Scott Herring's Page

I'm having fun remembering how impossible it was for me to get ready for that first summer in Yellowstone without ever having seen the place. Hell, I didn't even know where it was at first; like a surprisingly large number of Californians, I had it confused with Yosemite. I finally bought a "Story Behind the Scenery" book about Yellowstone. It was a good book--no problem there--but it gave me the impression that Yellowstone is pretty much all geysers. The place is over two million acres, and the… Continue

(Not a word I like, "journaling," which sounds too much like something you do while listening to New Age music at an expensive spa in Sonoma County). During my time in Yellowstone, I kept a journal that ended up accumulating and accumulating until I had several hundred thousand words, literally, in miles of loopy handwriting. Years later, I decided I needed to digitize all that so that it wouldn't get lost, and it took me five months to type it into the computer. So, again, bring your laptop wit… Continue

Now, I want to introduce a new feature that we will be experimenting with. Recall that I am an English professor, with a Ph.D. and everything. I have taught literally thousands of students, most of whom have been English-language learners. They have spoken every imaginable language, from Basque to Haitian Creole to Cambodian to !Kung. Along the way, I have picked up a few tricks on how to teach English as a Second Language (the "ESL" in my title).

Since so many people who work in national parks… Continue

Do you bring your laptop for a summer in the park? Yes (again, screw global warming). Getting online is usually an iffy affair. You should, however, keep a journal, and you will need the laptop as a platform for doing that.

These summer-in-the-park experiences (in whichever park) sometimes don't work out, but when they do, they can turn into the central adventure of your life so far, and maybe forever. You will kick yourself in the future for not writing down the details.

Having said what I just said below, I'm now going to turn around and say something environmentally incorrect. It's the time of year when people are deciding where to work next summer, and I'm remembering how hard it was to plan for that first summer in Yellowstone. Should I (for instance) bring my car?

Yes, absolutely. If at all possible, bring your car. Reasons: the Greyhound bus is the 28th circle of hell, and without your car, your mobility will be severely limited, no matter how good a hike… Continue