So I would like to introduce to you all the new 2013-2014 Teton Science School Graduate Program (students and staff). On our first day of orientation, we all went on a full day hike around the TSS grounds. The hike went from our Kelly Campus up into Moose Meadow, past the Rock Garden and Lightning Tree, into Upper Meadow where we exited the Grand Teton National Park into the Bridger-Teton National Forest onto Coyote Rock Gully towards Coyote Rock and back down into the Park through Lower Meadow back to campus.
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| The 2013-2014 20th Graduate Class of the Teton Science School! |
The hike was beyond awesome. Not only was this hike great to finally
hike the trails around campus, but we were able to share our 'path maps'
on how we arrived here to the Teton Science Schools. This hike was a
wonderful way to welcome us all here, have some great ice-breaking and
community bonding, and to get us all into our element we all love:
outside!
We also had some great natural history lessons as well! I learned some awesome new plants, or at least new ones of the Western Region. Did a mini-lesson, 'It's Not A Pine, All the Time!' So we learned to identify some 'Flat, Friendly Firs,' some 'Spiky, Square/Round Spruces,' and some 'Packeted, Pointy Pines!' We also did some trust and interpretation exercises too. Other fauna I learned for the Life List are: Fireweed, Limber Pines, Douglas Firs, and the invasive Pine Beetle. There were a lot more identifications throughout the trip, but I definitely lost track.
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| Kelly Campus Scavenger Hunt: Learning the Evolution and History of the Dining Lodge |
The next day, we learned more about the history of this organization and school. My team was given the challenge of learning about the Dining Hall. This was pretty interesting. And the best part of this was: there was a shout out to the Abbott's Mill Nature Center of Delaware in one of the books I read! Very cool! But I learned that the dining hall we eat in for meals, was originally located and built on Shadow Mountain around 1947 and was recently moved on HUGE trucks to the Kelly Campus of TSS in 1991. Very cool to see photos on how they moved buildings around here!
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| Sunset Over the Teton Range |
That evening, a few of us went to Uhl Hill to look for wolves. Very cool! We drove about 40 minutes north of Kelly Campus to see if we could pick out some wolves that rendezvous near Elk Reservoir. Sure enough we were able to spot 2 adult wolves playing in a field (through a scope of course!). Apparently they were dining over a dead pronghorn of some sort. And the most magical part about this sighting was, we tried to howl over to them (out of silliness) and just a few minutes later, we hear about 10-12 wolves howl into the night! It was so cool! My heart literally exploded with joy!
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| Sunset looking over Elk Reservoir on Top of Uhl Hill |
We also saw and heard Sandhill Cranes. I tried getting photos through my phone with the scope. So do not judge me and my photography for these next few photos! It was a really cool sight to see these birds, since I had never seen them before out in the wild (only through photos and taxidermy).
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| Sand Hill Cranes through a Scope |
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| Again...Trying to Capture the Moment |
So it was getting dark and we decided to head back to the car. Charlie (another graduate student) and I were just discussing about getting the bear spray out for the 'just in case' events when sure enough, we look down the trail and see this huge black blob in the middle of the trail path. We were like, 'What on Earth is That?!' We were all standing there motionless trying to not scare or threaten it, when all of a sudden it moves up the hill. A HUGE BUFFALO starts walking up the hill away from us. We'll take a buffalo over a bear any day!
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| It was too dark to get a good photo of our scary friend. |
On Friday we got trained in using Bear Spray and working and living in the Grand Teton National Park with some pretty amazing wildlife. We also toured the TSS Jackson Campus. This was really was fun because the Jackson campus is incredibly beautiful and the staff is really awesome and welcoming as well. Not to mention a lot of staff at both the Jackson and Kelly campuses are graduate program alumni! So this is a great way and resource to learn more about the program I am in!
On Saturday, myself with three other graduate students decided to volunteer/work at the Teton Science School Auction. This was a really fun event, where TSS holds an auction of assorted furniture, certificates, and other little treasures and gems up for bid to raise money for the organization. A fellow graduate student, Tootsie, and I were helping with parking. This was fun, we were able to sit and drive golf carts all day and escort visitors into the auction. It was also a agreat way to meet the community and some TSS people!
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| Funniest Item Up for Auction: a horse galloping exercise machine?! |
Also, saw some cool natural history too: a Mormon Cricket and my new favorite flower, Indian Blanket! That cricket was HUGE!!! and I almost ran it over with my cart!
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| Biggest Cricket I've Ever Seen in the Wild! - Mormon Cricket |
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| New Favorite Flower: Indian Blanket! |
This morning, (Sunday), a few of us decided to go on a hiking adventure: Delta Lake. This lake was in between the Middle Teton and Mt. Owen with some great views of the Grand in the middle! We hiked the Lupine Meadows Trailhead and hiked off the main trail up some switchbacks where we had to scramble up some boulder fields and finally into this little valley where the lake resided.
Not going to lie, I am STILL acclimatizing to these high elevations! But it wasn't just me that was on the struggle bus, the whole group is still getting used to it too.
On our way up we saw some cute new animals to add to my Life List: a 'mountain beaver' aka a marmot and PIKA!
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| I couldn't get a decent photo of an uncommon black marmot! But he was so cute! |
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| The views from so high up! |
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| A New Love and Favorite Animal: the Pika! |
So we started around 11:08 AM MST and finally got to Delta Lake around 2:45pm. Such a great group to hike up with: everyone was so supportive and patient to get to the top as a group! We traveled also roughly from 6,700 ft to 9,700 ft. I was so impressed and proud of the group, not to mention myself and my knees for getting through a tough hike!
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| TSS Grad Students Make it to Delta Lake! |
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| Totally converting everyone to summit pose with me! |
So I will leave you with my summit pose that is almost at the Grand! I start my classes tomorrow, and I am beyond anxious, excited, and nervous! However, I am more excited than anything else. For the next three weeks, we will be in our first class, 'Introduction to Field Science Teaching.' This class also includes a 4-Day backpacking trip into the Back Country! So excited!
More to come in the next few days and weeks as a Graduate Student! Still can't believe I'm here!
Xoxo,
TheChristyBel
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| Almost to the Grand! Stopping at 9,700 ft! |
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