My Rockies field course has wrapped up for another year – the fifth year in a row I’ve run this intermediate-level ‘regional field geology’ course in collaboration with Pete Berquist of Thomas Nelson Community College. We were fortunate to be joined by two other professional geologists this year: Chris Khourey of NOVA and Tom Biggs of the University of Virginia. It was a great group of students; no jerks among them. Everyone behaved safely, and there were no serious injuries. Wildlife sightings were plentiful and of high quality, like this meeting with a mountain goat atop Sacagawea Peak yesterday:

Also, there were a dozen or so grizzlies, a black bear or two, four wolves at close range, bighorn sheep, bison, elk, and otters.

We visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks, and got in some good hikes.

We visited numerous “classics” of geology, like Sun River Canyon, Gros Ventre, Jenny Lake, Boiling River, Jefferson River Canyon, Sandy Hollow, and Chief Mountain:

While the weather was wetter than in previous years, the scenery was spectacular and insightful.

All in all, another great trip, and I’m glad (a) to have done it, and (b) that it’s now over. I’m quite exhausted from the marathon 15 day session. Time for some R&R with the family and friends in Bozeman. Hope all my readers are well.