Two more days up here in Alaska and then I'm heading to Idaho. The summer has flown by. Some of the leaves up here are starting to change colors, and we've had frost on the ground a couple of mornings. Fall is coming soon.

I moved up to the high camp, "Camp Omar" about a week ago. The lower, larger camp is called "Camp Swamp." It's really beautiful here. The swimming hole on the Omar River 200 meters from camp has to be one of the finest in the world. I'm now realizing how much I'm going to miss the good life here in Alaska. Walking jagged, misty ridges in the morning, watching the seasons change and the birds come and go, meeting new friends and hearing new stories. It doesn't get much better than this.


Though of course there are things I will not miss. Mosquitos, 5+ hours of swimming through alder brush, and working 26 straight days are kind of difficult.

Right now, our camp is planning on igniting a huge bonfire on the 17th to celebrate the end (almost) of the field season in the Baird Mountains. The geotecs stacked together an enourmous pile of dead trees. It should be quite a show.

Finally, I've officially graduated. Absolutely amazing. Seven years for two undergraduate degrees, how long for a graduate degree?