PSC in National Parks

 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