Hey everyone!
Sorry it's been a while! I hope you've been checking out some of my pictures from Alaska on the link to picasa! If not, check them out...there's a lot on there so far and there are going to be tons more in my last 10 days here.
The fourth of July celebration here at Toolik Field Station was unlike any fourth of July I have ever spent anywhere. Pretty much all the labs here pick "themes" to dress up as and participate in a parade. Awards are given for the "Best dressed Male and female", "Best marching unit", and "Dare to be stupid". My lab decided to make our costumes science experiments that have been done over the years by a man named Dr. John O'Brien who couldn't come up to Alaska this year but has had some pretty comical experiments. Other groups included a Mystery machine and Scooby Gang, some cross dressed men, scientists in chains, and half naked pirates. It was an ecclectic night and after the parade everyone headed to the bonfire where a wooden statue of a pig was burned. Basically, everyone celebrates when P.I.'s (aka Principal Investigator...the boss of your lab) leaves. Therefore, a PIG (P.I.'s are gone) party takes place.
Besides crazy bonfires and interesting costumes, believe it or not I've been doing a lot of science. A typical field day includes a hike or helicopter or boat ride to a lake that we are sampling, maybe even two in the same day, and we sample water and sediment. I've been learning a lot of techniques on how to sample aquatic ecosystems and it's pretty exciting. Although, I will have to say...the work is hard and I've been gaining a lot of muscle weight. One of the regular hikes we do is probably close to a mile and I do it carrying probably close to 50 pounds at the most on my back while stepping over these stair-size tufts of grass called "tusseks". It's the ultimate stair master...
Last weekend I took a hike up to a mountain across from Toolik lake (campsite) called Jade Mountain. People said that we could find jade up there and I found some green stones up there and I think it's jade? Haha, it was pretty cool though! And the view was amazing. The climb was really steep but so rewarding once I got to the top. It truly is beautiful here!
I only have about 10 more days here and a lot of the time will be spent going out in the field, processing our samples in the lab, and having a little fun here and there ;) Movies are played almost everynight and some people get together for hikes on the weekend and play soccer later in the evening. There's also a sauna I frequent probably twice a week at the least and it is amazing. I'm addicted!
Tomorrow we are heading out to a lake called GTH 114. We have to hike to get there and it's a pretty strenuous haul but it'll be a good day. We've had amazing weather here for the past 3 days. Yesterday it climbed to almost 80 degrees! So, when you think of me in Alaska....I'm definitely not covered in snow!
Miss you all, keep checking my pictures on picasa! I seem to be better at uploading those than updating this blog! I hope to update at least a couple times before I leave for Las Vegas for my 21st birthday! I leave for Vegas in 10 days, time flies!
Sorry it's been a while! I hope you've been checking out some of my pictures from Alaska on the link to picasa! If not, check them out...there's a lot on there so far and there are going to be tons more in my last 10 days here.
The fourth of July celebration here at Toolik Field Station was unlike any fourth of July I have ever spent anywhere. Pretty much all the labs here pick "themes" to dress up as and participate in a parade. Awards are given for the "Best dressed Male and female", "Best marching unit", and "Dare to be stupid". My lab decided to make our costumes science experiments that have been done over the years by a man named Dr. John O'Brien who couldn't come up to Alaska this year but has had some pretty comical experiments. Other groups included a Mystery machine and Scooby Gang, some cross dressed men, scientists in chains, and half naked pirates. It was an ecclectic night and after the parade everyone headed to the bonfire where a wooden statue of a pig was burned. Basically, everyone celebrates when P.I.'s (aka Principal Investigator...the boss of your lab) leaves. Therefore, a PIG (P.I.'s are gone) party takes place.
Besides crazy bonfires and interesting costumes, believe it or not I've been doing a lot of science. A typical field day includes a hike or helicopter or boat ride to a lake that we are sampling, maybe even two in the same day, and we sample water and sediment. I've been learning a lot of techniques on how to sample aquatic ecosystems and it's pretty exciting. Although, I will have to say...the work is hard and I've been gaining a lot of muscle weight. One of the regular hikes we do is probably close to a mile and I do it carrying probably close to 50 pounds at the most on my back while stepping over these stair-size tufts of grass called "tusseks". It's the ultimate stair master...
Last weekend I took a hike up to a mountain across from Toolik lake (campsite) called Jade Mountain. People said that we could find jade up there and I found some green stones up there and I think it's jade? Haha, it was pretty cool though! And the view was amazing. The climb was really steep but so rewarding once I got to the top. It truly is beautiful here!
I only have about 10 more days here and a lot of the time will be spent going out in the field, processing our samples in the lab, and having a little fun here and there ;) Movies are played almost everynight and some people get together for hikes on the weekend and play soccer later in the evening. There's also a sauna I frequent probably twice a week at the least and it is amazing. I'm addicted!
Tomorrow we are heading out to a lake called GTH 114. We have to hike to get there and it's a pretty strenuous haul but it'll be a good day. We've had amazing weather here for the past 3 days. Yesterday it climbed to almost 80 degrees! So, when you think of me in Alaska....I'm definitely not covered in snow!
Miss you all, keep checking my pictures on picasa! I seem to be better at uploading those than updating this blog! I hope to update at least a couple times before I leave for Las Vegas for my 21st birthday! I leave for Vegas in 10 days, time flies!
1 comment:
Thanks for the update. (: I love you dearly, Rach.
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