There and back again!

Well it seems like years ago we gathered in Anchorage on a sunny day/evening/night ... it was hard to tell and despite some initial challenges like delayed or canceled flights and one piece of missing luggage we were out of Anchorage onto the first part of this amazing trip! And three weeks later, we are back!
I can't believe it has been three weeks - it has flown by and yet those first few days seem so long ago. The geology, cultural and social experiences have been something else. Many of us have learned about our own personal thresholds, for example I don't need to wash oatmeal, spaghetti sauce or sandwich crumbs out of my eating dish - but I can't handle scrambled eggs mixing with peanut butter. And others have learned that science goes on, even in the rain, fog, wind, beating sun or with challenged music selection. I think each of us has grown from this trip and will leave Alaska knowing a little more about ourselves. On top of that I can say that each of us is a better Geologist and field scientist for this experience. It is impossible to replace this hands-on, seeing is believing type learning, it is a fundamentally unique opportunity and each of us is hugely privileged to have been a part of it. I look back on all that we accomplished over the last three weeks and smile with awe and pride. We conquered subduction zones, mosquito strongholds, disappearing strata, bears, volcanic arcs and their remnants, moose, leaking tents, strike-slip faults, antecedent streams, incision that keeps up with mountain uplift, everyone's favourite - the accretionary complex, upcoming thesis topic discussions and a couple of memorable birthdays (I think the count was 1 for Brandon and maybe 10 or so for Jon). We even handled some deflating moments - like the missing luggage, dented vans, tires embedded with nails, and the unfair Fairbanks. This group and this course is one of my most memorable experiences as a scientist, and each individual on this trip has contributed to this outstanding experience for me. In a very nerdy way (paraphrasing from a student's comment), I am passionate about Geology and learning, and truly hope that some of that has been passed on to the others. I wish each person success in their future endeavours (the trip home, sorting out courses, majors, thesis topics and beyond) and hope that you look back on Living on the Edge 2007 as a memorable (maybe even top 5) experience.
jc

A couple of photos from the last day in Denali - July 7, 2007

They don't call this class Living on the Edge for nothing! We endured the 7 hour round trip shuttle bus trek to increase our chance of seeing Mt McKinley - it is in the background of this photo... The shuttle buses are used by hikers and wildlife watchers to get further into the park, we took the second longest bus run to Fish Creek, Mile Post 64. When we got there, there was a grizzly bear just settling into a nap about 1200 yards from the bus stop! We gave him a wide berth to hike to the top of this peak - literally into the clouds! On the bus ride back to our campground, another man took a photo of Brandon's digital camera screen that was showing a great shot of our napping griz. We saw 3 griz this day, the sleeping bear, and then two others that were foraging on the sides of hills. We saw a few caribou and sheep from a distance and some feisty ground squirrels and everyone's favourite tundra animal - the snowshoe hare - I think the snowshoes slow them down in summer - at least slower than our bus.

"There are strange things done in the midnight sun"
On our last night of camping in Denali we were visited by Amanda's parents and their friends who were on vacation in Alaska and just happened to by about 3 miles down the road from our campsite. We treated Laura, Steven, Joanne and Ken to smores and stories. They had been following our journey on the blog and were happy to get to meet up with us, as were we. The students had just finished writing the final exam for the course when the parent inspection began. Thankfully they didn't get beyond the campfire, I am sure everyone made their beds, but I am not sure that all the socks had been put away. Amanda's Dad is holding up the Living on the Edge Alaska guidebook which has a shiny cover and is reflecting kind of funny in the picture - which was taken just after midnight.