With all of our roots injected, plucked, sorted, packed and shipped, it was time for the Deep Roots team to take a short hike before we headed back to Fairbanks on the Haul Road one last time. Here are a few photos from our last day on the tundra:
Some of Deep Roots team fossil hunting in the distance.
Even in late August, you can still find ice on the ground.
I think this has been here for awhile.
Xanthe Walker, high on a ridge
Lichen
Walking through rocky ground cover can only mean one thing – lichens. Here are a few pictures…I think they are all lichens, but a mycologist would know better…
The orange was practically fluorescent against the gray rocks.
Apparently those little sucker shaped ends are important for reproduction.
So cool.
Finally, a Sunset
After our hike and a final dinner, the crew cleaned up the lab and readied everything for our trip down the Haul Road. Upon leaving the lab, we finally saw a sunset. The time was about 9:45 pm.
The sun is finally beginning to set on the tundra.
We even saw the moon that night at around midnight, but I couldn’t get a good photo.
Heading back to Fairbanks
The next morning, we packed up all the trucks and headed back down the Haul Road for the 6-8 hour drive “home.” Here are a few shots from along the way.
The Brooks Range is far in the distance.
The vibrant colors of autumn.
Lonely mountain.
Stay tuned for the next journal to hear how I killed a few days in Fairbanks!
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