06 October, 2016 (Cody Hardy)

Today is a day I could never forget because 19 years ago I was blessed with both the best and worst gift a big brother could ask for, and that is a little brother. Today I had the opportunity to call him and tell him happy birthday which meant a lot to me, and I’m sure him too, because we are pretty close. I have not seen him since he left for basic training in May, I am very proud of the man he is becoming and it meant a lot to hear that he has been doing fine and graduates at the end of this month. With that being said, today will also be unforgettable for me because I will never forget the view we had today. As we hiked the trail at Biscuit Basin to the overview and to Mystic Fall in the snow, it was absolutely beautiful. No matter how much someone might hate the snow or the cold, if they could have experienced what we did today, they might change their minds a little. After our hike we moved onto another small hike to view Fountain Paint Pots where we were able to learn more about the geothermal activity here at Yellowstone and how there are several different ways in which gasses and pressure are being released from below the Earth’s surface. We then headed back to camp which took a little longer become some bison were blocking the road. It is amazing to see all of the wildlife in the area and how they don’t seem to care one bit about all of the human activity. After a short stop at camp we headed to West Yellowstone where people had the opportunity to go out to eat, get groceries, and even buy gifts for family and friends back home. The people around town where super helpful and friendly. It just goes to show that there are still good people in the world today. Once we got back to camp debrief took place. It was a long one as usual, but another lesson was learned about improving our skills. I can only hope that we all do our best to make those appropriate improvements. 

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.

04 October, 2016 (Nick Walberg)

After quickly rescheduling, the group gets to have the honor of touring NOLS with Kevin. We got up early to get everything ready for our day with the National Outdoor Leadership School. Kevin is one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met, sorry Mariah. His energy turned a cold and wet morning into an exciting day at the NOLS Rocky Mountain campus. We found out that NOLS is currently undergoing a re-branding and is in fact only an acronym. We got the chance to tour the map room, rations room, and equipment storage room. We didn’t get the chance to tour the administrative buildings because the board is coming into town soon to discuss the companies re-branding. Our time with Kevin ended with a question and answer section. After our tour we got the chance to shop the NOLS store as well as Wild Iris down the road. Several members of the group were able to get the sleeping bags they needed to keep warm as the weather is expected to get worse. At Wild Iris I was lucky enough to find a solar Halloween lantern that is bright enough to read in the entire tent. Liv got a similar lantern and the plan is to put them on color strobe mode to party on Halloween. While in Lander we found out that the weather was holding out and we needed to move out to Yellowstone. Jeff drove through the beginnings of a snow storm near the south entrance to get us to the park around sunset. Seeing Yellowstone in the winter is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen, and I have been dreaming of this day for years. I am finishing this journal up under the last moments of the solar lantern slowly dying from a discharged battery.

03 October, 2016 (Alex Olson)

After a long day and a late night of discussing alternative options of what today would be, we set our sights on Lander, Wyoming for the night.  With weather coming in as we were tearing down camp, we made short work of our daily chores so we could stay as dry as possible.  As we hit the road towards our destination I would soon become the only person awake besides Jeff and Ryan.  If only I had a camera I could be the photographer of the official “people sleeping in a van” album starring our lovely ECOEE members.  I admire some people’s ability to fall asleep in the most awkward and uncomfortable positions imaginable.  Like how can your neck still be in tact after sitting in a position like that for an extended period of time?!  I’m guessing that drivers passing us on the road just think we have a van full of life sized bobble heads as they go by.  As we were along our route today we stopped in Casper, Wyoming to go to yet another Walmart.  I’m still wondering if we realize that there are more grocery stores in the world than just Walmart.  We were greeted coming into town with 60 mph wind gusts according to the National Weather Advisory for the area.  Needless to say, we had a few things blowing away including my own hat I was wearing which the wind caught twice before I finally decided it wasn’t worth the hassle so I put it away. After groceries and a short break for lunch, we continued on to eventually get to Lander.  We went downtown to take a look at where NOLS all started and where it still stands today.  Tomorrow we will get the chance to see for ourselves what it is like to run programs such as they do.  Our coldest night so far awaits us but I can’t imagine being anywhere else!

02 October, 2016 (Joel Davis)

Well, it’s a day late, but better late than never. I started this day off with high hopes and a list of all the stuff that I needed to get done. We started the day with cinnamon rolls and eggs with sausage. It wasn’t until I started eating that I realized just how long it had been since I had cinnamon rolls, way too long. Feeling full and ready to conquer my list of chores for the day, I dove straight in with my LOW team to finish typing up our plan for the rest of the week. This took a bit longer that expected as we decided to shuffle some things around as we finished it up. Before we knew it, it was lunch time. Lunch was simple with yogurt, fruit, and granola that everyone could mix to their hearts content. After lunch the LOW team sat down to discuss our plan for the week with Jeff and Ryan. They pointed out that we had over looked one very important aspect, the weather. After having gone over what the weather was predicted to look like with them, they left us alone to rework our plan for the week. Knowing how important Yellowstone was to everyone, both academically and personally, we decided to see how we could work around the weather and still stay in Yellowstone. Just before dinner we presented our new plan to Jeff and he informed us that the weather would make staying in Yellowstone all week miserable, to say the least. We all met up for dinner just in time to have to scramble to try and prepare for the rain that was coming in to late. With the rain we had our second thunderstorm of the trip. They seem to know just when to come around in order to disrupt out meals. After the storm passed we all for out of the van to try to clean up camp and finish our talk we were having in the van about how the weather was going to affect out week. Jeff took this time to inform us that we were in no way prepared to handle a week in the freezing temperatures and snow. After this it was back to bring up formerly decided against ideas for the LOW team. What a day! After finally having come up with a plan that we think is best for the group it was time to move onto my personal chores. First and foremost on the list laundry, after all you never know when the next time you’ll get to do some is. I got most of my homework done while my laundry ran, the rest I should be able to get done in the van tomorrow. For now, I do believe that my pillow is calling my name.

01 October, 2016 (Nick Walberg)

And so it begins, another week as leader of the week and another trip to Yellowstone. Today we moved from our unexpected campsite we found yesterday after attending to our business. The morning started off with meeting with Jeff and Ryan starting with the new LOW's and then then Jeff and Ryan met with the old LOW's. Surprisingly, Jeff and Ryan ran LOW feedback this week in place of Joel and me. We all got the chance to see how a well facilitated feedback session should go. After not getting to visit the cave on Friday, the new LOW's decided to schedule the cave hike today so that the Group would get the chance to experience a cave after driving out of our way to the cave. The cave followed what seemed like a ridiculous amount of hiking up. The cave is not what I expected at first, it was full of trash and graffiti. I had imagined this clean area that was a secret spot where we could see what a cave is supposed to look like. Even with all of the markings on the walls, the natural walls of the cave were intact allowing us to enjoy in the spectacle of this little cave that most people didn’t know about. We were able to see different geologic formations and we got to dip our hands in the water from the waterfall in the cave. After we got out of the cave, we quickly grabbed the trailer and left for Ranchester, WY. Everyone seemed excited to have hot showers and Wi-Fi again. I am sitting here watching Joe Dirt for the first time hoping that I don’t wake Jeff and Ryan.

30 September, 2016 (Kolin O'Keefe)

Devil’s tower, a sight to behold. Before leaving our campsite at Devil’s Tower, we got to get a close-up view of the monument and check out the visitor center. Also got to see a couple of climbers on the cliff walls of the tower. Looked like an intense climb and I would need a lot more experience/years before I attempt anything like that. After this, we hooked up the trailer and hit the road again. We made a quick pit stop to get gas and fill up our propane tanks before leaving to change our oil. We arrived at a Grease Monkey and we had one hour to roam before meeting back at the van. A few of us decided to go to Petco and Walmart. There were quite a few animals and it really makes me want to get a pet when I get home. Browsed Walmart for a bit before having to head back. After gathering our belongings, we hit the road for a short drive to get to our destination, only to find out that is was closed. What a bummer. Was looking forward to charging my laptop and finishing my first critique, but that will have to wait. Alex and the other cooks however made a delicious meal that improved my spirits, like that chip dip. You are going to have to send that recipe my way Alex! All in all though, I can’t be too disappointed. This campsite has a lot to offer. Not facilities wise, the toilets already proved that. The aesthetics here are just so incredible and easy on the eyes. I know I will have a chance to get my homework started again soon. Just gotta keep my chin up and my spirits high. Until next time.