First Snow

Well, it isn't the greatest picture, but it proves the title of this entry. It's winter.

Back to Red Dog

We returned to Red Dog Mine to set up our field equipment, which will monitor the waves offshore until the ice moves in. Knowing that it was late September, I was a little nervous about how cold it would be, but it was about the same weather as in Fairbanks. Actually the weather at Red Dog was gorgeous, with clear skies and no wind. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Here a picture of me (white hard hat, looking like Cousin It) and Oceana running cable down a trench.


Getting there on a Monday and leaving on Wednesday was just the right amount of time to get all of our work done and do a few extra equipment tests to boot. If only every installation would go so smoothly. No wait, then we might be out of a job, but anyway…


It was nice to work in the sunshine and to have a chance at seeing the green flash at sunset over the Chukchi Sea.


We didn’t see the flash, but our surroundings were certainly beautiful enough to give us plenty of other sights to enjoy.


Some caribou ran across the tundra during our drive back to the airstrip. No pictures of those, but the plane coming to pick us up was a great sight as well. It was only three days, but it’s always nice to return home.

It's All Downhill From Here

I went out to my car this morning, same as every morning, and, same as every cold morning lately, the windshield was covered in a heavy dew. One flick of the windshield wipers. Nothing happened. The dew stayed, and all I heard was a dull scraping sound. Another flick of the windshield wipers, and the exact same scene replayed itself. Could it be?...Was my fear becoming reality?...No...Surely not. However, sure enough. The windshield was covered in frost for the first time this season. Luckily I'm lazy enough that my ice scraper was still in the trunk from last spring. I guess it's time to move it to the back seat. It's all downhill from here.

The Last Few Weeks

After returning to Alaska from my southern tour, I wanted nothing more than to stick around Fairbanks for a while and to keep my feet on the ground; however, it was only a few days before I boarded a plane for Colorado. I had a meeting in Keystone and seized the opportunity to visit my cousin Cori in Denver. Unfortunately we were only able to catch up for one evening, and I didn't take any pictures, but it was great to see her again. (Thanks for the great hospitality, Cori!) Soon enough I was in beautiful Keystone, Colorado, where the weather was perfect. I left the window of my hotel room open 24 hours a day and enjoyed the sun and beautiful views during breaks from the meeting.



A few days later, I was back in the Denver airport, yet again returning to Fairbanks. Coincidentally, my friend Carrie's sister Rachel and her daughter Claire were on the same flights as I was. Rachel lives in Colorado and was heading to Alaska to visit Carrie. What are the chances?

Since there were visitors in Fairbanks, a little entertaining was in order. Carrie and Thea, Rachel and Claire, and I headed out to Mt. Prindle to hike up the Quartz Creek Trail and pick some blueberries!


There weren't a whole lot of blueberries to be had, but the view from the trail was gorgeous.



The only wildlife we saw were some grouse hanging out on the hilltop, but it was a sighting none the less.


Since there weren't many blueberries to be had this year, thanks to a few weeks straight of rain, I still had the berry picking bug. It didn't take long when I got a tip that the raspberries at Pearl Creek Farms were great this year (Thanks, Andy!), so I headed on over there and picked a gallon of raspberries in short order. Mette and Kieran joined me for a bit because who can resist raspberries? Yum!


The only other annual tradition that needed to be fulfilled before the snow starts to fly was attending the demolition derby with Carrie. This year Thea was able to enjoy being a 'red-neck-for-a-day' with us, and now you can too thanks to the following video.

Diversified fun is a must!