Denali Canyoneering

There are few things in this world more exciting than picking a place on the map, and going there. And that's exactly what my friend and I did last weekend for two full days out on the west side of the park.

The day started out a little iffy with the weather; it rained a few times over the course of our 4-hour bus ride into the park, but by the time we got to our hiking destination, it had begun to let up. As the bus slowed to let us out on the side of the road, I could feel all the other passengers staring at us: two girls heading into the backcountry alone with impending variable weather conditions. I couldn't help but feel a little hardcore, even though this would be just an easy hike.

Into the canyon!

Some things from the week

Earlier this week: I looked out my window at about 11 o'clock at night, and nature was staring back at me and standing about 8 feet tall.

Hunting for Dinosaurs

I've kept a journal since I was 8 years old. One of the first entries I ever wrote was about how I wanted to become a scientist when I grew up, and find evidence of dinosaurs. Although my dreams of making groundbreaking scientific discoveries has long since passed, part of that dream did come true yesterday, in the best way possible.

Two of my friends, Jessica and Ashley, and I set out for the day to find Denali's dinosaur tracks, which were discovered in the park just 10 years ago -- a very recent discovery by many standards! The story goes that in 2005, a college class from Fairbanks was visiting the area and the professor was explaining that this part represented the Cantwell Formation, which should display evidence of dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago. Although nothing had ever been found, remarked the professor, we would expect to see things like plant imprints and dinosaur footprints around here.

"Like this?" asked one of the students, pointing to a footprint in rock they were standing next to. Just like that, the student discovered the first of thousands of dinosaur footprints since found in the park.

Wildflowers everywhere!

A Day at Eielson

You know you work in a big park when it takes you 3 months to even make it out past the first 60 miles. I am rather ashamed to admit it's taken me this long to go out to Eielson Visitor Center, but alas, it is the truth, and so I'm going to own up to it.

Last weekend I finally took the plunge and rode 4 1/2 hours out to Eielson for a day trip to see what all the fuss was about. It was a long, but beautiful 4 1/2 hours, where I sat packed like a sardine in the back of a full bus.

Polychrome Pass, looking like a painting again

A Tundra Wilderness Tour

Last Thursday for training, we got to take one of Denali's tour buses out into the park for the day to get an idea of what visitors experience when they come, and also for us to get a better look at the park we'll be working in for the next 5 months.

Our bus

Alaska video montage

I've only been home a week and a half, but already Alaska seems almost as distant in memory as it is in miles. I'll be totally honest, as great as it was to experience a "real" Alaska winter in one of the harshest environments on earth, it feels damn good to be able to just walk out my door barefoot now that I'm back in Florida. No more spending 10 minutes to put on enough layers to step outside. I've even started to get a tan again (currently in the form of sunburn, but hey).

It wasn't quite as hard to adjust to living in "civilization" again as I thought it would be. It's nice to see affordable prices in the stores once more, and have more choices in products. The harder part has been getting used to living at home after being on my own for so long. I miss that freedom already, but I keep telling myself it's only temporary. Because I know it is. Hopefully within the next month I'll be on my way to a new job, whatever it may be (fingers crossed that it will be in Alaska again).

I hate this period of limbo where I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. But in between job-searching and car-searching and freaking out about the future, I've managed to finish putting together my video montages of all 9 months in Alaska. Just watching them over again gives me the travel bug, so maybe it'll inspire you to get out on your own adventures as well. :)  Enjoy.

Incredible weekend at Serpentine

Alaskan native tradition says the valley of Serpentine Hot Springs is the home of powerful spirits. I could see how those beliefs came about last time I visited in July, but the 3 days I spent there this past weekend were perhaps some of the most beautiful days I have ever been lucky enough to experience.

Beaver lodge and dam

Update and lots of pics

This week was relatively uneventful, so I'm taking it as an opportunity to post a backlog of random photos that don't really fit anywhere else. 

As you may have guessed, the rest of my trip into the field totally fell through and I ended up staying in Nome. My trip for next week has been postponed too -- I was supposed to go out to Serpentine again on Monday for the week, but yesterday we found out that we're not allowed to go because it would mean working on Labor Day! Yay government. 

Rained in at Kuzitrin

The week started out promising. By noon on Monday my supervisor and I were suited up in our flight gear and walking across the tarmac behind the Bering Air hangar for our first helicopter trip out to Kuzitrin and Imuruk Lakes. It was partly cloudy, but the ceiling was high with a vivid blue sky above. 

My view

When I saw the chopper we were flying in, I couldn't help but laugh -- it was smaller than the car we had driven to get here, with a big bubble window around the cockpit, giving the two front seats a wide view all around. As the photographer, I got copilot's seat.

Week in Serpentine, part 2

Wednesday was by far our worst day, in terms of weather. We all awoke in the morning to wind rattling the entire building and rain pounding at the poorly insulated windows. When I decided to brave a trip up the hill to the outhouse, it felt like being on a boat in a small storm, the whole structure rocking back and forth and a cold draft coming up through the hole, bringing with it all the wonderful aromas an outhouse has to offer. Lovely experience.

Week at Serpentine, part 1

Monday morning I found myself once again traveling the long, dusty dirt road to Quartz Creek, the airstrip where we were to meet our bush plane to be dropped off at Serpentine Hot Springs in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Also known as Iyat in Inupiaq (meaning "cooking pot"), Serpentine is one of the most visited areas of the preserve, as it has an old bunkhouse and bathhouse pumped in with water from the hot spring, and has for centuries been known as a place of healing and spiritual energy. 

First night in the backcountry

Made it back from my first two-day-one-night stay in the backcountry. Headed out again tomorrow morning so I will attempt to be brief with the highlights from my 530 photos I took.