05 October, 2016 (Liv Smith)

Today started on a lovely note with me getting to sleep in till 8:30 am. Breakfast was served with hash browns, sausage, bread, green peppers, onions, hamburger meat, and probably the kitchen sink. There were a few weird looks at the dish, but was devoured none the less. After moving our campsite to the F loop, we began our day with a short drive to Roaring Mountain through the snow covered peaks. It’s almost upsetting to think a picture will never do this beauty justice. We received a lesson from Nick on fumaroles, who had one of the best backdrops I’ve seen yet. It’s all in the presentation! While traveling back, we stopped at the Norris Geyser Basin overlook to hear Tyler’s outdoor education topic on the lodge pole pine tree. Once the presentation was finished, a snowball was thrown by Jeff at Tyler for using wrong terminology on “tree breeding.” I now fear giving my presentation here in snowy Yellowstone. Again we stopped at the lower basin to see a scenic view of the land. We were taken aback by the amazing geysers and the cool colors made by the bacteria. Many of us took pictures of the sites, while others started a snowball fight. Even though temperatures are low, it’s nice to see that spirits have remained high here in the mountains. When we got back to the Madison grounds we quickly set up camp and went straight into lessons. After not having lessons for so long, the time seemed to drag on and on, but then it was dinner time! Tyler made yet another strange mash up of food, which a few people seemed to turn their noses up at. I actually liked the pinapple-ie chicken. Warm bellies mean warm people. We then went into feedback and then debrief which mostly revolved around our NOLS visit yesterday. The snow is now falling gently around my tent and glittering around my headlamp light. For someone who normally hates the cold and snow, I’m having a hard time seeing it as anything but beautiful.