Guest Blogger: Kelli Baxstrom (’16), member of Team Utah 2014
EPHRAIM, UTAH — A week into Utah, and feelings are mixed between slight hysteria for those who continue to fall off the couch in the evening due to exhaustion and an ongoing sense of awe of the beautiful world that exists outside Ohio.
Sunday was a day off for us, and so the four of us hopped in a van with some of the OSU field camp students – including recent CoW graduate Tricia Hall – and headed to some hot springs near Spanish Fork. We smelled like sulfur the rest of the day, but the waterfall and pools were worth it!
Wednesday was very I.S. focused for Michael and myself. For my part, I am a double major in Religious Studies as well as Geology. So in order to meld my I.S., Dr. Judge drove me to Nephi to meet the Chairwoman of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. It was very enlightening to talk to a native and political spokeswoman of the tribe, and I learned so much of political, historical and socioeconomic activity of the Paiutes for the last millennia. Dr. Judge also enjoyed the meeting – possibly more than myself – in learning all the ways that the Paiutes have lived and prospered in the areas where she has worked and researched for several years.
After Dr. Judge and I got back from Nephi, Michael and I spread out on the floor with a multitude of topographic maps of Utah trying to decide what we would like to do for I.S. At the moment, that is a prospect Michael and I irrationally believe is completely unattainable. But Dr. Judge has faith in us.
Hey, Team British Columbia, here’s proof that there’s some real wildlife out here in Utah…
Someone has a great camera lens, or this is far closer to a moose than I ever want to get. Nice post!