It is hard to believe a whole month has passed since I wrote with anticipation of the road trip and beginning the year at Jackson Hole Bible College! So much has happened!

I’m sure you’re all wondering how the road trip went. Let’s just say waking up at 2 am to begin the drive was not my favorite part. We drove 13 hours the first day and made it to Wheaton, IL with no problems. After an overnight visit with dear friends there, we set off for another 9 hour drive to Lincoln, NE. The next day was 9 hours to Rawlins, WY and that was when the dear “Swagger Wagon” began to fuss. That faithful vehicle had just about enough of the constant forward motion in 90+ degree weather, and she decided to voice her displeasure by overheating and dying. This increased our time spent on the road as we had to stop every 2 hours to let her cool down. We ended up pushing her into the hotel parking lot that night, praying for cooler weather! The fourth and last day of our journey was no cooler, but at least we only had to drive 6 hours. As we crawled into the school’s parking lot, we laughed with relief that our epic journey had come to an end. Though we couldn’t stop to sight see, we made great memories singing at the top of our lungs and passing creepy truck drivers who waved at us. Guess it’s not every day they see an ancient car loaded down with junk and 3 young ladies rocking out to country music in preparation for the coming shock of western culture!

Our first few days at school were a blur of orientation classes and a camping trip to build group skills. A few highlights were floating down the river on inner tubes, huckleberry picking in the mountains, and attending the Jackson Hole Rodeo. The thing that impressed me the most about the Rodeo was the combination of patriotism and respect for God that people displayed. Only at a western rodeo will you still be able to find a stadium full of people who remove their hats for both the national anthem and the prayer dedicating the evening to the Lord. I stood in amazement as the announcer publicly thanked God for our country, prayed for our troops, and asked for the safety of the rodeo participants!

As far as scholastics go, we have completed 3 classes so far which included learning the Greek alphabet and writing a 1,500 word research paper in addition to TONS of reading! One of the things I love about these classes are the opportunities you are given to practically apply what you are learning.

Our most recent class was on backpacking and wilderness survival. We spent a day of classroom instruction on wilderness survival, learning crucial things like how to dress appropriately depending on the climate or the difference between grizzly and black bears. Did you know black bears like the taste of human meat, and grizzlies only like the fight they get from attacking humans? Now you know!

After our classroom sessions, we set out on the trail for a 3 day backpacking trip into the Grand Teton National Park. We hiked 8.5 miles the first day to get to our campsite, carrying packs that were about 35lbs. for the girls and 50lbs. for the guys. The next day we stopped at Lake Solitude nearby and then hiked another 2.7 miles up to Paintbrush Divide. Though the hike to the divide sounds relatively short, when you gain 1,700 feet in 2.7 miles, the climb is exhausting – at least for me! At the top of the divide, the elevation is 10,700 feet and I can tell you the air feels quite thin! I marked that hike down as a personal best for me. By the end of the trip we hiked almost 24 miles as well as had a few hours of wilderness rescue instruction on the trail. The only wildlife we encountered were 2 bull moose and a marmot (just a glorified groundhog). The bears must have decided we weren’t worth the trouble! Upon arriving back at the school we were given a day off to rest and then 2 more days of short hiking trips. We rounded up the week with campfire safety and a final exam.

The school year is only just getting started and already we have learned so much! I constantly marvel at how blessed I am to be experiencing this unique opportunity in this gorgeous setting! Next month will be our geology class on the trail and I can’t wait to fill you in on what we learn there! Until next time!

About the Author, Sarah Klase

Sarah Klase is an Advisor Assistant at Bridgeway Academy and has decided to embark on a 1-year creation studies adventure at Jackson Hole Bible College in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Sarah, 27, holds an Associate’s degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and fell in love with JHBC 3 years ago when she visited the campus with one of her sisters. This year Sarah and her two younger sisters decided to take a year out of their lives to experience an amazing adventure complete with cross-country driving, interesting field visits, archeological digs and more! Tune in each month as Sarah blogs about her travels, experiences and learning’s.