Monday, May 29, 2006

L-cky Shot

We're back in the field...about 2.5 hours by car north of Anchorage near Hatcher Pass. It's a gorgeous area and the rocks are nice too, with visible gold in many of the drill holes. I'll only be here till Friday, then head to Chignik on the Alaska Peninsula on Saturday to start work there. Jo will meet us in Chignik a week from today (Monday).

We're certainly not roughing it at camp. We have the good fortune to spend the week at a B&B that used to give tours of the old underground mine workings. Below is a pic of where we're staying.



When drilling started up again last year, the owner (also owner of the claim), stopped running tours and now hosts the work crew. Here now are 3-5 geologists, a handfull of geotech staff, and 4-5 drillers and helpers, the B & B staff, and our helicopter pilot. As the current drilling is on top of a ridge, the helicopter is needed to move people and equipment. When the rest of the snow melts the ridge top is accessible by 4-wheeled ATVs.

Yesterday was pretty crazy. The husband of a cook here tried to land his plane on the ridge near the B & B but got caught in a crosswind, swerved off course upon landing and flipped the plane when the nose hit a snowbank on the edge of the old tailings pond! Fortunately he walked away with only a bump on his head. Later that evening we got a front loader and helped flip it back over. He also was able to embed a rock just bigger than a softball perfectly in the center of the nosecone. The pics are on the flickr page if you don't believe the rest of this.



Jo's a bit freaked out as two grizzly bears were spotted about 1 mile away from her today by some hikers...and it's only her first day mapping! Scott (our chopper pilot) said he'd buzz the area though and keep an eye out the rest of the week. I'm glad I'm logging core...

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Shootin



Over the last week we've learned about guns and bear safety. Today we got to hit the shooting range and try to shoot a bear in a mock charge. Fun stuff. I even passed the USGS qualification to carry a .44 Magnum. Yeeeeee-haw. A few other pics are up on the flickr sight. I'll put a couple of videos too if I can figure it out.

midnight




In Anchorage on May 23 it looks like this out our window.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Bird Ridge



We went hiking Sunday on a ridge roughly halfway between Anchorage and Girdwood off the Seward Highway. It's a popular springtime trail since it faces south and the snow melts before many others do. There are spectacular views of Turnagain Arm and the surrounding mountains. Turns out that Jo and I both need to get into better shape before field season!

Sunday, May 14, 2006

It's not over yet



Alyeska Resort in Girdwood is open for two more weekends, so we hit it up. Friend and skier extrodinare Tony Jenkins is visiting from Seattle after a 4 week work stint for NOAA on a research boat. I think he was a little anxious to do something active. Tony has skied 52 days this season, but yesterday was hit first at a resort. More pics are loaded to flicker, you can reach that through the our links pic on the right.

Happy Mom's Day Moms

We miss you!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

moose


this time we have a pic

pics update

we put up some more cambodia pics and china pics. edited a few of the baruun naraan ones.

not much happening up here but work. getting rain now instead of snow. visited one of anchorage's long time establishments friday with the work crew. i won't review here as this is a family show.