Another early morning start in the Lamar Valley. Wildlife sightings began with the identification of an elusive log bear. Which upon further inspection turned out to be an actual log…bummer. This was quickly followed by the spotting of a cinnamon-colored black bear on the hillside right next to the van. As the sun was rising over the valley, we stopped to take a few minutes to observe the bison herds. There were nursing calves who were butting the underside of their mothers causing her hind leg to kick out. We later learned this type of behavior induces lactation. We also saw a pronghorn mother nursing her baby while simultaneously eating his poop. They do this to prevent predators from picking up the scent of their young.

Bison herd at sunrise

Further down the valley, the crowds were coalescing, and we knew this meant one thing…wolves! Climbing the hill to get a better view, we soon spotted a pack of 7 wolves belonging to the Junction Butte Pack. The pack consisted of two black wolves and five wolves of various shades of gray. We tracked them as they meandered through a bison herd. Some bison were on high alert with raised tails, while others seemed not to be bothered by the wolves. Suddenly, two or three wolves in the front of the pack turned around and the ones in the back rapidly picked up speed- their focus was on one vulnerable baby bison who was walking in front of its mother. Mom and baby were quickly surrounded. Soon the melee caused the baby to tumble and roll. We thought we had witnessed a kill, but the mother bison was not going to give up without a fight. She maneuvered her body over her baby giving it time to get on its feet. Mom shoved the baby forward with her head through the chaos of scrambling wolves toward the safety of a larger group of bison. Did we just see that?? Yes, we did, and we have the video to prove it! We’ll try to share it when we have better internet access.

Could the day get any better?? It did! We met with wolf biologist, Kira Cassidy, in the Soda Butte Creek parking lot while eating breakfast sandwiches. She educated us about all aspects of wolf behavior and the lengths that she and her fellow researchers go to in order to collect data on the wolves, elk, and cougars inside the park boundaries. We learned the ins and outs of the tagging and collaring all three animals. Wolves are tranquilized via helicopter hot pursuit, then collared. Elk are “wrastled” to the ground by muggers (experienced rodeo cowboys) who first net them from helicopters. Cougars present the biggest challenge — they are treed by trained hound dogs, tranquilized with darts and woozily dragged out of the tree onto tarps below. (They also recover from sedation the fastest.)

Learning from Kira in front of an old wolf den that was used in 1996, just after wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone.

Down the road, we ate lunch a little too close to some ground squirrel nests causing momma to relocate her babies by mouth to a safer location far away from those pesky, masticating bipeds.

We began a 3.5 mile hike with a little flower power. Melissa led us in a perilous field study of wildflower identification. Why perilous? Two words- DEATH CAMAS: a beautiful spike of tiny white flowers known to be deadly poisonous (other groups observed less deadly, but equally breathtaking wildflowers). The hike led us high above the Yellowstone River where we gazed upon columns of basalt and other igneous rock formations. We witnessed marmots getting their Beyonce on with the wind blowing through their silky fur while lounging upon rocks and branches. The rain tried to dampen our reflection time, but we persevered, finishing the hike beside a pond where Jessie presented on her expert topic: herps (reptiles and amphibians). After looking for salamanders from a boulder in the pond, Eryn gracefully jumped down to the water’s edge like a water nymph, while Melissa had a less graceful dismount resulting in wet boots.

Group hiking the Yellowstone River Picnic Area Trail

Yellow-bellied marmot showing off on a log

Eryn enjoying reflection time with a view of the Yellowstone River

After dinner, the road home did not disappoint. We saw two cinnamon-colored black bears and chanced upon Limpy, the coyote who didn’t let his injured hind leg stop him from thriving. Just before we rounded the final bend in the road to get home, we spotted a distressed moose calf in the river, a frantic mom on the road, and a mysterious third cow moose running who knows where!

A large cinnamon-colored black bear

In closing, we would like to give a shout out to all the mommas we saw today who took it to the next level to ensure their babies live to see another day.

The past three days have been a whirlwind of movement. So far, it’s been purely the excitement to experience this new world (for many of us) that has pushed us past fatigue to keep our adventurous energy alive, but today was a reminder of the deeper “why” that moves us along.

It was another great viewing day in Yellowstone, it was a “three-dog day” for us prior to even lunchtime… We saw two coyotes running across a hillside from the van, three distant wolves while parked on the roadside, and later a family of red foxes who played around a log perhaps 20 yards from the road where a small crowd of cars (including ours) had stopped to watch. It was thanks to the eagle eyes of our leader Melissa and a few other group members (excitedly pointing these critters out to the rest of us upon discovery) making these sightings possible for everyone in our group… These days have only been so productive because of their desire to communicate these opportunities quickly before the moment is lost.

At the wolf viewing area this morning, perhaps 30 minutes after we had sighted the wolves into our scopes and binoculars, a family of four who had just parked their car walked up to Lindsey and asked what we were looking at. Andy and Melissa offered to show them, adjusting the eye piece as necessary so that the smaller children could get a better look. Everyone in the family took a turn. The joy each person felt upon first seeing a wolf was obvious from their excited exclamation, “I see it! There it is!” followed by quiet awe.

Although we had two scopes of our own, because ours is a larger group than average on the roadside, a man standing adjacent offered each of us the chance to look through his scope as well. There we all stood, a group of strangers braving the cold June morning, just talking about the animals we were seeing united by one common desire. The world felt a little smaller as encounters like these with other visitors remind us why we’re on this trek… because ultimately, we want this experience so that we can share it with others.

After the wolf encounter, we met renowned wildlife photographer Dan Hartman at his home near our own lodgings and were treated to a private viewing of curated clips from three of his nature films. Dan has worked with magazines and media outlets such as the BBC and PBS since 1983. Besides being treated to his behind-the-scenes commentary of how he acquired the different incredible shots of birds, a family of mountain goats and more, Dan talked to us about the environmental concerns driving his work, chiefly the destruction of “sickly” aspen trees which are so vital to the life cycles of local birds like sapsuckers and mountain bluebirds as nesting cavities. He believes that their habitat is quickly disappearing while many are unaware there’s even a problem.

After discussion and Q&A in his living room, we broke for lunch then went on a hike with Dan to a new location for us in the Beartooth mountains. None of us knew what to expect… Dan has spent a lot of time observing the natural areas of Yellowstone for his conservation work and it was immediately obvious that he had brought us to a beautiful place which likely few tourists had seen; we saw scat and tracks belonging to bear(s) and many more wildflowers tucked beneath the trees and sunny outcrops than we had seen from our stops along the roadside. We truly appreciated Dan’s kindness in showing us more of his world. We will never forget our time in the field with him.

This trek is (at least in part) about building community… Within our group we share rides to every destination, our photos, laughs with one another, turns at the spotting scope (or the pit toilet), and many different pieces of ourselves during this trip. The lack of drama and strife between this group (after so few hours of sleep and alone time in particular) was enough for one group member to note it as his “surprising observation about this trip” during our end-of-day discussion, but another noted surprise was the abundance of wildlife encounters crammed into just the past three days, which besides today’s three canine species includes sightings of bison (both herds and the few individuals who seem to enjoy blocking traffic), black bear, a grizzly mother nursing two cubs, a staghorn antelope nursing two fawns, plus marmot, pika, Black rosy-finch and mountain goat in Beartooth mountains this afternoon. It really is incredible how much we have witnessed in such a short amount of time.

We can’t wait to see what experiences Yellowstone will share with us next.

We’ll add a few pictures later, so check back!

It was only 6:45am — already we’d been greeted by a moose along the river and a grizzly with her two cubs in the brush. Not much later, we stopped to view a herd of bison on our right and spotted a grizzly bear nursing her cubs on a distant ridge. The morning did not disappoint.

This grizzly bear sow and her two cubs were near the road on our way into the park. Because they were relatively close, we viewed them from inside of our vans.

This moose was feeding near Soda Butte Creek not far from our lodge in Silver Gate, MT.

The call of nature caused us to pause for a pit stop, which yielded the sound of coyotes yipping in the distance near Soda Butte. Then, we hiked up a mountainside with Ranger Michael in search of pika. We made observations and collected data for a citizen science project called Pikas in Peril.

Learning from Ranger Michael.

We drove to Mammoth Hot Springs. Melissa led us on a two-mile hike up a scenic and steep trail that we had all to ourselves. At the top of the trail, overlooking Park Headquarters and the travertine terraces, we had storytime in the blustery wind with Greg. Ask us about thistle, please, and we’ll tell you more! Then, we joined the throngs of visitors for the more typical experience of the Mammoth Terraces from the boardwalk.

Kim measures the temperatures of a hot spring next to the Howard Eaton Trail near Mammoth.

Here we are at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Our next stop —a highlight for many — was a Great Horned Owl nest for owlet viewing. The day was full of amazement and wonder and worth the wait. These words by John Muir sum up our experience:

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.”

Submitted with gratitude, today’s bloggers, Andrew, Rachel & Talicia

It took 4 years, but, as they say, fourth time’s the charm. The 2020 Yellowstone Educators of Excellence trip has arrived on June 14, 2023. We met at RDU at 4 AM and had seamless travel to Bozeman, MT. We got lunch, grabbed supplies, and made our way to the Roosevelt Arch for our first team meeting, where we set goals for the trip and bonded over who we’d each choose as our celebrity best friend. Then we began the drive across Yellowstone from Gardiner to Silver Gate, rushing to make it through the “blast zone” for road reconstruction before an evening road closure, work that’s being done to repair damage from last year’s trip-cancelling flood. We enjoyed a burrito picnic in Lamar Valley and started looking for wildlife in earnest. Today alone we saw a pronghorn with twin babies, mule deer, bison, elk, a bald eagle, an osprey, a western tanager, a badger, a black bear with cub, and a grizzly with two cubs. We were pleasantly surprised by the flora, including cacti, sagebrush, lodgepole pine, aspen trees, and many wildflowers. It feels surreal to finally be here after so many obstacles along the way!

By trip leader Melissa Dowland

Right now, twelve educators across North Carolina are wrapping up the school year, submitting grades, packing up their classrooms… and packing zip-off pants, puffy coats, hiking boots, and even hats and gloves for the adventure of a lifetime — the Educators of Excellence Institute to Yellowstone. We’ll meet at RDU at 4 am on Wednesday, June 14 for ten days exploring the ecology and geology of our first national park, learning from experts, and getting ideas and information to bring back to students in North Carolina.

The Yellowstone Team: Andy, Becqui, Dana, Kimberly, Rachel, Talicia, Eryn, Darryl, Jessie, Scott, Lindsey, and Sharon. Find out more about them on the Meet the Team page!

This incredibly patient group has been waiting more than three years for this opportunity! When they applied to join the Museum’s Yellowstone Institute in winter of 2019–20, little did they know how long it would be before they had the chance to make the trip. As with so many things, our Yellowstone Institute was canceled in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. In 2021, we again put the trip off out of an abundance of caution. 2022 was going to be our year, or so we thought. But on June 13, 2022, just 24 hours before we were set to head to the airport, devastating floods hit the park, washing out roads and closing Yellowstone entirely. Needless to say, we didn’t head into the maelstrom of chaos that descended in the days following the flood. Thankfully, with a lot of hard work, roads have been repaired and Yellowstone is back to welcoming millions of visitors.

Our Yellowstone team is really hoping 2023 is our year! I say “hoping” because we’re not there quite yet, and you better believe I’m knocking on just about every wooden surface in my house as I write this!

Here are a few snippets of the ways folks have been preparing for the trip…

From Becqui Masters:

I’m lying wide awake in bed trying to think of what to write for this blog. The closer the calendar gets to our group of teachers meeting at RDU, the more nervouscited I become. I anticipate our journey to Yellowstone to be a successful 4th attempt. The three year delay has sometimes made me think that we weren’t meant to go. But patience, perseverance and planning by our leaders have hopefully paid off. I’m so elated to be done with school, and we now have 2 months to refresh, renew, and regenerate. What better way than to participate in an educational trek through our country’s first national park! I know that we each have our own reasons for wanting to go on this trip: fifteen different personalities, fifteen different stories to tell, fifteen individuals who will each bring something unique to the table. Friendships and bonds are certain to form. Memories are meant to be made. This morning I finished packing, something that took me weeks to finalize. I took over the empty bedroom belonging to my daughter, who’s away at college. Her bed and floor were covered with all the belongings I overpacked, plus one antsy border collie, who instinctively suspected someone was leaving. I haven’t picked my quote to share with the group yet (one of our homework assignments). I still have the items I prepared for my expert topic last year, but I have to refresh my memory on the actual lesson (our other homework assignment). I’m super excited to see wild bison and elk. But what I’m most looking forward to are the hot springs and geysers. So many mixed feelings about this trip, but I know the rewards will be worth it.

The scene from Becqui’s guest room before fitting everything in a suitcase.

From Sharon Harbaugh:

Just over a year ago, I heard that I was called up from the waiting list for a trip to YELLOWSTONE. Lots of rushing, packing, rescheduling, and figuring out what to do with my classes ensued. And then, the drive to Raleigh. But on the way, BAD NEWS from Melissa — flooding in Yellowstone might affect our trip. And then REALLY BAD NEWS — catastrophic flooding and park closure and the trip was postponed… until the next year. But I continued on my way to Chapel Hill where I was planning on spending the night with my mom before the trip. In typical mom fashion she said, “ That’s such a disappointment. But now you get to look forward to the trip for a whole year.” And so I did …. look forward to the trip for a whole year. And now it’s almost here. I think that I’m ready, despite having spent only two weekends at home in the last three months. I have been getting ready for Yellowstone — reading about wolves, reviewing information on my expert topic: the Yellowstone cutthroat trout, looking at the map, taking each of my five classes to Singletary Lake for 3–4 days apiece, hiking in Massachusetts with a former roommate, enjoying trails in NC and backpacking on the Appalachian Trail with my daughter. My bag is packed. I’m pretty sure that I have forgotten something important even though I have gone over and over the packing list because this year it all fit in a smaller bag than last year. I did not forget my underwear even though it wasn’t on the packing list (thank you, Becqui), but something must be missing. It’s not the excitement or enthusiasm that’s missing. Hopefully, the only thing missing is the new teacher friends and amazing Museum staff — and hopefully they are all packing themselves.

Sharon and her daughter, Katy, have been section hiking the Appalachian Trail since she was 16. This trip was from Tennessee into Damascus, VA, one of the sections they hadn’t yet hiked.

From Talicia Smith:

The view of mountains, bison and bears became a fixed image as I climbed stair after stair on the gym’s stair climber in preparation for my upcoming Yellowstone trip. At work my coworkers were a little concerned as I was all too eager to climb the stairs carrying armfuls of Chromebook computers to our media center after the elevator broke. Anticipation built as I completed each end-of-the-year task. What presented itself as an ending — this school year — also gave birth to a new adventure: Yellowstone. I chuckled to myself as my trainer at the gym asked me to do “bear holds.” Although cute in name, the all-fours position, which is held for what seems like eternity, was not cute, but required strength and endurance, much like the school year that just ended. Nevertheless, the strain of the hold was worth the adventure I would begin. Yellowstone, here I come.

Now we know who’s going to be the fastest hiker on the trip!

Cross your fingers for us that everything goes smoothly in these last couple days leading up to the trip. Then, when we (hopefully!) make it to Yellowstone, follow our adventure and send us questions and comments through this blog!

Due to unprecedented flooding along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries, Yellowstone National Park is closed to all visitors for at least the next two days. Our Institute group was set to fly out tomorrow morning. Thankfully, we were able to cancel the trip and are home safe and sound during an incredibly challenging time for Yellowstone and the surrounding communities. Our thoughts are with our many friends in the Yellowstone area as rivers crest and cleanup begins.

June 24, 2019

Today is the day that we fly back to North Carolina, and it was an 8 o’clock wake up call. After our full stomachs and sleepy eyes last night, waking up a little later felt good. We ate breakfast and headed to the airport. It was quieter this morning in the vans, many of us in disbelief of how fast this trip went by. Early mornings were difficult when we started, but as we continued on our journey, they allowed us to make so many more memories.

Walking the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk in the early morning

These memories include the natural wonders of Yellowstone, but also the fast friendships formed over the miles and adventures. There were so many passionate teachers who brought unique gifts on the trip. There was always someone ready to lend a hand. Even as we loaded our bags to head home, many opened their bags for others whose bags were now overweight with souvenirs.

Mandie, Kristen, and Michele take a selfie

As we enter back into our own worlds, we are so thankful that these quotes ring true:

“Friends are the people who make you smile brighter, laugh louder, and live better.” – unknown

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into the trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

⁃ John Muir

Flowers bloom in front of the Grand Tetons

Inspired, rejuvenated and amazed. These are three of the countless words that accurately describe our adventure into the mesmerizing Yellowstone National Park. As we sit in the airport and wait to board our flight, we all sit in awe of the “firsts” we have each experienced this week. With three amazing leaders, lots of coffee, and the desire to take in every second of every day, we all come back better, more enriched individuals and educators. It’s going to be great to see our families and hold them tight, but being able to relive and share the experiences of Yellowstone with them and others is going to be a bright spot within us for the rest of our lives. For that, we are forever thankful.

With lots of love we sign off for the last time,

Emily, Mandie, and Kristen

The 2019 Educators of Excellence Yellowstone Institute participants

June 23, 2019

Today was a mixture of excitement and sadness as we headed into our last real day in Yellowstone. We started off the morning with a walk through Upper Geyser Basin, just outside the Old Faithful Inn. We were dazzled by the array of different hot spring formations—pools of bubbling blue water, billows of fluffy white steam, rings of red thermophiles, and fountains of water spewing from deep within the earth. A few of our favorite features included the Beehive Geyser (with a cone shaped like—you guessed it—a beehive), Spasmodic Geyser (with water spewing every which way), and the Grand Geyser. The Grand Geyser was particularly spectacular—it erupted high into the sky, up to 180 ft. Water gushed into the sky for about 8 minutes, and just when we thought it was over, it erupted a second time with an even higher column of super-heated water. Afterwards, Ranger Rebecca led us on a tour through Upper Geyser Basin. She explained the various mechanisms of how geysers work, pointed out the bobby sock trees (long dead after absorbing silica), and shared her urgency / passion for environmental conservation.

Ranger Rebecca shares her deep knowledge of the thermal features of the Upper Geyser Basin

From there, we started our long trek back to Bozeman, which included several stops along the way. First, we stopped at Black Sand Pool, locally known as “Thumper.” Megan told us to lay down in the dirt around the pool. Although it sounded like a strange request, we complied and laid in a ring around the bubbling pool. We waited…and waited. At first, nothing. And then, without warning, a thump came from deep within the earth. It felt like a giant was trapped beneath the surface and was knocking to escape. We could feel the thud against our backs and hear the hollow sound reverberate against the rock. Megan explained that these thumps were caused by explosions of super-heated water underground. So cool!!

Lying on the ground, experiencing the thumping of Black Sand Pool

We also stopped at the Fountain Paint Pots. There were several geothermal formations there as well, including geysers, steam vents, and mud pots. The mud pots were an unusual sight—a cesspool of bubbling mud swirled with pinks and yellows. Bacteria and acid play a key role in these formations. Bacteria in the ground produces sulfuric acid, which in turn breaks down the surrounding rocks, producing a mud pool. It was interesting to compare the mud pots to the geysers we saw earlier in the day.

Besides sight-seeing, we also had some final group-bonding moments. A few days ago, we decorated our vans. Amidst all of our excursions across Yellowstone, both of our white vans have accumulated a thick layer of mud and dust. Of course we could have figured out a way to wash it off, but instead we decided to write a tally of all the wildlife we’d seen. Our vans were a hit with the tourists! We caught several groups today pointing at our vans and taking pictures, gawking at the collection of wildlife we’d seen.

Our wildlife talley on one of the vans

At lunch, we played a competitive (and hilarious) Yellowstone-themed game of charades. We rolled with laughter as various teammates acted out “badger hunting uinta,” “pika,” “Grand Prismatic,” “Megan,” and “rock snot.” We ended the day with our final team meeting, where we shared out highlights and appreciations from the trip. Needless to say, we ended the day with heavy hearts that our adventure is coming to a close. However, at the same time, we could not say enough to express the joy, appreciation, and inspiration we’ve experienced on this trip. It has been truly remarkable and awe-inspiring—a trip we will never forget!!

Johnny performing during charades

June 22, 2019

Another early morning in Yellowstone- we departed Old Faithful Inn at 5:00 am and headed into adjacent Grand Teton National Park. The two hour van ride was quiet as most of us slept in the early hours of the morning. Once we reached the majestic peaks of the Tetons, we were all rejuvenated with sights of jagged snow-topped mountain peaks cutting into the bluebird skies. After a quick breakfast surrounded by jaw-dropping views, we visited the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve near Phelps Lake. We used our time at the preserve to take in the sights and sounds and reflect on our surroundings.

Early morning yoga at the entrance to the Laurance S. Rockefellar Preserve

After some impromptu yoga at the trailhead we visited the Laurance S. Rockefeller Visitor Center to get our bearings and plan our hikes for the day. The center has a soundscape room which many of us used to sit quietly and contemplate our connection to the natural world.

Once we were limbered up, we set off on a 3 mile hike to and from Phelps Lake. Along the way we observed and identified numerous birds and wildflowers including silver lupine, arnica, sticky geranium, and fairy slipper.

The group at Phelps Lake

Later, we stopped at a pond near Murie Ranch to enjoy a picnic lunch, where we were entertained by a raw example of predation: an osprey stalking a duckling. While we never saw him catch his lunch, we did get to see a great blue heron and it joined our growing list of birds seen thus far.

After lunch, we went on a four mile loop hike to Taggart Lake. We were treated to magnificent views of all three Tetons and Disappointment Peak, named because explorers thought they were on Teton but were disappointed to find they were not. We were all happy that the sun was shining and the temperature was much warmer. We have experienced two seasons in one week!

We stopped at Leek Marina for pizza dinner and then, exhausted, headed back to Old Faithful Inn, forever on the lookout for the last wildlife spotting of the day. After a quick rainstorm, a remarkably vivid rainbow was cast across the sky as we departed from the Tetons. The perfect end to the perfect day.