PSC in National Parks

  Christopher Wang (Human Health and the Environment major) writes- Our final day began with some roadrunner hospitality. Then we left our lodging at Shoshone, and went to the Tecopa Hot Springs where some of us chose to relax in the warm, muddy waters. After the warm soak, we made a final trip to the China Date Ranch for some date shakes. We continued on to say farewell to Death Valley Park. After encountering a roadside coyote near Furnace Creek, we traversed the sandy dunes (formally called Mesquite sand dunes)- rolling down the steep dunes in laughter till sunset. The night was spent visiting the remains of what was once a borax mine before departing for our final flight back to Albany.  Thus concluded our adventure of Death Valley. Onward to Spring semester.

  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)