Submitted by Delilah Acosta (Macalester College)
While collecting lake sediment cores in Glacier National Park, Montana, I almost fell into an 8-meter-deep lake. On top of that, I was hangry, getting sunburned, and using all my strength to push the coring device deep into the sediments of Swiftcurrent Lake. Furthermore, I was sitting in a malfunctioning kayak that was more like a kiddie pool, which we all had collectively decided to call The Banana. However, after enduring The Banana, the hot blazing sun, the mighty winds, and the waves from the lake, our gorgeous child was collected– the final core needed in our collection. Once we returned to our campsite from our 7-hour expedition, I lay in my high-class, luxurious tent, where my wet clothes dried, my tent mates and I listened to Tainted Love, and I slept for about 12 days at Glacier National Park.
In that tent, I reflected on the entire experience. Without having any camping experience, being a good swimmer, or having any prior outdoor experience, I am able to say I DID IT! I hiked miles while carrying heavy coring equipment, got into freezing cold lakes with icebergs, and met amazing people I now call friends! The skills I have learned range a broad spectrum, from learning how to be safe around bears to packing a pack with the proper attire to ensure I stay warm in the drastically changing mountain weather.
I remembered some nights I would fall fast asleep in my tent anticipating another day of intense coring, only to wake up around 2 am to pee with my tentmate and afraid of seeing a bear in the campsite. Later that day, I would capture the beauty of the surrounding mountains as I collected data. I can proudly say I survived Glacier National Park! Not only did I survive it. I killed it.
