Layover break on our way to Montana.

We started the day by meeting at the Raleigh-Durham airport at 4am, which meant that most of us started much earlier than that. One team member taught all day and then drove through the night to get here. Over 12 hours later, we received exciting news: the possibility of seeing something never before seen on a Yellowstone Institute trip!

Our treasured sighting of the day is right near the top ridge… very far away!

Can you see it?

We all came to Yellowstone with different goals and ideas, but there was one constant: to take in the serenity and grandeur of the park. We spent time worrying about packing warm enough clothes, preparing lesson plans for our subs, and wondering how long each day would be before each night’s overnight rest.

With all of the planning ahead of our first day, we’ve already had to practice adapting to a new schedule. We’ve learned that WE don’t run our itinerary – Yellowstone and its wonders do.

Let’s try again, can you see it now?

Look right in the middle – it’s a mountain lion on an elk carcass!

That’s right, we saw a mountain lion! Feeding on a carcass!

No matter how sleep deprived or ready to settle in we were, the mountain lion took precedence, and we got to see a once-in-a-Yellowstone opportunity. We gathered around the scopes to witness our first big moment of awe as a group.

Joy and delight at our first ever mountain lion sighting in Yellowstone by an Educators of Excellence group.

WOAH!!! Look at that mountain lion!

Our first day couldn’t have started any better. As we reflected on our day during our first full team meeting, it made us realize this is only the beginning. Stay tuned for our next adventure…but we’re off to finally hit the sack!