We’ve Only Just Begun (Journal #6)
Tip of the Iceberg
I am back home in Tulsa, starting to recover from the three hour time difference between Tulsa and Fairbanks and realizing that while they were fabulous, my adventures in Fairbanks were just the tip of the iceberg (yes, I’m making Polar puns, now!). My adventures in the Arctic have only just begun!
Orientation Day 5 and 6 (March 28 and 29)
The last two days of orientation were a blur and went way too fast! We met the super sweet ARCUS staff who cooked a delightful potluck lunch for us, including salmon chowder, moose roast, and more! Our next two stops took us a few miles down the Dalton Highway, the road I will travel on for eight hours in May to get from Fairbanks to Toolik Field Station.
We took a tour of a tunnel through the permafrost (remember, the permafrost is ground that has been frozen two or more years). Walking into the tunnel was like taking a step back into time with bones, evidence of ice movement, and ancient plant roots. We were lucky to have both a paleontologist (scientists who studies bones) and a glaciologist (scientist who studies glaciers/ice) to guide our tour.
PolarTREC teachers listen to a presentation inside a permafrost tunnel. (Photo by Zeb Polly)
Before venturing into the permafrost tunnel, we stopped by the road to get a closer look at the Trans-Alaska pipeline. This oil pipeline is 800 miles long, running from one side of Alaska to the other and will be beside me for much of the drive to Toolik. It’s much bigger than I thought it would be!
The Trans-Alaska pipeline stretches for 800 miles, above and below the ground.
Posing under the Trans-Alaska pipeline: Alicia Gillean and Nell Kemp
The Trans-Alaska pipeline reaches from one side of Alaska to the other.
The next day, we talked about the less glamorous, but necessary side of being a PolarTREC teacher: paperwork and documentation before we said our official goodbyes and set off back to home. I left feeling inspired, excited, and ready to take on the Arctic!
Home (March 31)
As my plane began its descent into the Tulsa International Airport, I was struck by the dramatic differences between the Oklahoma and Alaska landscapes!
Stunning view from the window of the plane, flying into Anchorage, Alaska
The mountains are easier to see in Anchorage than in Fairbanks