Cold, wet, soggy but overall fun

This basically describes my day, but that is why I will never forget it. Today we had a lot of fun. Starting with an inspiring and fun individual ski and ending with a gallon of water soaked up in my clothes. 

So we went on a long hike where we read quotes on the way but the thing I focused on the most was the beautiful trees. It was like I was in fairy land! 

Then on our way back we down this hill that looked to be huge but it was actually like an 8% climb so yeah. I went down and face planted! Then from then on I fell, and fell and fell. I spent more time on the ground than I did on my skis. Also, I got to hug a tree! But it turned my shirt black. I went up to my dream tree and wrapped my wet body around the tree and my shirt ended up a completely different color. Well, my tree is obviously rubbing off on me but it was being unsanitary so we divorced.

When we got back to the bus, the only thing I could feel was my tongue. We had to wait a while for the other groups so we played a super fun game!

If I say so myself, it was a pretty successful day and couldn't have ended better.

Rods and Cones!

So tonight we went on a night hike, it was lovely. We learned all about how the rods and cones in eyes of various animals work.

Nocturnal animals have more rods and less cones, whereas animals during the day have more cones. They even taught us a cute little rhyme thingy.

"Cones are for colors,
Colors are for me!
Rods are for raccoons,
So they can help them see!"

Yup. So rods are used to see motion and shapes, while cones are used to see more colors. Humans have more cones and less rods, which is why we have such bad night vision.

There's also a layer on the back of nocturnal animal's eyes called the Tapetum Lucidum. This is what causes light to bounce off of the animals eyes when lights are shined on them. The colors bounced back can range anywhere on the color spectrum, and different animals have different colors. Hunters use the knowledge of the different colors to identify the different animals when they're hunting during the night.

Rods and cones are really cool and they help us see. I think that's pretty awesome.

EYEBALLS!!!

A Successful Week at the Tetons

This week has really been amazing here in the Tetons! I've really enjoyed my time on and off campus, and the people I spent it with just made it better. It's too bad we're leaving tomorrow, from the fabulous meals, to the great science lessons; every moment was a good one. We had a lot of great lessons, learning all about snow and how animals adapt, along with a lot of other lessons. I loved the meals and having to check the weather, and just being able to hang out I normally would not ever have if they weren't on this trip. It was great to make new friends and explore the Tetons! I loved how we were able to go around the park, and explore the GYE (The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, that is). The views practically everywhere were amazing, and the fact that we could hike or ski all around was really cool. I don't think there was one second that I didn't enjoy, even though there were many points where I was frustrated because I kept falling on my skis, or was really hungry during the day. I even had fun when we were skiing, I fell on my face, and got a scratch from the sharp snow. Overall it was an amazing time, I'm so glad I have these experiences to go home with! I wish I could come back every year!

Me yesterday!

Blizzard...ish

Today here at TSS, we got something we have been severely deprived of back in Park City...SNOW!  We, the Buffalo, were the only group that decided to ski agin today as opposed to snowshoeing, and boy did it pay off.  We decided to wait and have our lunch latter, 12:50, in an effort to make it to Coyote Rock.  On the way up, everyone was sweating and stripping layers, but once we were at the top, it was blustery and cold.  There were spectacular views from the top allowing us to see the surrounding mountains until the storm blew in. The storm was the first real snow (not slush) that I have seen in a long time.

The snow is coming in.

A panorama from lunch.  This does not do justice to the views we had.

Everyone was all smiles because of the snow; powder skiing!

Once we were close to the bottom, we stopped and discussed how animals, including ourselves, expend energy through conduction, convection (oven), radiation (cancer), and evaporation (crying).

It was a great day to be up in the Tetons, and hope to have a good last day tomorrow.

New Friends and Experiences- Sophie Adelman & Courtney Ruttan

     This trip has been life changing! New friends, experiences, and knowledge. The Tetons has provided a fun, interactive learning environment. It has brought this group of students closer together and increased our knowledge of the environment. Everyone is constantly moving and active. There is never a moment to stop learning.

      The dorms have made students become closer and get to know each other better. Some friendships have been made and some have grown. Great food, great people, and fun learning makes this the funnest trip ever and the highlight of this year.