Ten days……that is when I will be heading up to the top of the world, or at least as close as one can get and still be on dry land in the United States. I have been preparing for the trip, at the same time I have been working to complete the school year. We began exams last Friday at Spartanburg High School in South Carolina and continue through this Wednesday, May 23rd. I have to admit it has been hard to juggle school, coaching track, and preparing for my Polar TREC. My gear bag came in on Friday. It’s a little too hot down here to be wearing this stuff but I believe I’ll be glad to have it in Barrow.
Cold weather gear
Is it really going to be this cold in June?
Tundra boots
These boots were made for walkin'.....in the Arctic that is.
I am also posting a couple of pictures taken at our experimental site near Barrow, AK. This one shows an aerial view of the site. It is a little difficult to make out, but I think you can see the scale of the site. The outline shows a walkway to help reduce the impact on the tundra.
Biocomplexity Experimental Site
Where I'll be working this summer.
It is still cold in Barrow, at least by South Carolina terms. The ten day forecast in Barrow calls for highs in the 20s and lows in the teens and 20s. We will not be able to get going on our project until the snow melts, which could go into the first week or two of June. This picture, showing one of the remote sensing devices, is probably more indicative of what it will look like when I arrive on May 31st.
Remote Sensing Equipment
Too much snow to begin.
I plan on keeping busy and June 1st marks the summer opening of BASC, (Barrow Arctic Science Consortium). You can learn more about BASC at