Well, there’s enough energy built up in this group to accomplish almost anything! I wish I had Professor Michael Cronin with me right now; he’s a professor of Social Work at Stockton College. The students are so very frustrated due to very harsh and dreary weather in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Very cold and wet - making for dangerous conditions, so no real hikes, and needless to say, few rocks to view. We did our best, and the team is now a very well-oiled machine when it comes to setting up came and breaking it down: this is in good weather or awful weather. Camping in snow is no small feat, and camping in rain for days with wet tents and bags is a real bummer, yet they are all doing very well now we are at the hotel in Sheridan, Wyoming. Alissa will write more tomorrow from a student’s perspective. I will say that we saw the most spectacular of large bears from the safety of our vans: it was huge and running up over a snowbank when it caught sight of us. It “freaked” and turned around mid-stride, mid-air. I don’t know if I have ever seen anything more magnificent in my life!

Oh my gosh: this is the first time I was glad to leave my favorite place. Last year we had dangerous rain and thunderstorms, which was unusual for this time. This year, no rain, but no rain for a very long time….so it was not only extremely hot (in the hundreds all day and most of the night), but it was dusty. The wind blew every day. It blew so hard that the fine silt on the ground penetrated our tents daily. This led to some serious dehydration problems, including headaches, dizziness, and nausea. I cancelled the 19 mile hike, as the second spring that we needed to find for water on day 2 was most likely dry. I am glad we did, as I got a heat/dehydration headache, too, and we found out on our 10-mile round trip hike up the Rancherias Canyon to the “waterfall” that there would not have been a second spring. Deadly. ONe group went up to the Oso loop, and one group biked into the solitario. One group got to hang out at the ranch house to keep out of the heat.

We saw big horn sheep, javelina, one rattlesnake, outrageous frogs in the one oasis we visited, and plenty of strange new things the Jersey gang had not experienced. Two tents broke in the last night’s wind storms (but no rain, mind you). The Mexican food has been great, the Vegan on the trip is surviving with a great attitude!

We made it out of the Trans-Pecos Texas region to Carlsbad just in time to fully tour the cave. We LOVED the 56 degree temperature with 90 percent humidity after our week in Big Bend Ranch State Park. The cave is as fabulous as ever, with phenomenally weird rock formations that have grown over time simply by dripping water that has calcium in it. The food at Whites City is as awful as expected for a place with a monopoly in the middle of nowhere. We watched the bat flight and were terribly disappointed. No swarm. Last year the students got to see a full blown whorl of about 400,000 bats come out at once.

We made it from Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico to Tucson, AZ by maybe 10 pm. We made it up into the Catalina Mountains to Mt. Lemmon by 11:30 and set up camp late, once again. This morning we were joined by one of Stockton’s Alumna, Ms. Phyllis Berger. She is a graduate student (just completed year 1) at the University of Arizona. She and I toured the mountain today while the students rested. Tomorrow Phyllis is going to lead the group on a tour of the mountain and she will explain the geology to us!

All is well in camp. We are about to work out the kinks in getting set up at camp and working together as a team. This is the most adventuresome bunch I have ever taken out, which means I have to keep a close eye. The students are doing an evening desert hike to beat the heat tonight.

Get ready!  We’re in for serious weather extremes!  Long johns!?  sun gear?  broad-brimmed hats?  I’m buying my hat once I get to Texas, so I won’t spend time on the drive out fretting about a hat that will get beat to hell and back anyway!

 Get some sleep!  Hydrate hydrate hydrate

I’m so nervous about this week! I will likely be in trouble for not being well-behaved about accepting any of the no’s I have been given. But, as they say, well-behaved women rarely make history, and in my experience, women who don’t behave as expected (yes, sir, if you say so, sir), piss people off. So, I’ll see if I can take the heat, keep my mouth shut and then take us off on a safe and happy trip!

Hey!

We got the group site at The Grand Canyon, North Rim…..on the days that I had planned - Memorial Day weekend (or close).  It’s an amazing site - right on the rim, no kidding!

The following people have to get me information by Monday.  No exceptions.  The person doing our paperwork is going out on Medical leave at the end of this month.  All requests need immediate attention.  So either bring the materials I request below, slip the information under my door BY MONDAY, or email to let me know you don’t have the goods.  We have 3 new higher-level administrators involved - replaced the people who helped us last year…rules change and we have to be very organized when we (rather when our accountant and administrator extraordinair) present the material.

Chris Kubaska - somehow, I either lost the copies of your driver’s license and insurance card (auto) or I never obtained them.  I need to get high-quality “photo” copies of your license and a regular copy of the insurance card.

Michelle Tacconelli - We missed a signature on the Request to Transport Students sheet.  I can leave a copy of the form on my door, and if you could stop by before Monday or make it to class Monday to sign it, we’re golden!

Kelly Fehn - your insurance ID card is expired.  I need the newest one that covers the time that we will be out driving.  Otherwise, you will not be allowed to drive.

Joe Phillips - I need your new insurance card.  The one we copied (and I know that you JUST got the new one or it’s on the way?) is expiring 4-27-08, just before we go.  If you don’t have it, please email me that you will get a copy to me when it arrives.

 Matt Pingitor - your insurance card JUST expired.  I need a copy of the new one.

 Chris Kleary - we know your situation and await your 21st BIRTHDAY!!!

Michelle Szlachtianchyn - your insurance card JUST expired, so we need a copy of the new one.

Remember, this HAS TO BE DONE ASAP!  I’m on a field trip to the VA Blue Ridge Th - Sunday of this week.