Elephant Back

View from the top of Elephant Back looking at Yellowstone Lake. 5/29/16. 

On Sunday, I opened at work, so I was off by 4. After dinner, I met up with a group of 5 guys, and we hiked Elephant Back. It was a mile and a half of brutal switchbacks to the top, and a mile and a half on the way down, but the view from the top was 110% worth the soreness that ensued after the hike.

We could see the entirety of Yellowstone Lake and the mountains behind. Of course, this was the day that my camera decided not to work, so I didn't even hike with it. I took the picture above on my phone, but there's no way to capture how it actually looks. It was absolutely the prettiest thing I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot considering that I've been traveling and seeing new places for the good majority of my life.

In other news, I got a promotion at work! I am the new pm shift leader in the Canyon Lodge Deli. My hours won't change much, and I still get two days off each week, but I will have more responsibility and have to work harder when I'm at work. I'm excited for what doors this might open for me, though. Plus, putting down that I was a shift leader for this company would look really good on my resume.

I'm sure now that coming to Yellowstone was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I miss home and the people there, but it's worth it to be able to be here. Anytime I have a rough day, I remind myself that I am in Yellowstone and can walk out my door, walk 20 minutes, and I'll be standing at the top of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone watching an osprey land in her nest.

I also feel like this summer will help me grow a lot as a person, friend, employee, and most of all, a nature lover.

-Morgan

The Adventure Begins

Trout Lake, Yellowstone National Park, May 26, 2016

I still cannot believe that I get to call this place home for the summer. After 5 full work days, we all got Thursday off, so a big group of us went out to explore the park for the day. We drove about an hour north to the Lamar Valley, which is where it's generally easiest to spot wildlife.

Our first hike was about a mile long, and it looped around Trout Lake. It was a fairly easy trail, but the scenery was incredible.

We then drove to Slough Creek, and did a 6.5 mile hike. The first half mile was straight uphill, but the trail finally evened out some. It was so muddy that I don't think my shoes will ever be the same. We went from scrubby bushes in the valley to aspens to pine trees within a half an hour, which was incredible.

I have done a few other short hikes in the evenings; we went to Mud Volcano a couple nights in a row, and most nights at least a few people go to the Canyon since it's only an easy 20 minute walk from the dorms.

Besides the hiking, I am also being considered for a promotion to shift leader at work. I'm the youngest person working in the deli, if not the whole operation, so it's crazy that they're even looking at me for it. I am super flattered, but I'm just worried about how the dynamic might change if I'm somewhat in charge. I would also hate for it to take away too much of my time off, or make work more stressful when I'm there. They're gonna interview me and one other guy for it by Monday, so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens!