In late July/early August 2023, Professor Bob Pahre (Political Science) repeated his popular and successful travel course, and again led a group of Chancellor’s Scholars on a backpacking exploration of parts of Yellowstone!

“Politics of the National Parks” included an introduction to theories of “wilderness” as well as information about the practical and political challenges federal agencies face when managing wilderness areas. After several on-campus sessions, students embarked on a ten-day field experience in Yellowstone National Park and adjacent national forest lands. This included a one-week, six-night backpacking trip to “The Thorofare,” a remote region of the Greater Yellowstone Area. Here students developed their own wilderness values as they assessed the management choices they experienced on the landscape as they hiked.