Additional Information for Students Accepted into the 2009 Program
Air Arrivals in Billings
Those travelling by air should fly to Billings, Montana. (Billings is also served by Greyhound Bus.) A field-course van will pick up students outside the baggage area at the Billings Air Terminal on the first day of the course (July 3rd), if the student requests this. Valessa Souter-Kline must be notified by email (vsouterk@sas.upenn.edu) by June 25th as to airline, flight number, and arrival time so that we can coordinate pick-ups. Van space is limited and only those who have notified us will be guaranteed a ride. Call the Camp to advise of any last-minute delay or change of arrival. Ask for Jeanette on the special kitchen phone (not to be used by students for other than emergencies): 406-446-1333.
If you plan to fly, get information on fares and reservations early. Billings is not served by many airlines, and the competition that exists has not resulted in attractive fares. Flights with less expensive seats are filled early, and others do not arrive until too late in the evening (you must arrive by 4:00 pm). Billings is served by Northwest Airlines via Minneapolis or Chicago; Delta via Salt Lake City; and United via Denver. Schedule adequate transfer time. You must let us know by mail, FAX, or email when you will be arriving in Billings, if you expect a ride to YBRA.
Return Flights from Billings
Book your return flight for late morning (~11 am) or early afternoon of the final day (July 18th), since the drive from Camp to Billings is over an hour.
Arrival Time in Camp
Students may not arrive in camp earlier than the designated assembly date (July 3rd). Students should be in camp by 5:30 PM on assembly date to avoid missing dinner and the meeting thereafter. Because of camp obligations to other groups, there may be no bed for early arrivals, and you must bear the cost of meals at camp, if available, before the evening meal on the assembly date.
Away from Camp
Night in Yellowstone gets cold, sometimes damp or rainy, and the temperature may fall below freezing at night. In Yellowstone we stay in cabins without bathroom facilities. However, bath houses complete with flushing toilets and showers are close by. You will need a duffel bag or pack for travel to Yellowstone and to hold your gear while you stay in the cabins. Do not bring a pack frame or a suitcase. They are very bulky and difficult to pack in the vans for trips away from camp, and they generally get in the way. It is best to bring a duffel bag for most of your gear and a small back pack for daily field use. When you are not at YBRA you will be responsible for buying your own meals. We suggest you bring about $150 to cover all meals.
Camp Phone
There is a phone in the main lodge, which is for the use of students at the camp. However, you will need a calling card or credit card to use the phone for long-distance calls. Do not use the special kitchen phone number for regular use. That phone is for camp business and emergencies only, and must be kept free. There is cell service for most phones at the camp.
YBRA Camp Facilities
The YBRA Camp is nestled in the pines and quaking aspen trees at an elevation of 6800 feet. Accommodations are rustic and consist of the main Lodge, where we eat and relax; a research library on local geology and natural history; study halls; wash houses with toilets and hot showers; a volleyball court; and dorms and cabins on the surrounding steep terrain. The nights are generally cool (35 to 65 degrees F) and the days generally warm (65 to 95 degrees F). June is in the cooler range and August a bit warmer. The only heat is from the fireplace in the Lodge, rarely used after July 1, and the natural mountain climate.
The camp supplies you with a bunk bed with mattress only. There is a Laundromat in town; most students manage to do laundry about once a week. There is a lot of hiking involved in the course, much of it at high elevations where the partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere is lower than in the atmosphere where you are spending your school year. Please make an effort to prepare for the field course by getting in hiking shape before traveling to Red Lodge. This will also ensure that you have the opportunity to break in any new field boots you plan to use.
Contacts Before Camp
Robert Giegengack:
Office: (215) 898-5191
FAX: (215) 898-0964
email: gieg@sas.upenn.eduYvette Bordeaux:
Office: (215) 898-9191
FAX: (215-898-0964
email: bordeaux@sas.upenn.edu
Deadlines
We will have rolling admissions until the course is full. After the course is full students applying for the course will be put on a waiting list. If a student drops the course, the next person on the waiting list will be contacted.
And the Food?
Montana is meat-and-potatoes country, but our cook, Jeanette, does an excellent job of providing balanced meals with a reasonable variety of vegetables and salads. When there is sufficient demand, we offer a vegetarian table. Most students in the follow-up evaluation rate the food as first class. There is always plenty of peanut butter and jelly, cheese, and whole-wheat bread available. Fresh fish is not available in Red Lodge and is never on the menu. You will pack your own lunch from a selection of bread, meat, cheese, fruit, and cookies every day for the field. In operation of our camp it is not possible to arrange for the kitchen to prepare special diets, nor is it possible to provide cooking facilities for individuals.
Meals Outside of Camp
Please remember that you will be responsible for purchasing your own meals, at restaurants and/or grocery stores, for the four days and three nights that we will be traveling in Yellowstone. Our experience has indicated that $150 is sufficient for this purpose. Please make sure that you bring at least that much in cash/travelers cheques to camp, over and above what you plan to bring for incidental expenses, recreation, etc. Please note that both Red Lodge and Yellowstone have ATM machines and that the Yellowstone facilities accept most major credit cards.
Travel Accident or Health Insurance
Penn-YBRA does not carry medical or travel-accident insurance for field-course participants. If you will not be covered under a family or school medical insurance policy for the summer, contact an insurance broker and purchase your own policy. Medical facilities are available in Red Lodge. Students are reminded that, under many hospitalization plans, dependents over the age of 19 are not covered under their parents' family policies. You are responsible to make sure that you are covered by medical insurance. It would be advisable to be covered from the time you leave home until you expect to return home, rather than just during the field course itself.
Mailing Address for Students During the Course
Your Name
c/o YBRA Field Camp
Box 630
Red Lodge, Montana 59068
Upon departure from camp at the end of the course, leave a forwarding address; otherwise mail will be returned to sender.
Immunizations
Current tetanus protection is always desirable for field work. If you tangle with barbed wire, the doctor will ask for your immunization record. Make sure your tetanus immunization is up to date. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a disease of the western U.S., transmitted via the bite of a tick vector. Doctors in Red Lodge have advised us that drugs now available for the treatment of RMSF are quite effective; thus, the need for RMSF immunization is not as great as it has been in the past. You should consult your family or school doctor about shots recommended for field work in Montana and Wyoming.
Personal Cars
Some students bring personal cars to Red Lodge. Cars should be put in good mechanical shape before leaving home. It is understood that these cars will be used only during designated free time. When these cars are used during "off hours" they are not under the jurisdiction of YBRA or the University of Pennsylvania. Field-course students who ride in private cars do so at their own risk.
UPS Address
If you plan to send items by UPS to camp, mail to:
Your Name
c/o YBRA Camp
Howell Gulch Road
Red Lodge, Montana 59068
