This blog entry was written by Kelsey, a student at Syringa Middle School in Caldwell, Idaho. Recently, she spent a weekend exploring the great outdoors of Yellowstone National Park on a science trip with some of her classmates. Here are her thoughts after returning home, frozen, but full of new ideas!

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Before Yellowstone became a state park, Ferdinand V. Hayden gathered a group of explorers to take a “professional look” at the park. Among these men, were old and young , tall and short. None of the men had spent much time together, they knew each other vaguely. This trek to the park brought them closer and they acted just like old friends. As their last night on their trek neared, the men dreaded going home. After they got to know each other, they never wanted to leave.

On the last night of their adventures, the comrades sat in a circle around their final campfire together. Around this campfire, they conveyed their thoughts and feelings to one another. They admitted their thoughts on the beauty of the area and their wishes of staying there. Alvred Bayard Nettleton, the youngest of the explorers, granted the men’s minds an idea to stew on. Alvred thought that preserving the area would allow them to come back and show their families and allow others to see the stunning beauty of this area. Most of the men disagreed or thought it was impossible, and continued their conversations. That night all that was on those men’s minds was going home to their families.

In the morning they left each other’s company, few tears were shed and they were on their ways. The men all lived in different places, they took trains and cars to their destinations.  The only thing on their minds, the idea that came about in conversation the night before. As each of the men continued their lives, they still thought about this idea long and hard. The men finally came together and followed up on it. The law stating that the Yellowstone area was now considered a state park, was signed by Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872.

This is how Yellowstone National Park came to be.

This last weekend, I spent a weekend in the first national park, Yellowstone. This story, matches the one my classmates and I created last weekend. Just as the men did, we explored and created memories in our adventures. The rangers, that led us through these adventures told us this story.  I matched our adventures to ones that these men had back in 1870.

Although, these first men spent a year, we only spent a weekend. This weekend felt almost too short. Each and everything we did just seemed to end so soon. These moments let me get closer to people I didn’t talk to much. Just like these men, I went into the trip vaguely knowing everyone. And without technology, and only our personalities to sustain us, I got to know a great group of people. I just wished that we can stay this good of friends after our expedition.

This expedition, also allowed us to understand and witness the beauty of one of the last places in America that isn’t totally over run by urbanization. The views from every point in each of our hikes were gorgeous. Down to every tree branch, were little quirks and kinks that made Yellowstone, just an amazing place to be. The weather that we experienced might not have been traditional weather for Yellowstone, but it still made me appreciate everything there. Each and every animals’ path that we crossed was a fantastic experience. Even if we did just see tracks of an animal, I still felt as if that animal was there. The ones we did see in the flesh, were calm and allowed us to see their habitat as they did.

The first day we were there we focused on the geology of the area. We took samples of the water in several of the hot springs. By doing this we could test the pH of the water, along with using a heat gun to determine how hot these hot springs actually were. This day we didn’t see many animals, but we did see a lot of people. The boardwalks were covered with people, we didn’t let that stop us from being scientists. This was overall a sort of laid back day.

The second and final day was by far my favorite day of our “trek”. On that day we drove out about 30 minutes away from where we were staying and just hiked. We focused on ecology that day. The rangers took us out to the wilderness. I would have never seen myself as an outdoors person, but I felt at home. We took a path that was made just the week before, that the public didn’t use. The rangers took us out snowshoeing across the beauty and vastness of Yellowstone. At one point we walked up a hill, at the top I could see everything. I could tell how just breathless I was, it made me forget this was real life. Everything I was thinking just went out my ears and all I thought was that there was no way to describe what I was seeing.  It made me think, this is really what the world should look like. It made me sad to have to leave that lookout, and the bison friends we hung out with while we were up there. I didn’t take a picture, because I figured if someone really wanted to see it they would want the same experience up on that hill.

That night all of us explorers, tired and wanting to go home, came together in a circle. We sat there at the last campfire of our expedition. We told legends about each of our totem animals and heard a legend or two from our rangers. There, sitting in that circle around our “campfire” I felt close, personal with each and everyone of those kids. I felt that I had gotten to know them so well after the seemingly shortest weekend ever. I looked around and thought “ Man would I love to stay here and make memories with everyone here”.  I just enjoyed it so much. With the use of an old bison horn, we all said something we learned or did this weekend that we enjoyed. Everyone talked of how beautiful Yellowstone is and how we all loved the chance to get to know each other. We all enjoyed each other company and were good friends. Tears we shed, songs were sung, then we blew out the “campfire”. We then packed and went to sleep.

The next morning, we cleaned our dorms and headed on our way. We got on the bus, each and everyone of us dwelt on the the thoughts of our friendships and  the scenery. We enjoyed each others’ company for the rest of the bus ride.

The next day at school, everyone went back to their normal friends. I felt like we repeated the same thing that happened with those explorers. They discovered things, and became good friends, but without the beautiful park to keep them together they lacked that friendship. That is why I wish that everywhere was much like that park, because beautiful scenery brings people together.

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In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Khalil Gibran