Planetary Post

YouTube channel

2012-01-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

It's been a long time, and I probably won't be posting much here anymore. But to keep in touch on my journeys and share my experiences I have a YouTube channel to post videos and I plan to make a Flikr account for photos. I realized that photo and video are what I like to share the most, but this blog is best for text.

The YouTube channel is live: http://www.youtube.com/user/pjoyce722

You can "subscribe" if you like, and get e-mails whenever I post a new video.

First flights

2011-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Its official...

I've logged about 45 minutes of actual flight time now. (still nothing, relative to experienced pilots)

This site is about 1h north of Fairbanks. Check it out! Adam (my instructor) did a nice edit.

Out of the freezer...

2011-05-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

... and into the smoker.

Summer has arrived, and with it came some excitement this weekend. We could see the smoke from the drive home, and knew it was close. But how close?

I took these shots just down the road from our cabin.

Some nice pyro-cumulus on the top there (white).

And an "anvil" where the cloud formed by the fire can't go up anymore, so it goes side-ways.

The fire crews were incredible. We lost count of how many times these planes made runs to the airport over our heads. They laid a nice fire-line down to the south (in the direction of our and many other cabins) and the fire went north with the wind. I heard the cause was a power line.

The fire was out by the next morning!

Nenana Ice Classic

2011-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Every year there is a lottery where participants guess when the ice on the nearby Tanana River will break up. This year I missed the winning guess by 7 minutes!

My guess was May 4, at 4:17p. It broke at 4:24p. This year's winning share was $15,366!

Check it out at http://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com/

A little refreshement

2011-04-13T11:53:00.001-07:00

A good way to cool off after our last skijor race of the season!

http://youtu.be/iCNy1UjgLLo

Happy Spring!

Ozone

2011-03-30T15:51:00.001-07:00

Time for some science.

For the past week or so some scientists from NASA and NOAA have been guests in our lab and on or roof. They are measuring a chemical called bromine oxide (BrO), but as an important part of the project they must also know ozone (O3). Ozone is an important part of our atmosphere and shields us from solar radiation that would otherwise kill all life on the surface of Earth. It is also a very important component in other chemical reactions that occur in the atmosphere. Ozone is present in very high levels in the stratosphere, which is typically about 5-8 miles above the surface. This height varies with latitude and with the weather: it is very low in the cold polar regions and much higher in the warm tropics.

Most of the scientists here are using optical methods to determine the amount of ozone. To verify and check these methods with a physical measurement, an "ozonesonde" (oh-zone-sahn-d) is used. It is just like a standard weather balloon but it is outfitted with a special ozone measuring instrument.

The ozonesonde getting ready for launch. It gets hooked up and pumped with a little bit of ozone to be sure that it measures correctly.

The gold packages contain radiosondes which measure temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity. All of these variables change dramatically with height in the atmosphere. Before the sonde is launched battery power must be checked and good radio communication established.

Just before launch.

Up and away! The sondes are taped with a notice that says "NOT DANGEROUS!" and offers a reward if you send it back. The NOAA guy running all this says they get about 50% of them back in Colorado. He isn't expecting to get any of these ones back. They are landing about a hundred miles to the northeast of Fairbanks.

Some nice cirrus clouds today.

This antenna receives the signal from the package on the balloon and sends it to a computer inside.

I am very happy to see some clouds again!! It is much colder at high levels in the atmosphere than it is near the ground. The cold cold temperatures of the winter here inhibit cloud formation. Clouds like these show warmer, moist air coming in and are a sign of spring!

Skijor Race!

2011-02-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Apollo and I competed in our first skijor race. For those unfamiliar, "skijoring" is a sport where a person on specialized cross-country skis is pulled by a dog (or 2-3 dogs). We've been doing this for exercise a couple times a week and we were ready for our first competitive race.

Paula holding back the beast!

After a count-down from the starter we are off and away.

Race: 1-dog, sprint class. ~4miles. We started out downhill really fast - Apollo was sprinting down the hill with me skiing behind with little tension on the line. After that we did a lap around a large field and then wound our way back up the hill through winding trails. Weather was about 5 below and snow.

Downhill finish.

I was exhausted, but he was ready for another lap.

Result: 20:08, 5th place (out of 18). Apollo won a new squeaky toy! We had a great time, everyone was very nice and there was a great positive dog/human atmosphere.

Aurora

2011-02-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

We may be in a period of low solar activity, but every so often the aurora kicks up!

The sun is constantly spewing high energy particles and radiation into space. This activity gets stronger and weaker in a cycle that takes about 11 years. We are currently in a low, but should be headed out of it anytime now. If fact, the low period is a bit longer than normal.

Even in the low periods, the sun can still burp, through a "solar flare" or a "coronal mass ejection". These particles interact with the upper atmosphere (like way high ~100+ km) and make the magical displays we all aurora.

Panamanian New Years

2011-01-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful Christmas at home with my parents I had the pleasure of joining Paula and her family friends in Panama.

Everyone was very nice, hospitable, and eager to practice their English! I learned my fair share of Portuguese, too.

The apple crisp was a hit! (Oh yeah, I got a haircut.)

The view from the apartment.

The infamous canal. It was very impressive, indeed. Connecting two oceans, raising tons and tons of mass above sea level with water, and flooding valleys gave the impression humans can do anything they chose.

I have never seen so many enormous ships in one place (waiting for canal time, I suppose).

Some random photos from Bocas del Toro, a land of sun, islands, and water taxis:

Neighboring seasons on the haul road

2010-09-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn is undoubtedly upon us in the sub-Arctic. The gold has crept in from the north and enveloped Fairbanks in a bright contrast of yellows, reds, and the struggling remaining greens. Temperatures are still above freezing, but there is a cold wind from the northeast. The yellows turning to browns, the transition is almost complete.

This summer I ended up taking two trips up the Dalton Highway (aka “haul road”). It is 496 miles from Fairbanks to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay). Prudhoe Bay is where most of the drilling takes place, and Deadhorse is kind a support town. It has the airport, general store, and a few motels (for $200/night). You can’t actually drive to Prudhoe Bay, the oil companies keep the roads private. You can take a tour, though, so I was able to dip my feet in the Arctic Ocean. (My leg is healed up well, but I still had an open wound then, so I didn’t get to do a full dip.)

The haul road is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the last great road trips. It is 416 miles of dirt, gravel, or pot-holed asphalt. It is the trucker’s road - not ours. Big rigs hauling pipes, heavy equipment, and portable living spaces to Deadhorse dominate the traffic. There are only 2 stops along the way with gas, Yukon Crossing and Coldfoot, so it is wise to bring gas cans. Yukon Crossing is just that, where the road crosses the mighty Yukon River. Coldfoot is an old gold miner’s camp that has become a trucker’s favorite stop. The truckers even have their own table reserved for them with coffee always fresh. You can get gas in Deadhorse, but they don't even display the price on the pump! I can only imagine.

The Dalton winds north out of Central Alaska, a region that looks much like Fairbanks. Some high Arctic tundra pops in every so often, until it reaches the Brooks Range. The Brooks Range is the northernmost range in Alaska, and shields the Fairbanks region from much of the Arctic winds. It is a place of vast wilderness, awe inspiring beauty, and extreme seasonal variability. The mosquitos were so thick in the summer I had to simply accept the fact I was going to eat some. By the time I was done with a meal, I had pushed 10 to the side of my plate. In the winter, however, it is home to the coldest registered temperature in the US: -80F, Prospect Creek, 1971. Come August, it is already autumn. Green hills rich with life turn hues of orange.

Naturally, after two trips up the haul road, I have plenty of pretty pictures. But rather than post a bunch of "calendar" shots, I’d like to present it a bit differently. There were many similarities and differences between my summer and autumn trips, and they were apparent in the photos. Unfortunately, I didn’t think of this earlier, so I couldn’t take “identical” photos for seasonal/trip comparison, but I think it worked out pretty well. Trip 1 (first) was early July, Trip 2 (second) was early September.

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Neighboring seasons on the haul road

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^ Photo credit to Oliver! ^

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(we could see for miles in both directions)
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Carnival Dream

2010-09-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

I've been sitting on these photos long enough! It was a wonderful trip full of relaxation, great family, and random acts of dancing. It's been so long now it seems like it was only a dream...

The blue jacket with no pockets

2010-08-24T18:28:00.001-07:00

(a story not for the faint of heart)

It all began with a jacket. Little did I know a blue wind jacket with no pockets, plucked off the clearance rack at Beaver Sports, would alter my life so drastically. There's no place for your hands! Oh well, nice jacket anyways. Always a sucker for a good sale.

In training for the Equinox Marathon, I went running last Thursday on Ester Dome, a nearby elevation gain of about 2000'. There was a threat of rain that day, so from the car I ran with my blue jacket with no pockets. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was over-heated, and stashed the blue jacket with no pockets in the bushes. On the way back, I didn't even think of it; ran right by and headed to the showers.

Then came Friday. I was tired of running, but still had the itch to do something. Winds weren't favorable for any sort of flying, so I packed up the mountain bike. Now where is my blue jacket with no pockets? Oh yeah, Ester Dome. Well, I guess I'll ride those trails. It was a little out of the way, but any excuse to ride the single-track.

"Single-track" is a type of trail, typically tight and technical. (As opposed to a double-track which is likely a road for vehicles.) The Happy Valley Trail on Ester Dome sweeps, swerves, dips, and dives through the trees about half-way up Ester Dome. It flows; smooth and fast.

I was familiar with the trail, and perhaps riding a bit on the over-confident side. It sure felt good to be on the bike. Cool air moving past my face, Jimi Hendrix on the iPod, and Apollo blazing the trail at constant trot, bewitched by the occasional calling squirrel.

The ride was about over when I came to some man-made features. Little platforms on which to ride, catch a little air, and continue onward feeling like a bad-ass. I had done this ramp in particular before, multiple times, why back down from the challenge now?

Into the air I flew, carrying too much speed. I overshot the landing, and came down on the mushy, vegetated edge of the trail. This put me in a wobble and I started over the handlebars. At this point I realized there were some trees rapidly approaching. Funny. I remember spotting those trees the first time I saw this feature and thinking, "Hmm, wonder why they built that ramp there right in front of those trees."

Airborne horizontally, with the bike below me, my right shin made full contact with a standing birch tree. The impact spun me around and stole from me all momentum I carried moments before. Ouch, that was a hit. Can't be that bad, lets see the damage.

"$%&@"

At this point, Apollo doubled back and we sat in the middle of the trail. I cursed a few times and banged on the ground. Ah, finally - adrenaline. I pulled my handy-dandy iPhone from my bag and gave a ring to ol' 911. Paramedics on the way. Nice. Okay, now what?

As Apollo worked a close perimeter, I removed my riding shirt and tied it around the wound. Last time I ride without a first-aid kit. I used my headphones for a little extra pressure, but they proved useless. Climbing to my feet, I realized I could bear weight. That's good. But the first few steps quickly showed me hobbling on one foot while leaning a bicycle wasn't going to work. Wait a minute, stop leaning on the bike and ride the thing!

I flung my leg over and balanced on the seat. With my left foot guiding the pedals and occasionally dragging on the ground, right foot out like a broken wing, I coasted the bike down the trail. Careful now. Falling is not an option. It was about a half-mile back to the car, and lucky for me mostly down hill.

I arrived at the car right as a first responder showed up. "You call an ambulance?" Yup. The wrap, limp, and bloody leg didn't give it away? She was nice. I was glad I got out of there on my own, even an Alaska State Trooper showed up with an ATV.

The paramedics were very friendly, but I declined transport. Something about seeing your muscle flop out of your leg makes you want to call 911, but I probably could've gotten myself to the hospital. I called Will, and he gave me a ride to the ER. The paramedics gave me a good pressure wrap, and cracked jokes while we waited for Will to show up.

The ER was pretty straight forward. Wait. Triage. Wait. X-rays. Wait. Insurance information. Wait. Doctor. Wait. IV. Morphine. Wait. Anti-biotic flush. Wait. Stiches. Wait. Wrap. Wait. Go home at midnight.

The flush was pretty impressive. To clean the wound of any dirt or debris, they squirted 3 liters of an anti-biotic fluid into my leg while simultaneously sucking it out with a vacuum. That made an interesting sound.

Looks good. Final count was 2 internal, dissolving stiches, and 12 external, doubled up to make 24 individual connections between the opposing sides.

It struck me when here I found myself, in the ER, eating chocolates brought by friends, watching the tech use little curved needles grafted to black fishing line to sew the hole in my leg closed. A hospital gown graced my chest because my shirt was previously used as a tourniquet. I came in wearing the the blue jacket with no pockets, but it impeded the IV.

Many thanks to Will for taking me to the hospital and for getting me all set-up with medical supplies. Also to Oliver and Brittany for taking Murphy (Apollo) for me.

Ninilchik

2010-08-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

Photos from a drive to the Kenai Peninsula and back to Fairbanks, a little bit of old town Ninilchik, and a great fishing trip with Dad.

ewr

2010-08-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Too much time in an airport, and a camera.

Soltice Fly-In

2010-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Date: June 18-20, 2010
Location: Eagle Summit, Alaska

What is a "fly-in" you ask? Well, it is simply a gathering - a gathering of hang-glider (HG) and para-glider (PG) pilots from far and wide. They come together to embrace the spirit and energy of each other, and come with high hopes for good flying and camping. One pilot, John, came from as far as Pennsylvania:

What better way to celebrate the longest days of the year by soaring hills and watching the sun not set?

Adam soars the ridge.

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Eagle Summit is a two hour drive to the northeast of Fairbanks. As altitude is gained to a meager 3,652ft (high by sub-Arctic standards), the trees slowly fade and the domain of Arctic tundra is entered. Here the hills are bare, covered with soft, spongy flora and the occasional rock pile. Eagle is an ideal flying site because it sits between the Yukon Flats to the north, and the Tanana Valley (Fairbanks area) to the south. Any differences in weather between the two areas produces strong winds, and even if light, the air is always moving. We camped right on top.

The Arctic Circle is defined as the latitude on Earth where the sun does not set on the summer solstice, June 21st, at sea level. The farther north you go, the more days of 24hr sun. Eagle Summit is not technically in the Arctic Circle, but the elevation at a latitude of 65 degrees north makes it is possible to watch the sun skim the horizon and continue upward into the sky.

The night would grow no darker.

Saturday would prove to be an epic day. I awoke to the sound of a PG crinkling in the wind as it inflated. Adam was up at ‘em, feeling out the steady up-slope breeze with his wing.

Not wasting any time (nor wind), he set the mood by soaring the ridge. Get a load of Apollo in this one!

After a breakfast of pancakes and homemade Pennsylvania maple syrup, it was time to hit the training hill. We drove down about 5 minutes, but probably a good 1000 ft of altitude, where winds would be mellow. Here I got to stretch out my wing and hop around in the breeze over a gentle slope of tundra. At one point I shared the hill with 5 or 6 other pilots. It was truly incredible. I don’t have any photos from this spot, but somebody snapped this one.

If Apollo had a Facebook page, “chasing flying people” would surely be in his list of Hobbies.

Next, it was back to the main camp, and thus the main launch. Winds were still too light for the HGs, so while they were napping Adam and I discussed a tandem. A 'tandem' is two people in one wing, which can be done in either craft. They do, however, have to be specialized wings to account for the extra-heavy load! Adam got out his tandem and felt the wind.

“A little light,” he said. But it will do. I had waited a long time for this. My first tandem flight: unreal. We had to work a bit to get airborne in the light conditions, but after a short run I felt the harness tighten around me and watched the ground drop from beneath my feet. The air rushed past my ears, my helmet whistled a little. I shouted for joy and probably cursed a few times, because I was flying.

Apollo beat us to the bottom. Paragliders fly slowly.

By then we could all use a nap, so I joined the HGs in their slumber. I was awakened only after an hour or so by the sound of aluminum clanking and sails flapping. Winds had shifted and gotten a little stronger, so the HGs set up, anxiously anticipating stronger winds. It turned out the puff was short lived. Thus, the HGs were left to take a short flight or don’t fly at all. It takes a good 15-20 minutes to set up a HG, so you may as well make it worth it. John offered a tandem, I pounced on the opportunity.

Unheard-of. A PG tandem and a HG tandem, in the same day - without paying a cent! Had to have been a first in the state of Alaska. I promptly assisted John with set-up, and we did a few practice launches. When the pilot and passenger are here:

. . . the pilot needs to know the passenger will commit, and not become an awkward piece of luggage upon launch. All those days running track paid off, John was impressed with my run.

So then it was time! Wow, HGs are fast. Something about laying prone, Superman style, makes it easy to convince yourself you are now a bird.

It was easy to see why HGs are superior for long distance cross-country flights, and stronger conditions. We covered about twice the distance, in half the time. Apollo arrived a whole minute later.

At this point, my day could not possibly be any better. About an hour later we were graced with a passing shower.

The only thing left to do was to crack a beer and watch the sunset (or lack thereof). Dinner was moose chili by the fire.

Solar noon at Eagle, due to the large Alaska time zone and daylight savings, was around 1:45p. This means, in this shot:

. . .the sun was still on its way down.

Meanwhile, our camp was growing by the hour with fellow celebrators of the solstice. Everyone took to their own space, and did their own thing, but there was a common theme of light and wind. At one point there was a pack of at least 8 dogs circumnavigating the camp. Our view was a little blocked, but not spoiled, since they brought kites. There it is, 2:01 am:

According to Ben, we were very lucky this year to not have the sun blocked by clouds. I was even offered a kite to put in the air. How could I resist joining the flock?

To say we got rained out on Sunday would be putting it lightly, but it comes with the territory. Packing up camp in a torrential downpour didn't dampen anyone's spirits.

Summer!

2010-07-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Many apologies for the lack of posts! It has been a crazy summer. I have a many things ready for the blog, so the flurry of posts should show why I haven't been in front of my computer much. Events include a camp-out on a mountain top, fishing with Dad, a drive to the northernmost point in the US, a cruise, and now -- England! My adviser has sent me to Norwich, England to learn a few things. More on that, later, I am going to try to throw more science into the blog.

Hope all is well!
Patrick

Visitors

2010-06-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

For the most recent moose visitors, I didn't grab the camera. There were, however, some passers-by earlier... something like early April. Hard to believe this place was covered in snow then!

Certainly no moose, but close enough.

Arctic Circle on 1 tank

2010-06-06T19:11:00.001-07:00

We had planned to take a river trip down the Tanana with some friends, but the weather changed our plans. Heavy rains in the Fairbanks area drove us north, up the Dalton Highway, aka "haul road". This road starts about 50 miles north of Fairbanks and continues all the way to Prudhoe Bay.

Apollo never hesitates to indulge in roadside treats.

Our goal for this trip was going be the Yukon River, but we decided to continue on to the Arctic Circle. We made it to the Arctic Circle and back on one tank of gas!

The road is in pretty good shape. It varies between packed dirt with a nice mud layer, and a paved highway riddled with potholes. Bring a full size spare! Maybe two, if you drive the whole thing.

"Wonderland" : burned dwarfed black spruce trees make one feel as though their proportions are a bit off

Bound for Deadhorse.

5 mile Airport. Just beyond the Yukon, the highway is sometimes closed for a few minutes while they land a plane here.

Double guard-rails. A sure indicator anywhere the Alyeska pipeline crosses under the road.

Plans are in motion to do the whole 413 miles (one way) next month.

Dinner and a Show

2010-05-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

The nearby town of Fox, Alaska consists of a gas station, a bar, a restaurant/brewery, a truck weighing station and a public water source. I like to call it the Fox Watering Hole. I had just returned from Fox with eight 5 gallon jugs of water and a some takeout from the brewery, because I didn't feel like cooking. I backed in the car, and proceeded to enter my house as usual. After I put the key in the door I noticed Apollo was on high alert.
I turned behind me to see a young moose chomping away at some willow bushes in my front yard. "Young" by no means equates to small. This guy was probably 3 or 4 years old and maybe 7 feet tall at the shoulder. Apollo was only about 10 feet from him. The moose didn't like this very much, but he stood his ground. I called Apollo back, and, interestingly enough, the moose didn't mind my yelling to the dog and continued right on chomping.
So there I found myself in a lawn chair on the porch, beer and burger in hand, dog sitting diligently at the edge of the stairs, and a moose meandering in the brush not more than 20 feet away. Dinner and a show, Alaska style.

P.S. Note the sunrise/sunset time in the little box to the right ---->
The darkness has just about left entirely.

First backpack

2010-05-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is certainly upon us, so last weekend was time for the first backpack of the season. Even though it snowed yesterday, it was 60F today and I sit here with light significantly on the horizon at 11p. The extra light was very nice for hiking out, we didn't have to leave until late afternoon and were able to be 6 miles in with camp set before dark. This was Apollo's first backpack, and he did great. He even went face to face with a moose. (Neither one was harmed)

Oliver and Brittany heading up.

Good work on the tarp, Oliver. Instead of taking refuge in the tents when snow came, we had a fire and a dry spot to cook dinner.

The view in the morning. Add a hot cup of french press, and its hard to beat.

Snow-melt water, though, not always so pleasant.

On guard, and alert. Believe it or not, that sign behind him was the only thing that freaked him out the whole trip.

Happy dog. His backpack broke after 5 minutes, but I have since got him a better one. He can pack his own food!

Back in the cabin.

My Alaska Pt. II

2010-04-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry again for the delay, I've been sitting on these pictures since the end of winter. But it is spring here now! Temperatures are pushing 60F in the day, the sun is warm, and the clouds are puffy, well rounded cumulus. So to finish off the wintery side of things, here is "My Alaska" Part II:

Satellite adornment.

Breaking ice.

Forgotten Nash.

Watering hole.

Neighbors.

Neighbors long gone.

Winter's dusk.

Thanks for looking! Don't forget you can click on them to enlarge them.
-PJ

Tobaggan Lane Luge

2010-03-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Made possible by Helmet-Cam v1.0.

Gaining Light

2010-03-25T11:46:00.001-07:00

With the turn of the equinox, light is quickly returning to the North. Although it is still 20F outside, it is officially spring, and I wrote this song in celebration.

My Alaska, Pt. 1

2010-03-21T13:41:00.001-07:00

Alaska means different things to different people. For some, its working the pipeline and snow machines, or maybe its skiing 30 miles to a cabin in the wilderness. It could be studying musk oxen in the Arctic, mushing dogs, or owning an espresso stand. I've finally gotten around to taking some photos just for the sake of taking photos. This is the Alaska that I've found, so my ongoing project is called "My Alaska".

I decided to start with the pipeline. I drive by it often and always wanted to take a look at these funky things. (They are convective radiators so the ground below the pipeline doesn't thaw and sink.)

Apparently Sattie loves Cal.

The ol' Howling Dog Saloon, closed for the winter because the building isn't insulated.

An adornment of the less-traveled St. Patrick Road.

Willow Run.

North Star Borough Solid Waste Disposal, Fox Station. (No curbside pick-up around here)

Part II is in the works! Snow is melting quickly...

Some aurora

2010-03-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

The aurora hasn't been all it can be recently, but it was still worth going out and trying to take some pictures. We froze our butts off on the highest elevation in the area, wind brought the wind chill well below zero. I got the one above, which looks a lot like how it really appears to the naked eye. Exposure time was about 45 seconds.

This one is an awesome long exposure by Oliver, about 8 minutes. The sky looked nothing like this, but it shows that the entire atmosphere above us was glowing even though we couldn't see it. The strong bands were visible to us, but other than that it was dark sky. The burrs from the stars are from them moving across the sky while the shutter was open.

Ice and snow

2010-03-11T23:13:00.000-08:00

Hey there. Sorry - I've been slacking.

Last week I went and checked out the World Ice Art Championship, which is an ice carving competition held in Fairbanks every year. Something about the climate here is ideal for large blocks of ice sitting around. Overall, it was very cool. Some incredible sculptures. My tripod broke right when I got there, so the photos are a little dark or blurry.

There was a maze, although there weren't too many decisions to make.

(Sun, sailboat, lighthouse). They shine lights, sometimes changing color, at the sculptures. The index of refraction of ice makes the whole thing glow.

1st prize in the single block competition. There were different types of ice that provided texture on the rings, incredible.

This is one from the multi-block competition. If I stood next to the scorpion, I'd be as tall as the pincer.

Also multi-block, also huge.

Oh yeah, Lauren - forgot to tell you, I built you something. Lets try to save it until August, ok?

Oliver did an incredible job of spinning an ice top. I was inside.
I am sick just looking at the photo.

A couple days later, Julie showed me ropes on snow biking. It was very cool. The snow here is firm packed and dry enough that it felt a lot like riding a dirt trail. Except, every so often we would find ourselves on a frozen creek or pond. Apollo likes biking, too. Thanks for the photo, Julie!

Learning to Fly

2010-02-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

For the past few weekends I've been out with my new friend Adam, learning how to handle a paraglider. You might be thinking, "Wait a minute - I thought he had a hang-glider?" In which case, you would be right. However, interior Alaska, with its mellow weather and lack of open landing sites, is much more conducive to paragliders which can "spot land" and fly in weaker winds. Just so happens, I e-mailed a paraglider instructor in Fairbanks and he lives right across the road. We became friends quickly.

As you can imagine, snow and cold make this a little tricky. Here I set up for an attempt to get a little controlled air. If I remember correctly, this launch in zero wind wasn't successful.

I am learning more than I am even aware of. Pre-flight inspections involve triple-checking all connections and clearing the lines of tangles. The lines (risers) are actually very resistant to tangling.

Apollo likes paragliding weekends, as it means we go out to an open field and he gets to run around for a few hours.

Here I perform a forward inflation in low winds. The wing comes up pretty well, but doesn't quite make it overhead so Adam gives me the "abort" call. The voice you hear in the videos is his. His patience and wisdom are priceless!

In this one, the forward launch goes well, and I get the wing inflated and make a forward run. This gives me the ability to control the wing as if I were flying, but still safely on the ground. The run goes well, but I failed to put the wing down in a controlled deflation. I've done it since!

So far, my new hobby has taken to me places around Fairbanks I wouldn't otherwise have gone. Last weekend, I was granted the best view of Denali I've had in Alaska, from the top of Murphy Dome. (Keep in mind Denali is 200 miles away in this shot) The ultimate goal is to get certified in Girdwood (Alyeska), near Anchorage, by the end of the summer.

Yukon Quest 2010

2010-02-07T23:46:00.001-08:00

Every year, a sled dog race takes place through some of the roughest, coldest, most brutal wilderness on Earth. This race stretches 1000 miles from Fairbanks, AK to/from Whitehorse, Yukon. Yesterday, it started in Fairbanks!

The first racer gets on the move. They were spaced out at 3 minute intervals. The winners will complete the race in about 8-9 days.

It started right downtown, on the river. Yes, that's right - on the river. I'd bet its the biggest event downtown Fairbanks sees. People were all over the bridges, but mostly right on the frozen river in front of the action. You can even make out a musher in this shot, looks like bib 10.

Naturally, the event brought your fair share of folks.

Calm, controlled, and cheerful. I'd like to see him at mile 847.

Another happy face. Most of the mushers seemed very happy to be setting off. The dogs are outfitted with booties to protect their feet from the jagged snow, and to keep snow from bunching up in their paws. Some get jackets, but for the most part these dogs are impervious to the cold.

Lead dogs - focused, hyper, and strictly obedient. The musher calls out commands to the lead dog(s) to direct the rest of the team and steer the sled.

This race is pretty badass because the mushers have only a few checkpoints, which means they'll spend their rest time on the trail, camped out. There are places for them to drop injured or tired dogs and resupply, but not many. Rule is they can start with no more than 14 dogs, but they must finish with 5.

Naturally, this got me all siked up. Skijoring is about as close to dog mushing as I'll ever get. So I went home, grabbed Apollo and hit the trail. We skijored some trails right in the neighborhood, but I got lost and we went quite the distance. I called it the Goldstream Valley Quest. He did great; our best skijoring yet. I foresee many miles on the trail with him. He is all healed up and in great health. He is finally growing some hair back on his belly!

Why'd I do this?

2010-01-26T21:02:00.001-08:00

As some of you may have heard, it didn't take longer than a week for me to end up at the vet's office with Apollo. He had been vomiting for 2 days, and I had thought it was his adjustment to new food. When it turned bloody, I was in the vet's office at 8am. Aurora Animal Clinic, catchy name, huh? Long story, short - he had a blockage, showed up on x-ray, had to go in surgically for it. And the culprit? Mildly anti-climactic...

| ------------------------ 1 ft -------------------------|

Yeah. Its grass. But it is over a POUND of grass. I should have put something next to the bag for some scale. Let's see... if I put my shoe next to the bag, it about covers it. Yeah, that's enough grass to fill a boot. Don't know when, and don't know how, he managed to eat enough long-stem grass that it tangled and massed until it wouldn't go up or down. I am pretty sure he didn't do it all on my watch, I'll be sure he can't do it again.

How about a tally? In one week, Apollo has:
-torn apart my cabin
-chewed a pair of brand new running shoes
-shat in my friend's house
-pissed in another friend's house
-puked in my car
-puked on my bed (2am)
-racked up a $1300 vet bill
-farted at least 30 times

Why did I do this, again?

Oh, yeah. That's why.

He is currently curled up on the couch next to me, sleeping. He is in great spirits and recovering very quickly. If he didn't have a big incision on his abdomen, I'd say there was no way he had surgery yesterday. I have to keep him calm for a week, but after that it looks like he'll be right back at it!

Above is the view from the top of the hill we skied last weekend. He pulled me a little ways, he on his own, running next to me, for the rest. Even going downhill on skis, he can beat me!

Introducing: Apollo

2010-01-21T19:00:00.001-08:00

Yup. It was time. He's a 7 month old Alaskan Husky. AK huskies are all mixes, and this guy has a short coat, so he is probably mixed with some hound or pointer.

He has a great attitude, and is responding to me very well. Can't quite let him run loose outside the house, though. He discovered one of my neighbors is a dog musher very quickly, and he likes to go visit the dog yard! The musher lady didn't like that very much. Nice to meet you, neighbor!

I'm sure there will be some more exciting pictures of us in the future. He has skijored with me twice and has done great. He pulls like crazy, but then stops to sniff stuff. We hiked Toboggan trail today (toboggan in hand), and he did great off the leash. This dog is fast. He especially enjoyed chasing me down the hill, although he still beat me down it.

I see good things.

Winne Ranch

2010-01-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Bruce for letting Jesse and I head out to the ranch. Bruce built the ranch, and it is quite cozy inside. We made it out there a few days after the big snows, although the area in north-central Nevada where Winnemucca sits didn't get quite as much snow in the valley.

We headed about 5-6 miles out from the ranch for a day hike. It would seem Alaska isn't the only place that can grow frost flowers!

A Seuss-looking juniper pine.

Nothing makes Poncho happier than trail/road and open desert.

The infamous dart throw. Beer was consumed, darts were thrown, enough said.

Poncho by firelight.

The view to the east. Nothing like some desert sunshine in winter.

Ski Flyin'

2010-01-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite hobbies over the past couple years has been flying radio controlled airplanes. It was a blast to get to fly again with my buddies while I was home, and the snow that was on the ground wasn't going to stop us. In fact, it made it even more fun on the ground. Pictured above is Jesse's plane followed by his dad Larry, coming in for a landing.

We rigged up skis that attached to our landing gear made from plastic water jugs. The lack of friction made taxis on the ground smooth and quick. Here Jesse, the master of the touch-and-go, takes off.

And here Jesse gave a nice pose for me as he came in for a landing. He was carrying enough speed to kill the motor and let it glide ride in. These little guys are made out of a carbon fiber shaft, foam wings, and some electronics to make it work. We literally strap the batteries on with rubber bands.

From the left: Jesse, Larry, Ken. It was time for me to put the camera down and get back to flyin'!

New digs

2009-12-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

It was a little later than first anticipated, but I've finally moved into the cabin I've had my eye on for a couple months. Its on the same property, so I have the same landlord and same deal, just a $50/mo increase in rent. I said, "Good deal!" Same everything, really, just Cabin A instead of B.

Interior is a little different, though. A-frame construction makes for some interesting angles. I haven't decorated yet, I think I'll put up some of my old 35mm prints and some shots from this summer's travels.

Kitchen area. I'm getting used to cooking with gas. I am quickly understanding why people prefer it to electric! Nice to have real cabinets. I have all kinds of good stuff behind those doors.

A little nocturnal illumination... those fluorescent shop-lights are a little too much. The couch came with the place. It has been called "ugly", but I am happy to have it.

The roof up here is about 6 feet probably, I don't have any trouble moving around. I'll probably rig up some kind of pole for hanging clothes up here.

1691 A. The move took only a couple carloads of stuff and shouldering a hang glider down the street and around the corner.

The shortest day of the year is almost upon us. Here is a sunrise as viewed from the roof of my building on campus. Time of day: 10:46a.

A Homer Thanksgiving

2009-12-05T00:19:00.000-08:00

Being my first Thanksgiving away from home, I certainly wasn't about to sit around at home alone. Lucky for me, Oliver and Brittany were planning a trip down to Homer and invited me along. So Thanksgiving Day we made the 12 hour drive south to the coast to Homer, a little town on the end of the Kenai Peninsula.

Turnagain Arm. This is a little section in between Anchorage and the Kenai. Looks very different than the times I have driven it with my Dad in the summer!

This is the cabin we stayed in. Photo courtesy of Oliver, a great night shot. I forget the exact connection, but Oliver's parents lived in Alaska for a period and through their connections we were offered this cabin to stay in free of charge. We weren't exactly sure of the place when we got there, and knocked on a neighbor's door - Chuck and Julie. They told us how to find the place and we went back the next night for some drinks!

This is the end of the "spit". Homer Spit is a tiny outcropping of land that stretches about half-way across the bay. Its full of fishing charters, restaurants, shops, and the Salty Dawg Saloon.
We spent a lot of time out of the spit walking around and taking pictures. The cabin was nestled back in the hills.

Weather was certainly "variable".

Its no wonder the place is deserted in the winter. Here a place marker stakes spot in an empty RV park.

The spit also seems to be a place where ships go to die...

... or where others choose to live on a new function. (take a close look)

The clouds broke and we got a little sun. It was nice to see the ocean, too. Once we had our fill of taking pictures, Oliver enlightened me on how Norwegians have fun.

I'd say the expression on his face says it all.

Random updates

2009-11-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

No big news to report, but a few tidbits. The met tower and profiler from the field study (pictured above) have been taken down and the campaign is officially over. There are a few lingering things to do, but mostly now its get everything back to the lab and help Dea with data analysis.

A couple days ago these two critters livened up my drive to school. Good thing I turned left to check the PO box! They just strolled along like it was their own backyard, pouncing on each other and peeing on things like two dogs with no human to report to.

So that's Julie, and that's a weather balloon. She is doing some research on inversion layers in Fairbanks (they can become very strong around here). In order to track the inversion over the course of the night, she launches a balloon every few hours. They record temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and location via GPS. With this a whole slew of things can be calculated.

This computer program tracks the balloon's progress and location, takes in data, and spits out a bunch of calculations.

So Julie let me launch this one. Its big and buoyant. I imagine it swelled to a huge size at high altitudes. Ready? Release! We even got clearance from the nearby FAI Control Tower.

Let the balloon go and let it yank the radiosonde (little white box with all the instrumentation in it) right out of my hand. The computer program recognizes an immediate change and kick starts the data collection. Cool. I think I'll always have a soft spot for meteorology.

I'm off to Homer, AK for the Thanksgiving weekend with Oliver and Brittany. I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Snows and skis

2009-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

The snow is stacking up these days, turning Fairbanks into a true winter wonderland - complete with temperatures well below zero. The other night my car thermometer registered a -22F in the lowest part of Goldstream Valley! Lucky for me, I am at a slightly higher elevation.

The snow falls so slowly and steadily that it can balance on just about anything. Its even a surprise when the wind blows. Here the branches have caught snow well beyond their size and are feeling the weight.

All this snow means it is time to hit the trail! I've been doing some classic cross country skiing on trails around campus for exercise. Last weekend Oliver, Brittany, and I trekked out on a trail only about 30 miles out of town. But as you can see, it doesn't take very long to isolated...

Here I admire the master winter fire-maker at work. Those Norwegians know how to do winter!

One pair of socks wasn't quite enough at -5F, so I had some warming up to do. Also pictured is Oliver's pot of campfire hot cocoa (stirring with a stick). Pure awesome. Like I said, Norwegians know how to do winter!

The angle of the low winter sun make for some spectacular lighting. This is about mid-afternoon. The above photo is my favorite winter shot yet. You can click on it to see a larger version.

Meh, it's only zero

2009-11-15T01:30:00.000-08:00

I was hesitant to inhale as the hot, humid air hit my face and engulfed the rest of my body. A little sniff through the nose brought a tingle to my nose hairs. "Relax, and take a deep breath," I told myself. "Your lungs have to like this more than the cold air out there." Sure enough, the hot, moist air rich with the scent of citrus oil was nothing but pleasing, relaxing the lungs and enriching the skin.
We sat in the hand built, cedar sauna for a couple hours. I listened to the veteran hang glider pilot and the young, but experienced, paraglider pilot swap stories. Stories of soaring above the clouds, looking down on storms, drives to the middle of nowhere, and the feeling of slicing the air in a turn as if you were skiing. I sat back, gulped water to try to cool down, but had to learn to accept the heat. "Oh yeah," I thought. "This is what it feels like to be hot."
I quickly came to the point where I didn't think twice to stand naked outside. It was a welcome chill. With my body core temperature well above normal I came to embrace the frigid break to watch the snow slowly drift to the ground.
Afterwards, I insinuated I was ready to leave for the evening and stated, "Pretty cold out there, gonna have to warm up the car for a while?" He took a quick glance at the thermometer out the window. "Meh," he replied, "it's only zero."

Mom, Dad, and Sky

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Now that I am somewhat settled and into a groove of things, it was time for a parental visit! Mom and Dad came up for the weekend, last weekend, just in time for a drop in temperature. It was wonderful to see them, and they enjoyed their visit.
Winter is here, and so is a halfway decent snowpack. There was no wasting time when they arrived. We went straight from the airport to Creamer's Field were I got to try my hand at skijoring!
Pictured at right is Dan, he was kind enough to let me get hitched up to his dog, Sky (front and center). Sky was hyped up and ready to go!
Myself being quite the newbie, Sky got tired pretty fast. The idea, when you're good, is that you skate ski along and the dog assists by pulling. I, however, didn't get to skating much and Sky pretty much pulled me all around the field.
The rest of the Mom and Dad visit consisted of coffee shops, showing them around the school, and my cabin.
Mom and me out front.
The outhouse was hit. They handled the dry cabin livin' like champs!
We also took a drive out to the infamous hut. This is where all my research is currently going on. I haven't really blogged about it, since part of an outreach program is a blog of the research! This can be found here: http://n2o5.blogspot.com I'll link it from my page. It is mostly upkept by Dea, but I post every so often. Let me know if you have any questions!
Chugging right along up here. It will be Christmas before you know it. Also, I should be switching cabins (same property, just an upgrade) in the next week or two. Hope all is well with everyone.
Patrick

Denali Hwy

2009-11-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

Not to be confused with the Park Road that goes into Denali National Park, the Denali Highway is a beat-up dirt road that runs ~130mi from Cantwell E-W along the south side of the Alaska Range. This makes it ideal for driving till you feel like stopping, getting out and hiking away. Oliver, Brittany, and I did just that.

This sign greeted us on the trip. Scary, yes, but its there to stop ill-prepared people from getting into an ugly situation in winter time (blowing snow, -40F, deep powder). Considering we still had not gotten our real first substantial snow-fall, we were okay.

Oliver taking in the scenery with his d40. He taught me a valuable lesson: always bring your nice camera! The water in this shot on the right is part of the most elaborate beaver dam I have ever seen. Multiple ponds, dams wider than a house, tons of water.

It was a bit frosty in the morning, but this view and hot cup of coffee is hard to beat.

So just how big is a moose? Well, they like to chew on trees to eat the bark and the stuff right underneath. Its common to come upon a tree like the one pictured here, gnawed down to the wood just above head level. So put the moose head where you see the bare part of the tree - and there's your scale. Moose are really big. We ended up seeing 1 browsing around in the morning, 2 on the hike out, and another 2 crossing the road on the drive out.

Oliver snapped this one.

A truly Alaskan evening

2009-10-12T00:53:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure if my evening began in the Fred Meyer parking lot, or perhaps in the Subway, but it surely must have started after I left the concert. This afternoon I attended a classical-ish male accapella ensemble concert. They turned out to be very good, mixing it up here and there with some percussion and light comedy. They appealed to the crowd that would enjoy a good classical symphony, but Oliver and I were certainly not the youngest in the room.
Oliver and I parted ways and here my evening must have began. It was about 6pm and I had a few hours to kill before my intramural soccer game at 9:30p. I figured now as good time as ever to try to track down a 36mm allen wrench I need to complete the winterization of my car (to remove the radiator plug and insert the engine block heater so my coolant doesn't freeze). I swung by Alaska Interior Hardware, but considering it was a Sunday evening, they were closed. Alright, no small business this time, I just need a wrench - onward to Home Depot. Well, Lowe's didn't have it either, surprise surprise. I'll just have to catch the little guy when he's open.
At this point I decided to grab some food. I had seen 3 Subways since I started driving around, so I picked the closest one and headed in. I was patiently waiting for my turn to order a sandwich when I realized something strange on the belt of the man in front of me. A sidearm. Plain and simple. Couldn't tell you if it was a glock, 9mm, or even a BB gun, but there was a gun on this guy's side nonetheless, in a Subway sandwich shop. Not sure what threatened him, but hey, if he feels he needs it. He ordered a sandwich for him and his wife, got in his beat up red pickup truck with a dog, and a birch tree cut into pieces in the back, and drove off. Nobody seemed to take a second look, except me...

Not four minutes after I sat to eat my dinner a homeless man came in and sat straight across from me in the empty chair and asked for some money. This put a bad taste in my mouth (not to mention the smell) and appeared to make the elderly people enjoying their dinners around me uncomfortable as well. The manager quickly ushered him out. I was thinking of buying the guy a damn sandwich, but when I left there was no sign of him.
Onward to Fred Meyer! If you've never heard of Fred Meyer, don't worry, I hadn't. It is pretty much an Alaska equivalent of a super walmart. In the parking lot it is possible to observe anything from ladies with mullets smoking cigarettes to young asian women parking cars at very odd angles. On this evening in particular I observed both the aforementioned. I talked to Lauren on the phone a bit and then went in to do my shopping. Nothing special inside really... this time.
After making room for my groceries next to my water jugs freshly filled courtesy of the Fox Watering Station, I headed to the Student Rec Center to play some indoor soccer. We won, 1-0, which completely made my night considering we don't win very often. Sweaty and smiling I headed just a quarter-mile up the road to IARC to take a shower. Showering at home in the dry cabin would consist of a bag on a tree, so the free hot showers for IARC employees are very much appreciated. I sang a little song and hopped back in the car to drive to my cabin.
I decided to take the scenic route, which I often do, which leads me out of town on a large loop to the Goldstream Valley. About a mile or two down the dark road I came to a car pulled over, no signals, lights on, hardly off the side of the road. "What is this? A moose? what are you doing?" I looked, I can't see anything, so I drove around him real slow and kept onward. I did notice a bit of illuminated smoke, but nothing special.
I took me a minute to realize that this was not the moonlit clouds and smoke I have become accustomed to seeing in the valley. "Spellbound" by The Doves was playing. The sky was glowing. In a high, long streak, it ebbed and flowed like a slow moving whispy cirrus cloud. It was barely green, mostly a dull white. I had finally seen it - aurora!
Sure enough, I happened to have my camera in the car so I pulled up next to the mailboxes on Willow Run, right before I'd turn on to my street. Here I had a stellar view of the glowing northwestern sky. I got out, shut the door, put the camera on the hood (I didn't have my tripod). Before I had a chance to push the shutter, something pulled my attention from the glimmering night sky.
"Munch munch munch munch."
Brush brush swish swish.
"Munch munch munch."
"Oh shit." Sure enough, directly across the road were two moose. They didn't seem to mind me, my car, my noise, or the passing of other cars. They were about as indifferent to me and headlights as they were to the aurora. I figured it was moose at first, but I didn't get to see their sheer size until a car passed. The calf (who was no baby) looked almost as if he'd been caught in a prison spotlight, looking guilty with half a shrub hanging out of his mouth.
Nice. So there I was: on the side of the road in only a fleece at 32F, hair still wet, snapping shots of the aurora, listening to the crunching of bush in the dark. I snapped this shot off.

The green in the shots comes from the length of exposure time I needed to capture the faint light of the aurora. To my eye, it was a white glow with a hint of green. As impressive as this little display was to me, I've been told that this is nothin. Hopefully only a taste of whats to come!
My camera battery died and I figured it was a good time as ever to get to the comforts of my cabin. I felt as though I had finally arrived in Alaska. And I also feel now a bit more comfortable with the idea of encountering a moose on the trail to the outhouse! Thanks for reading,
-Patrick

PhD anyone?

2009-10-01T11:14:00.001-07:00

Nice.

First snows

2009-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, winter has certainly arrived. I logged the first snowfall a few days ago, but today I woke up to the first complete layer of snow to coat the upper hills. There's been a steady, light snowfall all day so far, so there is already a bit more than this. It seems this is how snow will normally fall, too. Slow, steady, peaceful.

This is the view from the outhouse. Much better than the back of a door, huh?

The Road Lottery

2009-09-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

The only road that goes into Denali National Park looks like this. In the summer, it is only open to busses for people to get taken back into the park. Every year, they open it for people to drive their own cars in, which was this last weekend. Lucky for me, friends of my friend Marlyn (Dave and Vicky) won a ticket in the lottery for a car on Saturday. So we spent the day driving into the park and stopping more times than I would care to count! The terrain varied immensely from the start of the road to where we turned around, and displayed the vastness of the Alaskan wilderness. I forget the tally for the day, but we saw moose, bear, eagles, cranes, sheep, and a fox. Oh yeah - and arctic squirrels.

This bull moose served to welcome us to the park. We weren't even to the part of the road you need a pass for yet! He was "rutting" - chasing down some cows. If they moved, he moved. Priorities.

Meet the horde. We never saw this many people again, but whenever there was wildlife near the road, you could bet there were people who had already spotted it.

Burning off a little morning fog...

Doll sheep in a high mountain pass near the road.

Fog rolled into the lower valleys in the late morning, creating a very mystical atmosphere.

This shot has two animals in it. Well, at least 3, but you can't see the squirrel. This momma bear proceeded to dig for about 15 minutes until she successfully dug a ground squirrel out of its hole! I got to witness the chomping through some binoculars. To the victor goes the spoils. I only wish I could have seen the size of the hole, she practically disappeared into it a few times.

Peaks no numerous as not to be named.

The infamous bridge to nowhere.

There ya go, a little taste of the park road.

Take those turns slowly now.

What state am I in? Sometimes those high tundra hills look a lot like desert.

First...

2009-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Let the record show: September 22, 2009, 9:40am, frozen water has fallen from the sky.

Autumn in Fairbanks

2009-09-19T17:26:00.001-07:00

Just a few shots I've taken around Fairbanks and the Gold Stream Valley (where my cabin sits). I had trouble really capturing the sheer yellow of the entire place since the trees are so thick they prevent good vistas. But, I have never seen a place so golden.

This is the view from out front of the Chemistry Building. It is actually a place tour buses come to show off the view. The peaks in the distance are the Alaska Range. Denali is way off to the right, and wasn't visible at the time.

My front yard.

A little pond in the Goldstream Valley.

Goldstream Valley Road. I assume this is why they call it the Goldstream Valley. Those hills won't be yellow for long...

Trees in the tundra grow to stunted sizes from lack of sunlight and exposure to sub-zero temps for so long.

This is the Natural Sciences building (it houses Chemistry, Physics, and Geology). I teach my chemistry labs in here and take a class.

This is IARC: the International Arctic Research Center. This is where my research lab is housed and where I have a desk. That satellite dish is about 3 stories tall. The big ball on the left is the radar for the National Weather Service, who has their office here, as well.

IARC at dusk.

Winter is looming! I think the entire town is tip-toeing around the fact that the first snow may be in 1-2 weeks.
Patrick

Welcome to Alaska

2009-09-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I was fully initiated into the Alaskan lifestyle with a packrafting trip in the Alaska Range. It was in the area south of Fairbanks, in between Fairbanks and Anchorage on the Denali Hwy. Packrafting is just that: pack - rafting. We packed in, something like 25 miles, over passes and through valleys, before putting our boats in at the foot of a glacier.

Here's the crew. From left to right: Heather, me, Ben, Ed, and Dea. I work with Dea in the lab, I'll be helping her with her field campaign this winter. They are all friends and were happy to bring me along on my first packraft.

Just like all the trees around here now, the tundra was turning. This made the hills an incredible gold and red. Apparently tundra is normally all green!

The big one was out, showing itself fully in a clear sky. That's Denali.

Those are some of the other headliners in the Alaska range: Hess, Deborah, and Hayes I believe.

There were many alpine glacier lakes, too. Good for dunking in the numbing cold water. I think my average dunk was about 8 seconds.

Caribou were everywhere! We probably saw about 25-30 on the whole trip. They are very curious animals, too, always interested in us. Then they'd snort, throw up their heads, and trot away.
The hills were literally covered with wild blueberries!

The final decent to the river...

The Susitna River. Perfect weather made for an ridiculously beautiful experience.

Kitchen window

2009-09-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

It was a crisp autumn morning in my driveway this morning!

Cozy...

2009-09-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

...works for me as a way to describe the inside of my cabin. Still not quite furnished, but certainly livable!This is the kitchen area. I have a fully functioning electric stove with an oven and fan. The sink drains into a bucket, which I forgot to dump this morning... Water is stored in the big orange jug there and used sparingly!

This is my "bedroom". The wall on the right is just a little divider between the main room and this back room, giving the illusion of having a bedroom. Works well! Warm so far.

Virgil to Willow Run

2009-08-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

The drive speaks for itself.
Be sure you have sound on, and I'd recommend the full-screen! (lower right of the YouTube box)

A little hike and the cabin

2009-08-31T19:50:00.001-07:00

I had some time to kill waiting for the previous tenant to move out, so I hit the trail! It wasn't much of a distance, but it was an interesting introduction to the tundra environment.

The ground was actually soft and spongy, so they laid planks to form the trail. I also was very intrigued with all the strange foliage in the area. This place has an incredible plant variety. Below is in some thicker brush, not quite "tundra" as it is defined I think.

I didn't see any wildlife on the hike other than a few birds. I have yet to see a moose! I've been told this will change... moose should frequent this area:

There it is, quaint and cozy. A decent view of the sky, too, considering it is in some pretty thick brush. There is a little shed to the left, too. Seems well insulated, headed with a Toyo oil stove. It is raised up off the ground because it rests on permafrost, which is actually frozen ground (about a foot down). A ground foundation would melt the permafrost below, making for some sinking! Its roomy enough, 16x25' with a little dividing wall. I'll post some shots of the inside once I'm a little more moved in. But here are the wonderful bathing facilities:
No door. The landlord finds them unnecessary. This makes sense, really, since there is nothing but trees and maybe a moose to spy on me, and won't keep in any heat anyways.

School gears up this week. Till next time...
Patrick

Reno to Fairbanks

2009-08-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

Not exactly a direct flight...

I've made it to Fairbanks. It took 6 days, driving 8-12 hours each day, totaled somewhere around 3,500 miles. I took the scenic route, going far east out of my way to visit Sam in the Rubys and see some National Parks in Canada.

A nice send-off on the NV 722.

Lamoille Canyon, Ruby Mountains, Nevada. A must-do for anyone within a day's drive.

45th Parallel: Halfway between the Equator and the North Pole - somewhere in Idaho...

Up to Banff National Park now, British Columbia, Canada. This is the "Crow's Foot Glacier".

Jasper National Park, a little further north now, but still Canada. Canada is huge. I mean enormous. You could literally drive all day and still be in the same province.

Ah, the mysterious sign post forest of Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.

Encouragement! First time I saw Fairbanks on a road sign. (Fairbanks 1010 km: "think metric")

The northernmost land boarder crossing in the US. And probably the most relaxed...

This is Maya and her dog Viva. I found her stranded at the "Top of the World" Highway, Canada and USA border. She was eager to stuff herself into my car. We had to tie a few things to the roof...

Like I said... we had to tie some stuff to the roof. This is somewhere on the Alaska side.

That's the view from the top of the world. I can only imagine how it looks in the winter.

Some people lived here. . . once.

Tundra, as far as the eye can see in all directions.

That's about all the pictures for the drive! I'm working on a video which I hope to post real soon.

Patrick