PSC in National Parks

  Connor Howell (Forestry major) writes- On our fifth day of the trip we started the morning by visiting Dante's View. The view was breathtaking and it was very humbling to see just how large the desert really is.  Afterwards we moved on to WildRose Peak where we spent the afternoon hiking the snow covered mountains and exploring the charcoal kilns. It was an incredible chance to observe how dynamic the landscape of Death Valley is. We saw wild burros and different species of birds. The trees changed from creosote and mesquite to Joshua and finally juniper and pinyon pines. (Images by Saikat)

  Some of us started the day with the sunrise at the ruins of Ashford Mill, a former office site for a nearby gold mine. We went back to our lodging for breakfast and then all of us hiked the Golden Canyon Trail at Zabriskie Point. The canyon held true to its name with a gorgeous color palette of golds, greens, reds, and purples. We then visited the Devil's Golf Course were we precariously walked the jagged salt spikes (very sharp!). After, we hiked to the Natural Bridge and explored the dry waterfalls. We lied underneath the bridge and sat in the sun. Our day ended with a visit to the salt flats and watched the sun set.  (Text by Environmental Science major Keeley Jock, images by Saikat and Lee Ann)

The day started with a sunrise hike to some dunes just outside of Tecopa off of Furnace Creek Road. The ground was soft and the winds heavy, with peak gusts of 21mph. After the hike, the few of us that went returned to SHEAR where we had breakfast and got ready to visit Ash Meadows. We went to the Devil's Hole and Point of Rocks and the visitor center. We then drove to Badwater Basin and wandered around the dunes of Zabriske Point while the sun set behind the golden mountains in the distance. (Text by Environmental Science major Charlie Hayden and images by Saikat)

 Ethan Bentley (Biology and Recreation major) writes- Today we explored a valley around the Amargosa River. Several of us paused repeatedly on the trail to collect rocks that formed on dried-up river beds, as well as take pictures of various sights and wildlife. After that, we came back to the date ranch for lunch and capped off the day by heading into the park itself to view the sunset. Michayla Winkelman (Ecological Restoration major) shares- We meandered our way through the Amargosa River Valley today. Many colorful rocks were discovered (some climbed). A quiet moment was briefly enjoyed in a cool canyon before heading back to China Ranch Date Farm for lunch and some delicious date shakes. Saikat writes- The day ended with some exploration off the trails in the desert and a spectacular sunset.  

 A long drive across the Adirondack mountains, a long cross- country flight, another (not so long) drive from Las Vegas after a quick bite (along with a good amount of rental car fiasco thrown into the mix), and we finally arrived at our accommodation in Shoshone around 10 P.M. SHEAR (Shoshone Education and Research Center), our accommodation in Shoshone, was a lucky find. It is reserved only for educational and research trips; a very well- maintained facility to take care of the basic essentials of travelers. You can find their website here-  https://sites.google.com/site/shearshoshonecenter/home?pli=1 More about it later; now we are off to bed. Have some interesting hikes panned for day 2. 

Fourteen members of Paul Smith's College will be exploring Death Valley National Park from January 28th.  The daily adventures, along with photographs, will be documented here. We invite you to follow along on our journey. Saikat Chakraborty