Pittsburgh MCG - Myiah - Day 4

WE DID IT!!!! Today we climbed Bunsen peak, a 4.2 mile strenuous climb to the top. Though Bunsen peak was no match for TEAM PAROLINI!! We finished the climb within 4 hours and 26 min and felt like champions afterward. When we reached the top it was absolutely amazing, the view was as if we were standing on top of the world. We had lunch up there and just basked in the glory of our accomplishment. After we headed back down the mountain to the bus we headed to Mammoth hot springs. It was an amazing site, the hot steam discharge, had turned the rock white. I thought it was snow at first but once I saw the steam coming off, I was like no snowball fights for me, haha! I got a gift for my mommy from the Yellowstone gift shop. I’m not going to say what it is because my mom reads this and I want it to be a surprise. Later on tonight, we will have a team building exercise and prepare to head home tomorrow. Before we head home though we have to present our topic, which should be a piece of cake for me I hope. Oh, one more thing we received carabineers with a sort of coin on it to mark our accomplishment and let us know we can do anything in life. What I’m going to do with it is put it on a chain or something around my neck and whenever I get nervous or scared, and think I can’t do anything, I’m going to rub it, to let myself know that I can power through and achieve my goal.

Pittsburgh MCG - Kristen - Day 4

Today we did Bunsen Peak.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought but close. It was mostly uphill but had a great view. It was a strenuous hike. We did a mile in about an hour so we were making good time even with our breaks. When we reached near the top it was getting steeper. We eventually made it to the top and all found a seat to sit at to rest. We then had lunch and there was a squirrel that kept coming over to try to get fed. The squirrel got really close (less than arm’s length). There were actually two squirrels we found out and one of them decided to take Keith’s Fig Newton bar. Sadly it couldn’t since it was too heavy for it to take. After are lunch and a talk we hiked back down the hill. When we reached the bus we were faster than the last group. After that we headed to Mammoth hot spring and it was cool. On our way back we stopped at a gift store. I ended up getting 3 book marks, a deck of cards, and something else. We are setting up for dinner now; we are having Bison chili so hopefully it will be good.  Tonight I have to write my thing for the presentation the next day and I have no clue what to write about.

Pittsburgh MCG - Claire - Day 4

We hiked to the top of Bunsen peak today.  The whole trip took us 4 hours and 26 minutes, the fastest time of any Park Journeys group that has hiked it before! The climb was difficult, but not impossible.  When we reached the top, we enjoyed the incredible view for about 45 minutes while eating lunch and taking pictures.  Before we began our descent, Michelle gave us each a green carabineer with a Bunsen Peak benchmark medallion attached.  This gift is going to remind me of our impressive accomplishment and of this amazing experience for the rest of my life.  When we got back to the bus, we made our way over to the Mammoth Hot Springs, yet another amazing site to see.  After spending some time there, we left to go to a gift shop to buy things to take home.  I am sad that our trip is almost over, but I am very happy about the many valuable lessons that I have learned while here in Yellowstone.

Pittsburgh MCG - Keith (Artist/Mentor) - Day 4

Today we hiked to the top of Bunsen Peak. All week long we’ve looked across the valley at this mountain from our cabins, and then today we were barely able to see our cabins from just under the peak. It was a tough hike, and I’m really proud of everyone for making it up – some of us looked at that mountain on day one and thought we would never be able to do it. I’m not normally a very competitive person, but I will say that we not only got to the top and back in style, but we did it faster than any other group by 34 minutes.

Pittsburgh MCG - Corey - Day 3

Today was an awesome day. It was wildlife day. We saw tons of bison and elk along with other animals. We were hoping to see bears but we were fooled and it turns out they were bison. After that we hiked to a lake and had lunch. While we were having lunch we discussed why bison should roam free. After that we did a team building exercise and learned that if you break your teamwork the whole thing falls apart. After that we saw a man name Tom Murphy and looked at his awesome photos! It’s pretty amazing what he accomplished in 30 years of work.

Pittsburgh MCG - Ivy - Day 3

Today was another amazing day. We started off by keeping a lookout for wild animals, and we saw tons upon tons of bison. There were a couple of times where we were fooled by the bison, thinking that they were bears! Once we got to the hill where we could see the herds of bison, it was glorious. They were chasing each other around and wading through the water, and at that time I decided that they jumped up to my top five favorite animals! When Jess told us to be quiet and listen, it was the funniest thing. We heard the bison making noises and I’ll never get tired of hearing it. Our hike was up to Trout Lake, and it was an absolutely beautiful sight. The lake was so calm and the mountains surrounding it were captivating. We sat and ate lunch by the lake and did a debating activity on the topic of whether or not bison should be allowed to roam out of the park. The last thing we did for the day was visit Tom Murphy, the photographer. Seeing his photos and hearing him tell his stories made me want to get back out there and discover every part of Yellowstone. It was very inspiring and I’m looking forward to seeing more of his photos!

Pittsburgh MCG - Nikki - Day 3

Words tell us things. But actions speak louder than words. Whether a bison lives or not, whether a calf sees the light of day or dies in the womb all depend on actions. And when we had our debate about bison roaming free outside of the park, among the shimmering blue of Trout Lake, I felt like the smallest person in the whole world. Would this debate ever make it past the trees? Does what we say now change the future, or are they whisked away by the wind?

What happens if I speak out? Do people care enough to be affected by what I say? I know that if I can change just one person’s life, I will be happy.

I’ve been altered today, by just one person and his story. His name is Tom Murphy, and he is one of the biggest people in the world, all by himself. He didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up until he was 40, and since then he’s taken out a camera and went to action. Now he’s known worldwide, has traveled to every continent but Australia. It lifts me, my heart, dreams, and ambitions, to the peaks. I can do anything, go anywhere, and so can anyone else who puts every ounce of their passion into getting to the horizon. The sun’s shining at the skyline, and if I keep at it, I’ll get there.