Fun with lichen!

I feel both excited and sad today - bittersweet.

This is our last day in the backcountry together as a group. Tomorrow we hike out of Banff National Park back into the human world again. I'm both excited that I've navigated through teaching this semester in the backcountry with my students so well and sad that it is coming to an end for me. I love being out here learning, and sharing.

At least today is all ours to let the wildness of the mountains, big sky, and tumbling streams soak into our souls some more and marinate there. At this point we've come full circle on a long circuit loop and back again tonight to our first campsite almost a week ago. It has been wonderful to spend this much time with the students - they are a great bunch, even the one or two that drive me crazy sometimes. And I am always amazed how much they change, we all change throughout the course. With very limited experience before now these guys are seasoned wilderness backpackers, naturalists, and team members.

I've also loved teaching with Casey and Steve. The fantastic people here at WRFI make all the difference in the world. I feel part of a community of like minded and passionate people. Before hitting the trail this morning Chanel did a natural history presentation of our hike yesterday. One of my favorites is horsehair lichen - much like its name it hangs from gnarled tree limbs like crinkly horsehair, and it makes for fantastic moustaches too :)