55:14 and Counting...
What a day! I have learned SO MUCH today! Today, I posted not only one journal, but THREE journals with pictures, embedded web links and additional photos to the Photo Gallery! I got some GREAT advice today from Jeff Peneston and Ute Kaden...BOTH were previous PolarTREC teachers on IceBreaking ships, so their advice was very helpful! The PolarTREC teachers had some magical moments today...we saw snow for the first time since arriving in Alaska. We were not expecting it as rain was the forecast. It was a wonderful surprise and provided some great photo opportunities!
A true Alaska landscape with evergreen trees and SNOW!
We got to tour the Museum of the North at the University of Fairbanks. You can check out the museum at their website, The Museum of the North. We had a behind the scenes tour of the collections in storage...fascinating bones, baskets and other artifacts. I particularly liked this woolly mammoth jaw with teeth intact. Thanks Tim for the pen to use as a reference for how big this jaw was!
This is a woolly mammoth jaw with teeth intact. A pen is used for a size reference.
The museum had some great exhibits...although our time was short here, we packed everything in. I liked the polar bear scene - going to the Arctic next January for my PolarTREC expedition, I have a high probability of seeing polar bears. I will NOT be this close though!
Polar Bear exhibit at the Museum of the North
In my earlier journal, I asked what the probability of me viewing the Northern Lights was IF the Fairbanks website says that if you visit Fairbanks for three days, there is an 80% chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis. I am visiting for 8 days. Well...it is Springtime in Alaska. The horizon is light when I go to sleep at 10:30 and it is light when I awake at 5:00. So, the amount of darkness is so limited and it has been cloudy. We have been checking the University of Alaska Fairbanks website for probability of viewing this phenomena, but today was the last day for a "Moderate" forecast. It may not happen for me on this trip BUT - I will be in the Arctic for 6 weeks - during the winter,so I will get lots of practice taking photos of the Northern Lights. If you want to check the forecast, check out the Geophysical Institute at University of Alaska Fairbanks website
So - why is the title of this post 55:14 and counting??? Well...I ran my FIRST ever 5 K this evening in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was the 19th Annual Water Walk and Run for National Drinking Water Week. 6 PolarTREC teachers accepted this challenge! It was 36 degrees and slightly snowing. We arrived back at the hotel late from a shopping trip so we literally RAN to the Run...probably a mile - though it felt like 10 miles! We got to the starting line AFTER the race started, but that didn't stop us! Three teachers ran the race, I was one of the teachers that walked it...okay, speed walked is a better description. It was a beautiful walk along the Chena River to Pioneer Park. Even though I walked, crossing the finish line was amazing. When Bill and I saw the finish line in sight,we saw our fellow PolarTREC teachers cheering us on - they were jumping up and down (later we found out it may have been an effort to keep themselves warm as they finished the race under 30 minutes). With 55:14 and counting on the race clock, the announcer said "Chantelle, the Space Girl, Rose finished the race"! WOW - seriously? That is the FIRST timeI have ever "finished a race"- it is the only race I have ever entered, but that felt GREAT! I even got a blue ribbon that says "I'm a Winner".
Just getting the
Tomorrow will be an exciting day...I am anticipating seeing reindeer, caribou and muskox!! I hope you will check back!