So this week our school canceled because of Hurricane Sandy, or Frankenstorm as I like to refer to it. It was too bad because the children who were coming would probably have been safer in New Hampshire than just outside Boston. about the only thing that happened here was a wetter than average storm and a little bit of wind. I was imagining the storm that rocked me and my group on Yellowstone Lake. Trees coming down every 5 minutes. No joke, this was a terrifying experience, to know that you are in the woods the only thing you have is a flimsy tent and live trees a foot in diameter are falling everywhere. You hear more trees fall than you see. A falling tree is a scary thing to watch, a 30 foot thing falling at its own will, blowing in the wind and bending in ways you didn't think possible, and then slamming into the ground. Most people prefer to think of nature as a calming nurturing place. But nature also has raw power that can make you feel very small and insignificant.
Hurricane Sandy was just another storm for us, for others in New York and Atlantic City it ruined and changed so much, I compare it to how Hurrican Irene reeked havoc on southern Vermont. But like I said, in New Hampshire nothing really did happen even though we prepared for this weather by battening down the hatches and making sure our warm sleeping bags were ready to go. I'm glad that we did that though, because right now as I write this there is a thunderstorm going on outside. I hadn't realized this until just before writing this but I haven't experienced a thunderstorm since last spring before I left Alaska. No thunderstorms on the glacier. Maybe it was the change in elevation from Small town Alaska to the glacier (4000 foot difference in a couple of miles.) that left us without thunderstorms. But right now there is a killer storm happening, a drenching rain and lightening hitting the lake about 15 feet from my door step. the kind of thunder that shakes your house and you can hear the lightening crackle in the air. (my computer is NOT plugged in by the way).
I love thunderstorms and realized that I have missed them. Glad that I got to see another before winter hit.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Step 1
Step 1: Touch the nature.
Many of you know that I work for an outdoor environmental education facility. Kids from ages 10 to 15 come and learn about nature. They get to take fun classes which focus on place based learning and hands on activities. For example an hour and a half class about Frisbee would talk about physics for about 30-40 minutes and then play ultimate Frisbee for the next hour. Now you might say, wow not a lot of learning goes on at this place. But the day starts at 8am and ends at 9pm. The educational pieces are interspersed throughout the day instead of happening only between 9am and 3pm. The children also come to this place and sleep there at night. Similar to a very educational summer camp, only for your schools classroom.
Children come from many different types of backgrounds, some are urban areas others are suburban, some children are less affluent than others. The one thing that they all have in common is that they are severely lacking in natural education. I was asked today by a 10 year old which tree was a pine tree. The biggest thing that can happen to these children while they are here is to know that nature is a place that has importance and should be valued.
The way that I first start my field group is I have the kids sit on the ground. Squatting is unacceptable, sitting on a jacket/ backpack is unacceptable as well as sitting on your feet. I will wait until everyone has their butt on the ground. Now when I was a kid and we were asked to sit in the grass at school everyone just did it, without thinking twice. But I suppose that not everyone grew up in rural Vermont. I tell the children that this is step one, touching the nature. It is often times sad to me how many children have never felt a tree, let alone played in the mud. Many times when I take children on a hike it is their first. A 15 year old going on their first hike to the top of a hill is a big step toward appreciating our natural world, but it all needs to start at step one, touching the nature.
Many of you know that I work for an outdoor environmental education facility. Kids from ages 10 to 15 come and learn about nature. They get to take fun classes which focus on place based learning and hands on activities. For example an hour and a half class about Frisbee would talk about physics for about 30-40 minutes and then play ultimate Frisbee for the next hour. Now you might say, wow not a lot of learning goes on at this place. But the day starts at 8am and ends at 9pm. The educational pieces are interspersed throughout the day instead of happening only between 9am and 3pm. The children also come to this place and sleep there at night. Similar to a very educational summer camp, only for your schools classroom.
Children come from many different types of backgrounds, some are urban areas others are suburban, some children are less affluent than others. The one thing that they all have in common is that they are severely lacking in natural education. I was asked today by a 10 year old which tree was a pine tree. The biggest thing that can happen to these children while they are here is to know that nature is a place that has importance and should be valued.
The way that I first start my field group is I have the kids sit on the ground. Squatting is unacceptable, sitting on a jacket/ backpack is unacceptable as well as sitting on your feet. I will wait until everyone has their butt on the ground. Now when I was a kid and we were asked to sit in the grass at school everyone just did it, without thinking twice. But I suppose that not everyone grew up in rural Vermont. I tell the children that this is step one, touching the nature. It is often times sad to me how many children have never felt a tree, let alone played in the mud. Many times when I take children on a hike it is their first. A 15 year old going on their first hike to the top of a hill is a big step toward appreciating our natural world, but it all needs to start at step one, touching the nature.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Mountain Mama
I have a theory that people weren't meant to live in boxes, thousands of years of careful slow evolution wasn't meant to put us behind a computer. Machines, tools and buildings were never meant to become our lives but rather were there to make us more comfortable. While one could use the internet to educate themselves on a particular topic such as politics or why something works, the vast majority of the people who use the internet check their facebook, and snoop on what is going on in others lives. We use it to send little messages to one another which don't ever say anything but make us feel connected. And so those same machines, tools and buildings which made our lives more comfortable have become the norm. I'm not going to argue that I do like a hot shower and bed at night. But I also spend most of my time outside, communicating and connecting to others and nature. Being in the mountains with their vistas and challenges reminds me that the world is a big place that I am part of.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
...And They Made Me Their Cook
So I've been nominated as cook the last couple of days from my manager.
It all started almost a week ago we were on the glacier ending our season and starting to take down some tents. My manager stopped and asked me to cook dinner since the person who normally cooks dinner had to help do other things. So I cooked up some food and they ate it. No biggie. I offered to cook breakfast as well since everyone else was also busy doing other things. It seemed to make sense. I then found myself cooking for them all the time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. This didn't bother me so much, but it was odd.
Then everyone and everything got off the glacier and we started to unpack some stuff and I received a message from my manager saying that everyone enjoyed my cooking and asked if I would just cook during the time I was there for everyone. And so for the last few days other than packing up my stuff and tying up some loose ends I've been cooking for everyone. Which is a double edged sword. I really do enjoy cooking for others its' nice to share food and make food for other people but I also have to clean up after everyone. I'm still not too sure how I was volunteered to do this project but I'll take it.
I've been having to get creative with food since I'm trying to use up what we have. Tonight will be tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches after that, I'm done! Leaving for Juneau tomorrow morning.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Moving, Again
Drifter: a person who is continually moving from place to place without any fixed home or job.
Yup that pretty much describes me. For the past two years I've been bouncing around the country from job to job seizing opportunities, discovering my passions and just in general having a great time. While it is a fun way to live, it's not without it's drawbacks. My life is in constant flux. To come and go with the changing of the seasons is tough and can often be stressful.
When I first started to do the seasonal employment gigs I had two weeks to pack up everything I would need until September in May. I then put this into my two backpacks and left to go on a cross country road trip, leaving my car in North Dakota and flying from Fargo to Palm Springs. I made a few mistakes. The first being that I packed a little too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. I also didn't pack any 'going out' clothes. I then went home with too much stuff and left for my next job missing things that I might have liked. I've learned a lot since thing, knowing there are things that I really like regardless of where I'm going, for instance, a nice shirt or two and a pair of 'town shoes', jeans are another thing I feel more human with. Also I've learned to pack a towel and pajamas. I've forgotten to pack a towel a few places I've lived and soon realized it is an essential item, and pjs are just nice to have. If I can get it into my backpack, it can go. Otherwise, I need to rethink the amount of stuff I'm carting around.
Another thing that I've realized since moving around a lot is planning. Traveling takes time. I've stopped being stressed about who's going to pick me up and how to get somewhere. I can get pretty much anywhere I need to go now. As long as I get close enough I should be able to take a cab or public transport to get from point A to point B. Prime example: I didn't know who was going to pick me up at the ferry dock until the ship was docking. Most of the time things work out, when they don't I feel that I'm pretty resourceful.
Going back and forth with work/ travel has made me perfectly fine with changing jobs across the country, such as going from Alaska to New Hampshire. Before I used to get stressed and imagine my life in upheaval. But I think that staying in one place now would stress me out more than moving around.
Yup that pretty much describes me. For the past two years I've been bouncing around the country from job to job seizing opportunities, discovering my passions and just in general having a great time. While it is a fun way to live, it's not without it's drawbacks. My life is in constant flux. To come and go with the changing of the seasons is tough and can often be stressful.
When I first started to do the seasonal employment gigs I had two weeks to pack up everything I would need until September in May. I then put this into my two backpacks and left to go on a cross country road trip, leaving my car in North Dakota and flying from Fargo to Palm Springs. I made a few mistakes. The first being that I packed a little too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. I also didn't pack any 'going out' clothes. I then went home with too much stuff and left for my next job missing things that I might have liked. I've learned a lot since thing, knowing there are things that I really like regardless of where I'm going, for instance, a nice shirt or two and a pair of 'town shoes', jeans are another thing I feel more human with. Also I've learned to pack a towel and pajamas. I've forgotten to pack a towel a few places I've lived and soon realized it is an essential item, and pjs are just nice to have. If I can get it into my backpack, it can go. Otherwise, I need to rethink the amount of stuff I'm carting around.
Another thing that I've realized since moving around a lot is planning. Traveling takes time. I've stopped being stressed about who's going to pick me up and how to get somewhere. I can get pretty much anywhere I need to go now. As long as I get close enough I should be able to take a cab or public transport to get from point A to point B. Prime example: I didn't know who was going to pick me up at the ferry dock until the ship was docking. Most of the time things work out, when they don't I feel that I'm pretty resourceful.
Going back and forth with work/ travel has made me perfectly fine with changing jobs across the country, such as going from Alaska to New Hampshire. Before I used to get stressed and imagine my life in upheaval. But I think that staying in one place now would stress me out more than moving around.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Lets Get Physical
I realize I haven't written here in over a month. Reason why? I've been busy. The season was going very strong and it's one of the better seasons that the company has ever had. With less weather cancellations and more tours we've been working for over a month straight without many breaks. I'm by no means complaining every tour that comes off the helicopters is $ in my pocket. But walking around in snow and ice all summer has begun to take it's toll on my body, both for the good and the bad.
In the winter time I sit in an office and take phone calls. Not going to lie, it's not the most physically challenging or mentally stimulating job I've ever done but it does pay the bills and gets me a free seasons pass so that I can ski. I do go out on the slopes about once a week which hardly qualifies as a work out schedule. I truly began to feel a bit like a blob last winter even though I didn't gain or lose any weight, just my muscles changing.
In the fall I probably walk with my kids about 10-15 miles a day. Which is a good work out. But I eat crap food all week long. But here on the glacier I walk probably about the same but in snow. Which if anyone has ever walked in snow for a long period of time it will build muscles and change the shape or your legs. Trust me. I go and hike out to the photo spot, sit and wait for people to go by on sleds, then I take their picture and hike back. I do this about 10-11 times a day (round trip) and it adds up. I also lift 5 gallon buckets of poop (20-30lbs) in each hand every morning and carry them to the poop barrels. On every helicopter there is at least a 5 gallon jug of water which has to go to the water 'buffalo' (aka a large water storage container) and each of those weigh 40+ pounds. My arms and legs get a work out every day which is great.
But my feet are gross. From living in rubber boots all summer long in sweaty socks they are terrible, fortunately no trench foot yet. I have also strained a muscle in my foot and can feel a huge knot in the muscle which hurts every now and again but is working it's way out. I also have strained both my knees. Under the knee cap is where they hurt the most. Once again, it's just a strained muscle which has slowly been going away. My last problem: a sunglasses tan. Which is bad. I look a raccoon. But such is life on the glacier.
In the winter time I sit in an office and take phone calls. Not going to lie, it's not the most physically challenging or mentally stimulating job I've ever done but it does pay the bills and gets me a free seasons pass so that I can ski. I do go out on the slopes about once a week which hardly qualifies as a work out schedule. I truly began to feel a bit like a blob last winter even though I didn't gain or lose any weight, just my muscles changing.
In the fall I probably walk with my kids about 10-15 miles a day. Which is a good work out. But I eat crap food all week long. But here on the glacier I walk probably about the same but in snow. Which if anyone has ever walked in snow for a long period of time it will build muscles and change the shape or your legs. Trust me. I go and hike out to the photo spot, sit and wait for people to go by on sleds, then I take their picture and hike back. I do this about 10-11 times a day (round trip) and it adds up. I also lift 5 gallon buckets of poop (20-30lbs) in each hand every morning and carry them to the poop barrels. On every helicopter there is at least a 5 gallon jug of water which has to go to the water 'buffalo' (aka a large water storage container) and each of those weigh 40+ pounds. My arms and legs get a work out every day which is great.
But my feet are gross. From living in rubber boots all summer long in sweaty socks they are terrible, fortunately no trench foot yet. I have also strained a muscle in my foot and can feel a huge knot in the muscle which hurts every now and again but is working it's way out. I also have strained both my knees. Under the knee cap is where they hurt the most. Once again, it's just a strained muscle which has slowly been going away. My last problem: a sunglasses tan. Which is bad. I look a raccoon. But such is life on the glacier.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Glacial Aliments
I'm sure you can imagine that there are a few reoccurring health problems. They affect us all. They are something that we also joke about after hours. I've made a list of some of these problems.
Tourist Voice:
It's a tone of voice, cadence and diction of our speech that we change in order to make ourselves seem more friendly. We have to 'paint on our nice faces' everyday and at the end of the day we don't have to be nice. People say things like 'Well... at least the helicopter ride was nice.' we cannot say back 'Well... at least my last tour was nice.' and so we have the tourist voice that we turn on and keep on all day.
Snap Thumb:
Snap thumb comes from hooking up dogs. The snaps that one has to do and undo in order to get the dog from it's house to the line will sometimes leave little cuts on your thumb. These sting like you would not believe. I had about 15-20 of these small cuts on my thumb. Every time I went to wash my hands my thumbs were throbbing.
Tourist Elbow:
Too much waving. It's like tennis elbow, repetitive motion. The pain is on the outside of ones elbow and feels a bit like a tendon. It's probably the most pathetic pain I've ever felt... too much waving.
Christmas Feet:
Also known as 'trench foot'. Yes this is a serious thing that does happen on the glacier. Peoples feet will go numb from being in the cold and wet for too long. Mine haven't started yet and I plan on keeping it that way. They go numb during the summer and don't come back until Christmas. This is nerve damage. Probably this is the worst thing that could happen up on the glacier.
Tourist Voice:
It's a tone of voice, cadence and diction of our speech that we change in order to make ourselves seem more friendly. We have to 'paint on our nice faces' everyday and at the end of the day we don't have to be nice. People say things like 'Well... at least the helicopter ride was nice.' we cannot say back 'Well... at least my last tour was nice.' and so we have the tourist voice that we turn on and keep on all day.
Snap Thumb:
Snap thumb comes from hooking up dogs. The snaps that one has to do and undo in order to get the dog from it's house to the line will sometimes leave little cuts on your thumb. These sting like you would not believe. I had about 15-20 of these small cuts on my thumb. Every time I went to wash my hands my thumbs were throbbing.
Tourist Elbow:
Too much waving. It's like tennis elbow, repetitive motion. The pain is on the outside of ones elbow and feels a bit like a tendon. It's probably the most pathetic pain I've ever felt... too much waving.
Christmas Feet:
Also known as 'trench foot'. Yes this is a serious thing that does happen on the glacier. Peoples feet will go numb from being in the cold and wet for too long. Mine haven't started yet and I plan on keeping it that way. They go numb during the summer and don't come back until Christmas. This is nerve damage. Probably this is the worst thing that could happen up on the glacier.
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