Today was great. Everyone involved in the youth camp met at the visitor's center at 10:30 this morning where a few of the rangers presented some park information, getting the kids to think about things like land use and the mission of the NPS. Around noon we all loaded up into vehicles and drove to Old NE Rd for a short, 2 mile hike along the Castle Trail to the Door/Window overlook area. We had many rangers along for the hike: education/interp, paleontology, ecology. The temperature was somewhere in the teens when we set out, with a substantially lower wind chill of about 0. It was bitter, but I didn't hear any real complaints from anyone, and it seemed like the hike was enjoyed by all.
When we arrived back at the visitor's center, I talked a bit about how we are incorporating art into their experience through the use of field journals. We all had about an hour then for contemplative alone time to write/draw. After that we went around the room and shared about what we had chosen to put into the journals.
Headed back to the quad for dinner and, for some of the NYC kids, learning how to pitch a tent and camp. The students are camping out in the quad tonight as a trial run for tomorrow night's camp out in Sage Creek. As I type the temperature is about 20, so we'll see how the kids fare through this night. Their sleeping bags are rated 35 or 40 degrees, and tomorrow night is forecast to be chillier and windier. Most of us ate together in one of the quad apartments, and after dinner us grownups (the teachers from both schools, two artists, and paleontologist) sat in the corner and got into some marvelous conversations around all sorts of topics from religion to science to politics and social dynamics between cultures and those who hold power.
Tomorrow we drive down to Sage Creek in the morning, camp overnight, then head to the grasslands for some fossil exploration. I won't have cell signal for almost two days, so the next blog post will be late. Have to go pack now for a frigid camping experience.
Hiking along Castle Trail.
Youth camp participants hike along Castle Trail.
Looking out behind the quad just before sunset.
Angel Butte caught between clouds.
Buttes next to the quad as the last light of day fades.
Looking down into the quad. Red Cloud and Calhoun students are sleeping in the tents tonight.
