07 October, 2016 (Kolin O'Keefe)

Woke up at 0300 this morning to the sound of my alarm, waiting to see if we were going to go to Lamar Valley as this would be my first chance to see wolves in the wild. However, the “Call of the Wild” this morning was to sleep in some, so I wasn’t “barking” about it to terribly much. Got up later around 0700 for chow and heard that we will be getting to see more hot springs and geysers along with other hydro thermal activity. I was excited to hear this because I love this landscape here and it never seems to get dull. Our first hike turned out to be a nice little adventure with a grand waterfall at the end. It was a bit longer than anticipated, but fun nonetheless. We also got to experience the Yellowstone Grand Canyon which was quite a sight to behold. The visitor center we hit up did not disappoint either. It was incredibly interactive with the high quality exhibits that allowed you to pull drawers and push buttons to your hearts content. I think my favorite part was the upstairs exhibit that laid out the history of the park in a very artistic fashion. I got to learn a little bit about the first official government expedition lead there. Thomas Morane, the artist, and William Jackson, the photographer, interpreted the park in ways that drove passion that so many share in the park today. The artwork was incredible and only made me fall more in love with this place. I got to pick up another sticker at the visitor center shop and then we were off onto other adventures. Before supper, I got the chance to go down to the river near the camp with Cody, Emily, and Liv. We all got to see a ½ dozen fly fishermen fishing the river. All I could think about was putting on my waders and joining them. I also observed a young bull elk sitting in between all of the fishermen. Where else in the world will you be able to see that? Came back to write in my academic journal before supper and got a surprise visit from a furry four legged friend. A least chipmunk (ground squirrel) kept scurrying up to the log where I was sitting at, took a moment to visit, and then darted in another direction to explore more. Counted three times he came up next to me and sat by the log for a couple seconds each visit. It’s the little things in life. Debrief went smooth tonight and it was an overall good day. Time for some shut eye.