pointed out the landmarks--Green Tanks, Silver Tanks, CROP--over the radio. Essentially, I got to play tour guide. It was fun.