From a distance, the sharp spires loom large. Majesty unparalleled. A blue abyss reflects the awesomeness of nature, snaking its way through the mountain passes. Otherworldly comes to mind. As we continue the approach, the jagged geography grows and grows, never losing its novelty. The glacier of Mt. Moran shines bright white in the morning sun, beckoning visitors and whispering tales of long, long ago.

We hike to Taggart Lake. The aspen trees, grouse and butterflies set the stage for a beautiful outdoor day. The stream’s melody greets us along our way. A pine forest reminiscent of Narnia brings peace and nostalgia. Changing, ever-changing, are these mountain paths. The challenging terrain is the work before the reward. The lake’s crystal blues and greens sing a siren song, that lure one of our own into its refreshing waters.

Birds singing and aspens rustling in the wind embrace you at Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. The minimalist landscape and eco-friendly visitor center embody the tranquil beauty of the Tetons. Trails meander through lush green thickets and creeks are wild and loud. A waterfall lulls you into oblivion before the lake refreshes the soul.

Mother Nature puts on yet another show as we depart Grand Teton and witness true symbols of the wild—-BEARS!—-a grizzly and her three cubs, a cinnamon black bear and a grizzly bear.

These experiences allowed connection to self, each other and the awesomeness of the outdoors.

“Mindful of different ways of being, our awareness as a species shifts — We recognize the soul of the land as our own.”
Terry Tempest Williams

This place has an order of perfection that the indigenous people certainly understood. There’s a reason that our first national park has close to five million visitors each year. This place seems otherworldly at times, almost like you’re in some fictional universe (perhaps a bit like Star Wars). It creates an inner peace where the only things that can break through are the sounds of birds, the whispering of the wind, the howls of wolves, and other sounds that are only heard in nature. It shows its grandeur in its mountains, cascading falls, and its thermal features. It holds mysteries in its varying landscapes and elusive animals.  

This is the first day we were able to sleep in. However, some of us still chose to get up early to watch the sunrise over Yellowstone Lake. Bear spray in tow, we trekked across the historic Lake Hotel grounds. The view over the lake was breathtaking with the mountains in the distance, sunlight glistening over the snow caps like glass. It was worth the missed sleep. 

Each day our small groups rotate roles and responsibilities to include documenting the physical features of the day. There was an unspoken competition between teams over which would clock the highest temperature over the geothermal landscapes (using an infrared thermometer). A reading at West Thumb Geyser Basin of Black Pool hot spring edged out the previous high of 161 degrees F with the highest temperature of 174 degrees F. 

We visited the Continental Divide at Isa Lake, where we caught some leeches. Not all other visitors were as interested in this as our group was. We then traveled to Old Faithful and were fortunate enough to catch an eruption within minutes of our arrival. Once checked into the Old Faithful Inn, we headed out on another hike to view Grand Prismatic Spring. The mosquitos were especially excited to have us there. 

All of these experiences have helped our group return to some of the joys that children possess, and it reminds us of our responsibilities to not only live life to the fullest, but to also protect the natural world that helps create those feelings of pure joy. 

Laura W., James, and Allyson

Woke up to a dusting of snow, but the pass was open. Heading south to Hayden Valley – a new section of the park!

A moment of awe, with a nearby grizzly, a brave coyote, and a watchful elk.

Snowball fights, and a snowball duel!

Humbled by the power of the Yellowstone River’s Lower Falls.

Bison surprise at the end of a four mile hike through the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone’s changing landscapes.

Unbearable temperatures of the Mud Volcano reached 159°F.

Rolling hills outline the expansive Hayden Valley where herds of elk and bison lounge.

Noxious odors of the Dragons Mouth Spring are juxtaposed with its impressiveness.

Perusing a wide variety of merchandise at Canyon Village.

An ominous day where everything magically worked out…

Sounds of the piano as the group kicks back at the Lake Hotel.

Sadly, another day has come to an end.

In her book The Hour of Land, Terry Tempest Williams writes about the importance of fostering an ecology of awe. On this fourth full day in the park, we continue to be in awe of the scale, the diversity, and the overwhelming beauty of this place.

We started out this morning, once again, in the dark. We headed out by 5:06 to Slough Creek to meet Kira Cassidy, a wolf biologist. On the way, our eyes scanned the meadows and ridges for movements. We’ve all gotten better at telling the difference between a bison and rock, but we still get tricked occasionally.

We got to Slough Creek and saw a bald eagle, a beaver, a pronghorn with her two fawns, and one of the wolves in the distance. Turns out that pronghorn fawn butts are super cute. We headed east into Lamar Valley to the Buffalo Ranch to check on the coyote and her seven pups. They’ve gotten super playful over the last few days and it’s always nice to see them out playing. This morning, they were having a lazy morning, so they were just sleeping in front of their den. But, we did see a grizzly with two cubs playing around up on the ridge.

Once we caught up with Kira back at Slough Creek, we learned all about the wolf reintroduction project that began in 1995. She answered all of our questions and provided us with so much information about how the wolf biologists study the wolves, how the packs behave, and the history of the reintroduction project. A few interesting facts: the wolves in Yellowstone National Park can trace their lineage back 9-10 generations to those original wolves brought here from Alberta, Canada and British Columbia. There have been wolves who have traveled far from the park. A collared wolf made her way down to Colorado and another made their way down to the Grand Canyon. Mike Phillips, who led the reintroduction of the wolves to Yellowstone, also reintroduced Red Wolves to Eastern North Carolina in 1987. Kira said that wolves smell like sage. Kira’s work is a perfect example of the ecology of awe.

After our fairly long visit with Kira, we also got to visit with Rick McIntyre, the scientist and author of 4 books about the wolves of Yellowstone. His wry sense of humor, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the wolves, made for a fascinating conversation. When we asked if he had ever missed a day watching the wolves, he smiled and asked “Why would I?”. Rick’s longest stretch of never missing a day is 15 years!

He told us about 907, the oldest living wolf in the park. We were standing down the hills from her den and have had the pleasure of watching her every day. She’s 11, which is approximately 86 in human years, and had three pups this season. His next book, Think Like a Wolf, is about 907. He also showed us the paw print of wolf 21, a wolf who he said died of a broken heart after his mate, 42 died. That he knows these wolves so intimately gave us all a deeper appreciation of the animals we have been seeing during our time here. Many of us decided that we’d like to have Rick as one of our “Who would you invite to dinner” person. As we said goodbye, he advised us all to heed the words of John Potter, an indigenous wolf expert, who, in the afterward to one of Rick’s books, writes “don’t just learn about wolves, learn from them.” This seems like another way of fostering an ecology of awe.

After our conversation with Rick came to an end, we headed toward an abandoned wolf den. The walk there led us through Sage meadows and we all understood what Kira meant when she said that wolves smell like Sage. Along the way to the den, we found two pile of bones that visitors before us had piled near each other for easy spotting. We were all thrilled to hold and investigate the bones that had been bleached white by the sun and that reminded us of the size and power of the bison and elk. The den was just inside the tree line; while it had collapsed considerably since last use, we would all see why that location was chosen. On the way back, we found a 6×6 intact Elk rack along with other antler pieces. The rather heavy rack provided a great photo op.

After lunch, we headed out into a meadow to search for the remains of a baby bison that Melissa had seen last week alone in the field. We found another recent bison carcass nearby, first and then his carcass. We suspect that perhaps his mother died, and he was unable to make it on his own. While we looked at the remains, we stood in silence in awe and respect for their lives.

We have really enjoyed sharing our scopes, knowledge, and enthusiasm with other park visitors. We’ve had lots of people say things like “oh, you’re teachers, no wonder you’re all so helpful and enthusiastic; thanks for all that you do”. It’s been a joyous day of awe and we still have 4 full days and one morning in the park.

A wolf, osprey, and bison jam

as we made our way to meet Dan.

Two black bears walked through the meadow just in front of us

Along with seeing two bull moose which was definitely a must.

Then in the stream

You never would have guessed what we’ve seen.

It was a moose cow and calf standing by the the stream

We were so excited we all had silent screams.

Dan Hartman, wildlife photographer, was the man

He sees things that no one else can.

In the Shoshone National forest he took us on a hike.

We walked with all our might

In the alpine forest we saw an owl, woodpecker, rough grouse, and prints of paws.

We searched and searched for wildlife and wild flowers as we meandered in awe.

Winding roads of Beartooth Mountain to 10985 feet high

Marmot and pika were everywhere… oh my!

A visit to Cooke City for dinner and shopping

Pebble Creek canyon was next but for sure… no hopping!

Finally winding down for the day

We say…

“Goodnight from us and the mama coyote, coyote pups, and our final glimpse of the Junction Butte black wolf.”

Lakan, Megan, and Evan

Our day started early at 5 a.m. It was a little rainy, but not an absolute downpour.  The lightning in the sky was spectacular as we scanned the mountains.  We kicked off the day looking at wildlife in Slough Creek.  We didn’t see any wolves near the den we were scouting, but further down the path we were able to see a golden eagle and her two eaglets, as well as a black bear.  Once we left that area we entered the Lamar Valley where we saw tons of bison, a few grizzlies and their cubs, and probably most exciting of the morning, seeing coyote pups.  We were able to watch them play together around their den entrance. 

After a quick yet delicious brunch in Silver Gate at the Log Cabin Cafe near the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone, we were able to sit down and have an engaging talk with Dan Hartman.  Dan and Cindy are local wildlife photographers and expert naturalists. Dan showed us some of his video clips of owls, bears, and other animals that have been featured in National Geographic, BBC, as well as his own videos.  While we were finishing up at the Hartman’s we got side tracked by a red squirrel and a goldenrod spider, which led to Dan queuing up another video of a goldenrod spider capturing a hover-fly.  

After our visit with the Hartmans, we wound down with some huckleberry ice cream, and a journaling break by the Soda Butte Creek. We spied on an American Dipper coming in and out of her nest.

While the animal life is most exciting, it cannot overshadow the expansive landscape and the beautiful plant life of Yellowstone. Some of the most notable (and loved by our group) would be the phlox, lupines and prairie smoke. Another favorite is the sagebrush. It is nearly impossible to walk by it without rubbing its foliage between our hands, then inhaling the scent from our hands. This powerful and relaxing scent is something we all wish we could take home with us. 

Dinner was at the Roosevelt Lodge on the historic property. We finished up this beautiful day looking for more wildlife near Slough Creek, in the Lamar Valley, and with an evening hike at Trout Lake. Admittedly, we are all hoping to see more wolves, which the park is known for, and more importantly continuing to grow as a group.

Allyson McFalls, Laura Walkup, and James Blake

We don’t have good service tonight at Roosevelt Lodge so we’ll try to get our next blog posted tomorrow! Until then, enjoy this view of sunset in Lamar Valley tonight.

The day started at 6:25 AM at Mammoth Dining for breakfast. After breakfast, we took the road less traveled to take a look at the backside of Mammoth Springs. Mammoth Springs, one of Yellowstone’s geothermal vents, is comprised of many smaller springs that produce steam, amongst them Narrow Gage, Canary Falls, Prospect Terrace, and Mound Springs. Yellowstone has the largest collection of geothermal features in the world as a result of underground volcanic activity. 

After a 2.5 mile hike around Mammoth Springs, we headed down to meet two park rangers and hear their stories from the past 30 years in the park. Ivan Kowaski works in backcountry permitting and training for visiting park goers. Bob Fuhrmann is director of Education at the park and works with the Youth Conversation Corps. 

During a short break, we had a chance to see the visitor center, a family of Great Horned Owls in the tree outside the visitor center, and had wraps for lunch. After lunch, we were joined Ranger Michael who works with teachers, students, and citizen scientists in the park. He led us on a hike to spot pikas for a citizen science project called Pikas in Peril. While spotting a pika, we also spotted a very cheeky golden-mantled ground squirrel.

After dinner at Cowboy’s Lodge and Grill in Gardiner, Montana (just North of the park), we set off for an evening nature drive. Evening animal sightings on our drive included: elk, Ruddy Duck, our first bison, our first black bear, a cinnamon colored black bear, two bachelor mule deer, a coyote, Sandhill Cranes, pronghorn, and most notably gray wolves from the Rescue Creek Pack.  

We ended day 2 with a group meeting by a herd of bison with many calfs and took the opportunity to discuss our first impressions of Yellowstone and our favorite moments so far.

We are so grateful for our first full day at Yellowstone to have been jam packed with so much awe and new knowledge!

Laura Martinez, Jessica Pichan, and Dave Williamson

We started bright and early in Raleigh and ended up (still bright) but later in Yellowstone National Park! We checked into our cabins, hiked to a scenic cliff where we revisited our goals and set our new ones for the trip.

We bonded over our excitement to leave behind a school year, the demands of being needed and responsible for so much, and our desire to live in the moment, be present and take it all in as we begin this journey together!

To top it off…. We saw lots of elk in the sagebrush, playing in the road, and grazing the lawns in Mammoth, where we are staying tonight.

As the school year winds down, our group of 12 intrepid educators is getting ready for an educational adventure: our 2024 Yellowstone Institute. Early on June 13, we will board our first flight towards Bozeman, Montana, arriving in the park later that day. We’ll spend ten days taking a deep dive into Yellowstone’s ecology, geology, and history as we rise early to watch wildlife, explore some of the park’s many trails, and learn from experts and each other.

At the Museum, our staff leads have been finalizing the schedule, packing binoculars and spotting scopes, printing stickies for everyone’s journals (including maps, our itinerary, and daily team assignments), and cramming just a little bit more Yellowstone knowledge into our brains.

Some of our participating educators have shared how they’re preparing, too…

From Jessica Pichan: “Once May comes, things get a bit hectic at school with the EOGs quickly approaching, so it has been nice to have our Yellowstone trip as a light at the end of this tunnel! I am getting ready for Yellowstone by making sure that my family goes hiking each weekend. Last weekend our hike was one that created core memories because it involved a quest to find cicadas. I am going to make sure that I start walking on the treadmill at the gym with increased elevation again during the week… I started out the year strong in preparation, but have fallen off a bit.

Jessica Pichan with a periodical cicada

“Yellowstone has been on my bucket list for a long time and I cannot wait to soak in the views and to learn things that I would not if I were to go with my family alone. Our youngest daughter (5) has Type 1 Diabetes, so I worry about something happening while I am so far away, but I know that she will be safe and in the most capable hands with my husband. I realize that I cannot pour from an empty cup and I know that this adventure will recharge me in ways that I cannot even begin to put into words. I am so incredibly grateful to have been chosen to be a member of this Yellowstone cohort!”

Laura Walkup has already started packing: “I’m getting ready for Yellowstone, so I’m taking stock of my toiletries by making a list and checking it twice! I’ve also gathered my journal, art supplies and writing materials. So excited to see new sites with my new friends!”

Allyson McFalls shared how she’s combining Yellowstone prep with a field trip for her students!

Allyson and students on a fire tower

From Allyson: “As part of my Yellowstone training, as well as an effort to get our students out of the school while other grades were testing, my teammate and I took our sixth grade class hiking at Moses Cone along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather looked dicey all week (at one point forecasts were calling for hail and high winds!), but thankfully the morning of our hike, things were just overcast. We completed the 5 mile hike with 30+ students in under two hours, including climbing to the top of the fire tower for some incredible views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My hiking boots seem well broken in, and over 20,000 steps later, I’m sure that all the kids slept well that night. I’m looking forward to the new terrain and challenge of the Yellowstone trails, as well as all the new plant and animal species we’ll see along the way.”

We hope you’ll follow our adventures as we post blogs on our Yellowstone Institute from June 13-22. Send questions our way by leaving comments on our posts, and we’ll do our best to get back to you!