Week 3: Lupine and Memorial Weekend

Lupine near the Nenana River

Sunrise: 4:14am
Sunset: 11:43pm

Nenana River

It was another slow week at work.  I started learning processing (basically computer programing).  It's kind of nerdy, but will hopefully allow me to learn R faster, assuming I need that down the road.  I've been working on more camera testing to see if we can actually logistically catch bus numbers on camera.  I seem to be making progress.  We're also catching some wildlife, which makes me feel moderately reconnected.  This week we caught mamma moose and her two calves.  :)

Otto Lake

It feels like I've been here for way longer than 3 weeks.  3 weeks down, and roughly 23 to go.... but who's counting.  On the plus side, summer is finally approaching.  This weekend things started greening up and I even saw my first patches of lupine, one of my favorite wildflowers!  Baby aspen leaves might be by far my favorite.

I got to camp this weekend, which was a nice change.  I also spent the entire weekend away from C-camp (my housing) and the majority of the weekend outside the park period.  Denali National Park is gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but when you're battling to enjoy the outdoors with hundreds of other people.... well, the solitude behind it is lost.  I have found I enjoy being outside the park much more.

Otto Lake

My feelings of missing Idaho didn't dampen any this week.  In fact, they might have increased.  I've decided I want to go back to the Rockies this winter... possibly this fall if I can manage it.  Alaska is too disconnected from everything for me.  Especially friends and family.  And even more so, haha, I want to go snowboarding this winter!

Things pick up this coming week.  I'll deploy my first set of sound stations, ride the bus out to Eielson Visitor Center for wildlife observations, and fly around the northern section of Denali to volunteer with some wood frog work.  Should be a good week.

"The secret of my success 
is never waiting 
for someone to join me"