Willa

Day One
August 19, 2001

On August 18, 2001, eleven students from Zoo School and two teachers departed from Omaha, Nebraska @ 6:30 p.m. Central time from Eppley Airfield.  Becky, Kyle, John, Kevin, Wyatt, Lundon, Janelle, Hiruth and Hailey (and I) left with the supervision of Beth Briney the English teacher and Sara Toren the Science teacher (& my Mom) from the Lincoln Pubic Schools Science Focus Program AKA the Zoo School.  We entered Bozeman, MT @ approx. 9:45 (Mtn. time).  We watched a beautiful sunset as we approached the Bozeman airport. 

As we came into Yellowstone today, Annalies explained that the fire of’88 burned 2/3 of the entire park.  Fortunately, many species of trees thought to have been extinct from this particular park returned.  It seemed to be nature’s prescribed burn.  Later on, after we set up camp and had sandwiches, Dr. Hunt took us out  to the site that we will be researching and data collecting.  With the help of Annalies and M.J., Bill Hunt explained the importance of this archaeological dig.  We are at the cutting edge of archaeology.  We are the first group to be excavating in a thermal river. 

The site is beautiful and very peaceful.  The river is incredible and I am excited to start work.  Pam & Lisa (the cooks) are busily preparing our dinner and people are playing ultimate toss-or something.

Example of whiteware found at the site.Knowles, Taylor and Knowles was an Ohio company.

Day Two
August 20, 2001

This morning I was the first to arise out of the students, so with my mom, we walked out to the nearest turn of the Firehole River. 

Along the banks, we noticed some thermal activity.  We saw some orange spongy algae forming tiny caves and a pourous surface.  It was very cool. 

Later on, we drove to the river and set up shop.  We carried all the equipment and strung ropes over the entire length of the river from shore to shore. 

We went through 25 meters by 45 meters of river with a fine tooth comb.  We found lots of fragments of whiteware and a soda bottle.  The water was incredible.  It was warm in the water and chilly outside. 

After we finished collecting artifacts and then returning them to the river, we set back to camp.  We changed into dry clothes.  Then we went to see some of the thermal activities in the nearby area.  It was amazing. 

This was one of the reasons I have always wanted to come to Yellowstone.  The Painted Pots were amazing, a large ditch full of soupy clay bubbling and spitting.  The sound of it was just as cool as the pots themselves. 

I can’t wait to see Old Faithful and some other large geysers.

Day Three
August 22, 2001

Today we went to the site a little earlier and got the ropes set up into the first transect.  We scoped through a couple of transects w/out finding a lot of take-able items until the third or forth transect when Janelle was fingering through some river weed by the shore.  She discovered a fully intact beautiful fainted purple-glass ketchup bottle.  That bottle could be from as far back as the 1880’s to the 1930’s.  It was very exciting.  Then Annalies and M.J. found a large silver spoon and Becky found the rim of an old pocket watch. 

On our last transect for the day, David found a tiny toy car.  Altogether it was an incredible day with a ton of great finds.  We bagged up and labeled the artifacts, packed up our gear and headed to Old Faithful for a wonderful hot shower and a view of the amazing work of nature-the geysers. 

The shower felt great and afterwards, John, Kevin, M.J. and I walked around the geyser basin and to the outstanding “wooden cathedral” as Annalies explained.  The real name is the Old Faithful Lodge.  Towering close to 100 feet above the ground this awesome work of construction and the architecture of Richard Raines (correct name?) created an exquisite building.  The crow’s nest inside, where an orchestra once played, rang music through the lodge and spectators could watch ball-room dancers some 60 feet below.  Unfortunately, from the many earthquakes and tremors the park felt, the main support beams were twisted and it is presently unsafe to put extra weight on it.  That was too bad.  From the ground floor, the crow’s nest looked like an indoor tree house-very cool. 

Our little group met up with Becky and hiked back behind Old Faithful and walked by the Chinese Geyser and down the hill & back up to the other side of the Firehole River.  Then, all of us decided to climb the ½ mile 200 ft. pf elevation gain to the Old Faithful Observation Hill.  It was steep, but definitely worth the view of Old Faithful erupting.

Day 4
August 22, 2001

Today we started later than usual.  We weren’t working in the river today so we went to the Norris Geyser Basin.  It was very interesting.  The Steamboat Geyser would be breathtaking to watch.  When it really erupts, it shoots boiling water an incredible 300-400 feet.  That would be spectacular to see (from a far distance).  The Cistern Hot Spring was beautiful too.  Clear blue water with a sulfer-smelling mist coming off.  It was beautiful.  I walked around the boardwalk and saw a lot of neat thermal areas.  The Pearl Hot Spring was beautiful as well.  

Later on, we went on a hike (oh, boy-here it goes).  This is an approximate topographical map of our hike:

The topo map basically sums it up-long, step & straight up and straight down.  Not included on the map however was the incredible obsidian.  The areas shaded in pink show the obsidian.  Both “X’s” in the pink mark where obsidian quarries were located.  These were spots that Native Americans gathered a large amount of obsidian and created tools.  It was incredible-so was the hike-despite the difficulties, my lack of physical shape, and the cuts.  We returned to Old Faithful for showers & laundry-very nice.

Willa, Dr. Hunt and Sarah Leroy-Toren examine artifacts in the Firehole River.

Day Five
August 23, 2001

It was obvious that everyone was exhausted from the hike today.  We only completed five transects.  It was too bad, but we got to rest at camp before going off again.  M.J. came out of the water noticing a huge lump on her clavicle (collar bone).  Janelle complained of an achy & pussing hole from her wisdom teeth being extracted weeks prior.  I ventured with Annalies, M.J., Janelle and my mom to the Old Faithful clinic.  Another adventure in itself.  We arrived at the clinic while the others went to the Yellowstone Grand Canyon.  The clinic (of course) was closed due to an emergency (neck injury).  So we had to drive an hour to the Lake Hospital.  It was a beautiful lake and a beautiful hospital.  After Janelle was finished, she and I walked on the black volcanic-pebble beach.  We shot a few pictures, skipped a couple of stones and headed back to the hospital to check up on M.J.’s condition.  M.J. was finally done w/her examination, 2 X-rays, 1 sling, & $315 later, we had a wonderful dinner at the Lake’s gift shop & eating area  paid in full by the project. 

M.J., Janelle and I walked around the gift store and found some stupid horn-hats for Kyle and Wyatt.  M.J. proudly carried up her find to the check-out counter and under the works of a weak narcotic known as Vicadin (for her shoulder) announced that she would like to purchase “these fine hats”.  With a smile and an odd gaze, the woman checking us out said “okay” and rung up the total as Janelle and I were rolling on the floor laughing.  We were very tired.  Before we left Old Faithful, Janelle and I walked around the geysers.  We were sprayed by a little geyser-it felt cool, not hot-definitely an awesome experience. 

Willa expresses her displeasure at the snoring camera crew.

Day Six
August 25, 2001

Last night the film crew came in, set up camp… and snored. 

We woke up today and got ready to go to the site.  Due to M.J.’s condition, she was not allowed in the river and I scored a wet suit.  We did a few transects, and then some free style looking J.  I took my snorkel and goggles and found large pieces of ceramics intact and the large lock from a lock box concreted into the river bottom.  Dennis Aig and his team were out filming us for a documentary.  He directed [documentaries on the feature films] “The Horse Whisperer” and “A River Runs Through It”.   It was cool to have a director with well known movies [sic.] shoot us as we did our dig.  After work, we went to Old Faithful, took showers and watched the geyser for the last time L.  We headed back to camp, had a wonderful steak dinner, were certified as Jr. Park Rangers and packed up.  Beth and I did the dishes as others took down the picnic tarp and used the string as a jump rope.  Beth and I laughed as Dr. Hunt jumped in with Kyle and Janelle.  We ended the trip by going to a Ranger show at the Madison Junction campground Amphitheater.  Janelle, Wyatt, Dave, Lundon, and I listened to the Ranger give her speech about water and fish.  I am definitely looking forward to my next trip to Yellowstone.