tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50142680203832637072012-02-09T16:11:45.210-09:00Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.comBlogger4171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-37486056713984965392011-03-29T15:53:00.020-08:002011-05-21T19:27:23.829-08:00

Though my name still appears on the bottom third of the results list, I am super pleased with my White Mountains 100 race this year. It helps that I was asked a few weeks ago post-Susitna-100-slump whether I was doing these races because I am trying to beat someone, or beat my own performance. The answer is definitely the latter, hence the excitement. photo of 'Big Blue' sitting at Cache Mtn.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-89592903196941987032011-03-12T21:18:00.000-09:002011-06-21T21:18:59.522-08:00

I was sent down to Oklahoma for work training, as all new full-time employees are with my company. I was completely pumped to go back to Norman and see all of my friends from last summer and make some new ones! Who knew one could be excited to travel from mountain-y Alaska to flat Oklahoma?!?! It can happen!My training class was a BLAST! We had a ton of fun together. Though you can't make out

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-27519797834044458062011-02-22T11:43:00.005-09:002011-03-29T13:42:43.953-08:00

"Bikes and snow?!! The two best things in the world together?!! Yeah dawg... sign me up!"Though those weren't my initial words, they explain my feelings when I first landed across the website for the Susitna 100 by accident in 2006... long before I ever knew I would get sucked back up to live here.. or ever enter the world of endurance winter biking.The Susitna 100, is a run/bike/ski race just

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-39882745932900888102011-02-10T16:39:00.004-09:002011-03-29T13:00:58.718-08:00

I am really trying hard to not be consumed by winter biking, and I think my efforts are succeeding, except that I was told on Monday that I was talking in my sleep, and the words went something like this:"I… I thought… You.. webpage… I thought… fatbike… You were on a fatbike website.."So, maybe not. But I was laughing hysterically when I was told that after a weekend at Luce's Lodge on the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-46757856188986581862010-12-18T21:42:00.000-09:002010-12-18T21:42:31.974-09:00

Hi everyone!!Sorry to have disappeared! I no longer have internet at home, so I'm not actively blogging anymore...but wanted to pop in. I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my two-wheeled family, built at Speedway Cycles in Anchorage, BIG BLUE!!!Big blue was picked up with much excitement after getting stranded in Palmer during a historical freezing rain event in much of the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-64510194534489148562010-10-13T14:05:00.001-08:002010-10-20T14:20:22.919-08:00

Fall Colors...To skiers itchin' for go-time.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-42094246516784495452010-09-18T18:59:00.003-08:002010-10-11T17:23:43.407-08:00

After getting off of the Chilkoot Trail and back into Skagway (above), we met up with my old roomate, Carrie, and her fiancee Paul. They flew up from Juneau to meet up with us for the day and to see Skagway! :-) It was nice being able to catch up as our communications had been sporadic in the last year. We camped back out in Dyea that night, explored the historical Dyea townsite, and then they

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-32357576784164648242010-09-17T18:01:00.003-08:002010-12-15T08:14:51.176-09:00

My buffer time before starting my full-time, big-person job is coming to an end. As one last big hurrah, I made one more long road trip with Celine to Skagway, Alaska, to hike the historical Chilkoot Trail. Honestly, the Chilkoot Trail wasn’t on my list of “places to go in Alaska”, mainly because I didn’t know much about it. But prompted by a decision to bike to Valdez, or hike the Chilkoot

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-26219309501442020032010-09-09T19:17:00.009-08:002010-09-29T21:23:17.817-08:00

For the long Labor Day weekend, Brian and I headed down to the Kenai Peninsula. I haven't been in this area for 4 years since it is a bit of a haul. We kind of bypassed Anchorage this time, mainly because once I start socializing and shopping in Anchorage, it is hard to get out of Anchorage and will come out with a lighter wallet. AND headed to Seward! Seward is the one major town in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-40875993215494206362010-08-22T09:04:00.001-08:002010-09-09T19:15:26.354-08:00

The Kuskulana River sits beneath a deep gulch on the McCarthy Road.Part 2 of our weekend excursion took us to McCarthy and Kennicott located in southeast Alaska in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. This was a brand new place and even a new road for me. We parked the car in McCarthy, packed up the bike and bike trailer (thanks to Helena for the borrow!) and we were off to the town of Kennicott

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-20316564439494904722010-08-21T08:49:00.000-08:002010-09-09T19:14:20.150-08:00

Part 1 of a two part weekend took me 101.5 miles north of Valdez.The "Klutina Lake Road", also known as the "Berwick-Craig Road" is an easement in Ahtna lands just north of the Klutina River, a fun salmon spot you may remember from last year if you were following. The river is an absolute gorgeous turquoise green against the surrounding landscape.Though this trip wasn't amazingly scenic, nor did

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-961423455981167372010-08-16T08:42:00.008-08:002010-08-26T13:53:51.954-08:00

Spent a picture-perfect weekend in Interior Alaska hiking up in the White Mountains at Mt. Prindle! It was my first time up here, and a trip that has been on my list of "things to do" (which is excessively long and growing with time) for a few years after I was told "you'd love it up there!" You were right, I DID love it up there!There are a few small stream crossing at the beginning of the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-5213697061456860172010-08-11T23:22:00.002-08:002010-09-29T21:54:31.739-08:00

I am staying put in Fairbanks for the foreseeable future!I was forced to make a yes or no decision whether to go full-time at my job about 4 weeks earlier than I was hoping to. Many factors made the decision difficult, and my wanderlust almost made me say no wanting to move elsewhere for a bit. I was so torn because I felt that either way I could potentially have regrets. But luckily this is a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-66686524508557760832010-08-09T00:08:00.005-08:002010-08-24T14:46:36.261-08:00

A trip for work took me back to one of my first villages in Alaska - Fort Yukon.Fort Yukon lies on the Arctic Circle in the Yukon Flats. It recorded the highest ever temperature in Alaska of 100 degrees F on June 27, 1915.On the way, we got an awesome view of Denali from the airI was in charge of putting in the new weather station from scratch.. including digging a ditch for wiring.Remote

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-11418867178149020362010-08-04T23:40:00.005-08:002010-08-05T22:43:32.046-08:00

You can take that as "Quartz Creek Trail, ROCKS!" or "Quartz Creek Trail Rocks!", because either way works.But this trail, in all honesty, is not for the faint of heart.This ATV/backpacking/biking trail is not your afternoon leisurely stroll through the woods on a bike. Though it's a short 14+ mile distance, it's a taxing ride through the heart of the White Mountains, and tricky on the way out

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-67950916214954747242010-07-24T23:55:00.001-08:002010-07-25T19:46:32.662-08:00

Well I did it - I've added another two letters to the end of my name! (those academic M.S. ones!) The time since I arrived back in AK and hit the ground sprinting in a 4 week race all blends together in my memory, and now here I am, trying to figure out what is next. I finally got over my post-Vortex2 depression a couple weeks ago, so have been able to kick back and enjoy Fairbanks again. The

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-83363810128925779172010-07-08T23:23:00.004-08:002010-07-11T15:53:47.696-08:00

"It's only about a foot high" - famous last words. I would like to say that I think that jump was higher than a foot! Amazingly, had just enough speed to clear without flipping. Not exactly what I'd call good form by any means, but cleared, nonetheless. This is one of a few jumps on the brand new Ester Dome Singletrack. I'm pumped that Fairbanks finally has a trail with some obstacles other

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-78530653758480362162010-07-04T00:25:00.005-08:002010-08-24T14:32:34.305-08:00

Spent the 4th of July in a very patriotic small town on the mighty Yukon River. Not a full week later, the Taylor Highway would be completely shut down for most of the remainder of summer due to continual heavy rains, and Eagle would be no longer accessible by vehicle until DOT got the road back into stable shape.Eagle saw their bout of flooding last spring, which wiped out most of the shoreline

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-73208679095039661222010-06-28T14:09:00.006-08:002010-10-01T21:48:46.332-08:00

This last leg of the trip put me over 25,000 miles in a little over two months - approximately the circumference of the earth! I was lucky to spend the last 2800 with one of my best friends.We found a lot of beautiful lakesSlept by the Kootenay RiverWatched some mountain goats along the Icefields ParkwayStopped by Lake LouiseMade a run to the Athabascan Glacier in a rainstormEnjoyed the clear

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-42341629854789959432010-06-20T10:24:00.009-08:002010-06-20T11:06:27.987-08:00

After hauling my bike about 5300 miles, I finally got the chance to use it. ;)I knew this was a potentially dangerous situation, as I got a bit altitude sick in April when I was hiking in Boulder. But, people have been taunting me with stories of Colorado trails for about 7 years now and there was no way I wasn't going to go check them out.Felix took me out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-76541572363291898042010-06-18T08:42:00.005-08:002010-06-18T09:30:43.115-08:00

VORTEX2 ended on June 15, the day before the big tornado outbreak in SD (go figure)!Now 60 days on the road, I am slowly making my way north to Alaska. I am completely exhausted, but still very happy to be out here on the open road. Yesterday I had a cop at a gas station say "Those are Oregon plates?", "Nope, Alaska.", "Wow you are a long ways from home!" Yeah I guess so. Funny thing is, this

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-77075664642898155522010-06-13T23:36:00.007-08:002010-06-14T15:28:01.822-08:00

WIN!!After missing out the other day, I got my chance today. I really didn't expect to see anything, and neither did anyone else.But today, with three days left, it all happened.We started our chase early.. which normally evolves into a good thing. Not too much sitting in parking lots, bs'ing, playing catch.. the activities that fill the void for an hour or two. No one seemed too optimistic until

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-24636965718385008962010-06-11T06:05:00.003-08:002010-06-11T06:12:29.155-08:00

Had a bad day chasing while everyone else had their best day of the project, due to my vehicle getting (nearly) stuck in the mud and very behind on the storm.. we missed two beautiful tornadoes and big hail. But at least we got to see three funnels illuminated by lightning on the way back to the hotel. Can't be all that bad right? My morale, however, has shot down substantially with everyone

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-30264925459194561422010-05-28T20:54:00.012-08:002010-05-30T12:07:29.360-08:00

We went to South Dakota last night, with a destination of Spearfish - we were planning to deploy just north of there today. Although it was a 6 hour drive from Loveland, I was totally pumped - refreshed from seeing more friends in Colorado, to be targeting another area where I have friends previously-from-Alaska. It's pretty fabulous hopping from one spot in the country to another and being able

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-70492724429668913092010-05-26T22:28:00.003-08:002010-05-28T22:46:52.761-08:00

"...we will be staying at Loveland, CO." Loveland! I know where that is! Well, I knew it was near Boulder or Fort Collins. I remembered there were two "L" named places in the Denver metro area. All I knew, was that I got to go back to the Denver area sooner than I thought.. and that I had some more friends to see. :)Funny thing happened when we hit the mountain-view. I suddenly forgot about

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-19452758974825481872010-05-25T23:42:00.005-08:002010-05-27T08:24:33.880-08:00

Total tornado count: 6Today's mileage: 801Just some photos, as I'm completely wiped out.Maybe not a tornado? We didn't count this - it could just be a lowering to the ground without a funnel.Rainbow over the Great PlainsFunnel coming down - this one produced a brief twister.Another funnel.. or two?One of my fav pics - hail-covered land with a rainbow in the background.Sunset, mammatus and a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-45705151228643854912010-05-24T23:09:00.000-08:002010-05-26T23:57:49.524-08:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-36709967332914400222010-05-23T22:47:00.002-08:002010-05-28T22:49:02.729-08:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-36245230865172183952010-05-21T23:21:00.002-08:002010-05-24T21:16:37.470-08:00

Last night, I was sitting with a bunch of friends from the project, and found out that one of the guys joining our group for the last 3 weeks needed to be picked up from Denver airport at 10:30 the next morning. I jumped on it, like a dog on a bird, with the thoughts that I bet one of the Coloradoans could meet up with me that morning. :-)With less than an 8 hour notice, I was in luck as Marcie

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-51292788300542930232010-05-19T21:49:00.005-08:002010-05-23T22:37:38.256-08:00

Today we went after a tornadic supercell in the vicinity of Dover and Guthrie, OK. Though most of the mobile mesonet team had a relatively uneventful day, my vehicle ended up on the north side of a tornado in a no-visual-rain-wrapped-hurricane-force-wind position. It was easy to feel safe since we were surrounded by other chasers, who may have been following us, but in reality we were not in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-81586153475897498792010-05-18T21:08:00.007-08:002010-05-20T23:56:09.651-08:00

I found another buddy from undergrad in NEW MEXICO! Mario was actually leading his class from PA on a chasing trip. Funniest thing is that he came up to me at a gas station, where everytime I get questions from people.. and I didn't recognize him with his shades on and thought he was another shmoe wondering if there were any storms coming or what was on top of my car. Once he said "Hi! How are

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-56381555243515221922010-05-17T22:56:00.010-08:002010-05-23T22:37:24.081-08:00

For the sake of me remembering where we were, I'm noting the places we have spent time in.We spent a total of 3 nights in Midland, and spent some time chasing in New Mexico (new state!).Here's Jess and her pup, Molly, in MidlandSome flowers in near Artesia, NMDave (from Toronto) taking a snoozer in NMRainbow in a storm near Artesia, NMYou can see the hail core - the white part of the storm. This

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-39371702787904122902010-05-14T17:22:00.005-08:002010-05-14T19:04:10.589-08:00

This morning I had no idea what I was in for. I woke up sluggish, and expecting a non-action packed day. But, when the Canadians told me "today was going to be a good day", I got kind of excited.To start off my day, I put myself together enough to go to the daily weather briefing. Afterwards, I hear my name from a familar voice but I couldn't place it til I looked to see it was my friend Jess

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-10839162163235868022010-05-10T23:54:00.000-08:002010-05-16T16:43:55.566-08:00

Some pictures.. I'll post the story later.Below is a 'fake tornado'. It looks wedge-like, but no tornado.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-3793830113029630632010-05-10T06:16:00.005-08:002010-05-10T06:29:54.972-08:00

Lots of nervous chatter this morning as we go into our first high risk severe weather day. All of the ingredients are right for a big outbreak and even the older dudes who have seen a hundred twisters have looks in their eyes that show something more than a leisurely tornado chase. These fast-moving storms (45-50kt storm motions) will test the nerves of everyone here. I just hope whatever

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-58580668993882487682010-05-06T20:40:00.008-08:002010-05-08T11:01:37.713-08:00

Today, the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) made an appearance in our parking lot and hogged up all the attention. So clearly, I had to be a tourist too and get my picture with it.Here's Jeff with the DOW7 of which he is working in. Jeff was my math tutor when I was a freshman in college.We waited until 3:30pm for word of where we were going. We had two potential target areas, but the one east

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-82497629636501596342010-05-05T21:52:00.004-08:002010-05-06T06:38:35.299-08:00

We headed north today to set up camp for a Thursday deployment. We will not likely see any tornadoes tomorrow, but should get a test run with a supercell and hail. I am ok with a gradual introduction to this whole driving-in-severe-weather thing. I have been told my particular section of deployment could be interesting with hail. I am kind of glad I don't know too much at this point because

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-69657276972883785892010-05-04T21:11:00.005-08:002010-05-05T06:03:56.169-08:00

Day 4, another stand-by day, aka shooting-the-breeze-day I have been loving all of this down time. V2 finally met as a complete team today as the Boulder crew joined us in Woodward to advance to our next destination. An overwhelming amount of new people to meet.. I am still working on the people who were all in Norman! There are over 100 people on the project between scientists and lots of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-86983905562074453362010-05-03T21:09:00.000-08:002010-05-05T06:03:56.170-08:00

Not in Norman anymore - our first relocation. No storms in our domain expected for a few more days....

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-2685132188036374602010-05-02T21:06:00.001-08:002010-05-05T06:03:56.171-08:00

Another "standby" day for Vortex2 - Kiel, a new buddy from OU suggested going hiking. I may have judged ahead of time and said "what? where?", thinking there is nowhere to hike in Oklahoma, give me a break. But, I was wrong again.We headed about an hour southwest of Norman to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge aka the "Wichitas".Lots of pretty flowers, awesome rock formations, buffalo, and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-24252695242024526052010-05-01T15:13:00.010-08:002010-05-03T19:25:18.571-08:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to give you a quick update while I back blog the road trip from Alaska. I am down here in Norman, Oklahoma, and today was the official start date of Vortex2! Now while you're probably thinking we are in Arkansas going after the tornadoes there, we are unfortunately not. Below is a schematic of our 'domain'. Our domain was created to cover areas with plenty of roads and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-13154535367091161302010-04-29T21:06:00.003-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.779-08:00

Mileage: 682Total Mileage: 4593The most dreaded day of driving was upon me, and it was my birthday. It just worked out that way since I had to be in Norman on the afternoon of April 30th. I was sad to leave Colorado, since I was getting comfortable there. It seemed like the reason I was doing this drive was over after I left Denver that morning.The dreaded part was the flatness. I'll be

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-72204398116484895862010-04-28T21:05:00.001-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.780-08:00

The other day when I had my car tire problems, Marcie offered to hire me as a nanny for a day or two to help deter the cost of my unexpected repairs. Though I was slightly hesitant to take away some of my already little time in Colorado, it would be fun to spend time with Max, I needed the money, and plus, everyone was at work. Though I could have taken out my bike on the trails, this was a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-51988338551852458592010-04-27T21:05:00.002-08:002010-05-04T05:34:58.631-08:00

Leigh took off work to spend the day with me in Fort Collins where she lives, and in Boulder - because I wanted to see this place for myself. We drove to Boulder to hike on the Chautauqua trails, which are highly developed trails on the southwest edge of town. Boulder felt a bit like Anchorage because of the similar landscape, but is a much nicer community. Boulder is a haven for atmospheric

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-56894275377332902682010-04-26T21:04:00.001-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.781-08:00

Mileage: 389Total mileage: 3631The tire shops in Rapid City didn't open until 7am, but I was lucky that the shop I went to was able to help me right away. I was able to get on the road around 8:30am for my destination of Denver, CO. I have been trying to get to Colorado for years, lured by the promise of an amazing mtb trail system, and finally got my chance. And now, I know a lot of people

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-41830751222605280012010-04-25T23:18:00.003-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.782-08:00

Mileage: 674Total Mileage: 3242It was sad leaving Missoula, but we had to go onward to our next destination, Debbie's new home, Rapid City, SD. We saw lots of cows on the way.This was the day I had car trouble. Even with a good car things do happen. This was one of those days when you wonder what would have happened if you didn’t pull off of the road in time. One of those days when you realize

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-58101797343454239082010-04-24T23:09:00.000-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.783-08:00

Mileage: 135Total mileage: 2568We hit the road south the 100 miles that seemed so far on Friday night to get to my good friend LeeAnn’s place in Missoula before she had to go on shift at 2. I was very excited about arriving in Missoula, not only because it is Missoula and the place I first landed “out west” in the Rockies two years ago, but because my buddy was there with open arms and totally

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-49663886188621903442010-04-23T23:02:00.006-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.784-08:00

Mileage: 675Total mileage: 2433Animals: big horned sheepLittle Lasalle LakeThe night in the car wasn't too bad, especially the part where we didn't have to break down camp, though Debbie was extremely fast at it. I think spending so much time in tents while backpacking not having a car to through stuff in makes one appreciate being able to chuck things in the car, as well as the luxury of having

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-47177394437053325902010-04-22T20:09:00.000-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.784-08:00

Mileage: 660Total Mileage: 1758Animals: nothing notable that I wrote down or rememberAnd today, I got homesick. I kid you not. I was ready to turn the car back up north. I think what I am embarking on was finally settling in. With things so nuts in the last few months, I didn’t have much time to think about leaving Alaska for more than a few weeks at a time. The whole idea of what I was

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-28108318052759845472010-04-21T23:58:00.001-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.785-08:00

Mileage: 649Total mileage: 1098Animals: Takhini Valley Elk herd and lots of caribouWe woke up to a beautiful morning outside our tent!Today’s hilight was the herd of elk that crossed in front of us. And by herd, I mean close to 50 – and there may have been more. They kept coming until some of them decided that they didn’t want to. What was interesting is that the elk looked like they were

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-59985622388885585092010-04-20T23:48:00.001-08:002010-05-03T11:17:48.786-08:00

Mileage: 449Animals: 1 lynx, 1 mooseDebbie flew up from Rapid City to drive part of the way to Oklahoma with me. We got out of Fairbanks 5 hours later than planned – surprise, surprise. I was not about to embark on this journey without having everything comfortably ready. Since I only had 5 weeks’ notice for this internship and it was just before the big race, everything was kind of haywire

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-59629737293110918412010-04-11T22:22:00.004-08:002010-04-12T08:22:23.802-08:00

In the hustle bustle of everything else going on, I forgot to post the one video I took during the White Mountains race. It was taken near mile 40, and I really did have intentions of taking more video but abandoned that effort as well as everything else, in search of a place away from the headwind that ensued a few miles down the trail. It is what it is! It made me laugh watching the video,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-87126880080709054892010-04-07T00:25:00.004-08:002010-04-10T12:42:22.567-08:00

Whooooooosh!I headed straight south to where I was at yesterday, a little farther out of town than I usually travel, but a nice little spot without too many cars zooming by. It didn't seem like the aurora was going to pick up and get bright like the last couple of nights, but after playing the patience game for about 10 minutes, it finally started getting cool. I set up the tripod, and the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-16886543336986295302010-04-06T20:04:00.007-08:002010-04-06T20:34:29.052-08:00

High today: 43 FLow today: 29 FAfter fighting a nasty cold for a week, I felt good enough today to attempt a ski loop despite the 40 degree temps and thinning snow. There were two moose in the trail so I couldn't complete the loop and had to turn around. The trails still have a lot of snow on them by my house, but that is because we don't get any direct sunshine. It's a win-lose situation.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-11776385195481411332010-04-04T23:34:00.002-08:002010-05-03T11:18:03.520-08:00

I will be leaving Fairbanks soon for a couple of months, to drive from Fairbanks to Norman OK, to join a team of storm chasers on the largest storm chasing experiment yet, Vortex2.Yes, yes, that is my Matchbox storm-chasing Doppler on Wheels, thanks to a friend from collegeI am ridiculously excited about this internship, as it's been a dream of 10+ years for me to go storm chasing, and it's

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-13383496136131866212010-04-03T10:22:00.004-08:002010-04-04T00:48:07.635-08:00

It's that time of year, when surprises uncover upon the snow melt. I bet this phone book was put here when I was housesitting this winter. And it's just been revealed now! Oh winter, why were you so wimpy this year? Just one more foot of snow, please? A little more skiing???

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-16633457241313287912010-03-28T14:58:00.008-08:002010-04-01T16:26:22.304-08:00

High today (so far): 44FLow today: 24FMileage: 12.4After vegging this entire week, staring at the dirt that has completely taken over the ski trails by my house, I made an impulse decision two days ago and signed up for the Sonot Kkaazoot 20k ski race on the river. My reasoning? I haven't done enough skiing this winter since winter biking took over my life, and I really enjoy skiing. Since the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-27944038935658274072010-03-22T19:52:00.011-08:002010-04-15T23:48:12.138-08:00

High temps (FAI): 25-33FLow temps (FAI): -8 to -1 F, but much colder on the trail (easily -20F)Mileage: 101WOO!!!!!I don't even know where to start to tell of my first 100-mile winter bike race other than I'm PUMPED that I was even physically able to do it this spring. I remember very clearly when Debbie asked me last year if I would go for the Susitna 100 this coming year, I said "ehhh, I don't

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-33142760087071211092010-03-20T14:45:00.004-08:002010-03-20T22:08:08.504-08:00

Sink or swim! It's race time. Follow us here starting 8am Sunday!Follow my progress via SPOT here!Thanks to my many "sponsors" - I couldn't be doing this without you all! An extensive list will follow...

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-65311890183971030932010-03-13T23:14:00.008-09:002010-04-01T21:37:51.457-08:00

Highest temp we noted: +22FLowest temp we noted: -15FMileage: 75Hours on trail: 33.5So this past week was "spring break", but as grad students we don't necessarily get a "spring break" but kind of hope that no one notices as we escape into the abyss for a few days. That is the advantage of grad school though and I am sure many will agree. Anyway, Helena proposed a 3-day excursion into a couple

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-71796644863423423902010-03-09T23:54:00.000-09:002010-04-01T21:38:25.875-08:00

High today: 25FLow today -1FFairbanks has an extensive trail system just outside of town that can be reached from most of our front yards or very close to them.. it's pretty rockin'. Since we have barely had any snow this winter, they are like a highway for the two-wheel-kind-of-people this year. The trails are very flat but nice to get out in the morning and/or evenings.Patrick and Apollo came

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-9518319501311526032010-03-08T23:33:00.003-09:002010-03-10T09:09:00.628-09:00

High today (FAI): 24Low today (FAI): -24I think the snow angels have the right idea of where to hang out...Krista came up from Anchorage to visit for the first half of spring break and wanted to head down to the AK range to see the ice caves so we drove down there to enjoy the mountain air for a day.Krista. Mal photoWe were lucky to have a solid path to follow from the ski mountaineering class'

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-60215899591757372702010-03-07T23:47:00.006-09:002010-03-08T00:50:49.962-09:00

High today: 6FLow today: -17FThis weekend I stayed in town for the weekend for the first time since December. It was actually really nice, and I didn't realize how much I had to get done here.My friend Scott has been offering me mechanical bike help for over a year, and I decided to finally take him up on it this weekend for a big project - rebuilding my snowcats!! I'll run you through the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-66518193695458855272010-02-28T18:58:00.016-09:002010-04-01T21:37:51.458-08:00

High temps: -5 to 3Low temps: -27 to -10Mileage: ~32This was supposed to be my official full "recovery" date from knee surgery (though I have heard it can take up to a year) and I was all excited to do something epic for it. But epic planning doesn't always result in an epic journey. I'll tell this story in two parts as I'm pretty bummed about the second part, but had a great first

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-5784128567850643702010-02-25T21:35:00.002-09:002010-04-10T12:42:41.187-08:00

I don't always go down to this spot, but when there's a nice sunset, it's a spectacular view!

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-8492843025904494112010-02-21T22:03:00.018-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.249-09:00

High temps (FAI): 31-33FLow temps (FAI): 6-9FMileage: 78.As temperatures in the Fairbanks area skyrocketed into the high 30s, 40s, and near 50F in some places in the hills this past week, I began biting my nails for this weekend, as I had a near 80-mile bike trip planned for an overnight. When it gets that warm, the snow begins to get soft and rot, creating a nearly impossible trail to float on.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-37842163418187438162010-02-13T23:35:00.109-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.249-09:00

High today (FAI): 16 FLow today (FAI): -9 FMileage: 37Holy crap, that one kicked my butt! Funny now that I am back at home after a meal at Hilltop, I feel pretty good actually. Out on the trail though, I was beginning to struggle. I'm almost positive it was due to a calorie deficit. Today I went out to ride a 37 mile loop with Helena and Robbie - a seismologist from Australia just visiting

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-25589574516700115832010-02-11T10:32:00.000-09:002010-04-10T12:42:52.742-08:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-31268635468683644922010-02-06T22:03:00.002-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.250-09:00

High today: +13 F Low today: +1 F Mileage: 27 Feeling great after a good ride to get back in the swing of things in Fairbanks.  I went out with Ned and Tohru to ride (they skied) the Yukon Quest trail backwards from the Pleasant Valley store to Nordale Rd.  We enjoyed a very warm day out on the trail. Tohru pretty pumped to be out on the trail.Fairbanks has only gotten an official 20.7" of snow

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-20932901080221634732010-02-06T09:08:00.001-09:002010-02-08T11:08:18.892-09:00

Man, I missed out on THIS by 4 days!  Photos courtesy of my sister Patty (starring the little munchkins). I am proud to say these girls totally pumped about the snow are my nieces.Oops, Gretchen lost one of her boots in the snow and had to get rescued out of the snow.  At least no 3-year-olds went missing in the snow pile!The girls stand where there is a sidewalk.. but uhhh, the plow truck kind

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-17374109507505064352010-01-31T22:02:00.054-09:002010-02-04T22:46:36.575-09:00

High today (PIT): 28 F Low today (PIT) 3 F Mid-travel I was slightly derailed and ended up back in Pittsburgh a lot sooner than I had been planning on.  Dave let me borrow his singlespeed mtb (thank you thank you thank you!!) so I was able to get some fresh air and riding in despite being completely unprepared for a Pittsburgh January. Reed cranks uphill from his house.So the funny thing about

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-25704733379012984622010-01-23T12:14:00.000-09:002010-02-04T22:40:00.117-09:00

High today (SRQ): 72-78F Low today (SRQ): 58-66F After the AMS conference, I spent a few days in Florida with my sister Val, bro-in-law Keith, and best friend from college, Alexis. Al flew down from New Jersey to come soak up some sun with me and she wanted to meet the last of my siblings.  That sun was a little hard to find the 3 days we were there, thanks to a torrential downpour (we deserved

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-81021305970419620662010-01-21T13:31:00.006-09:002010-01-31T14:40:29.621-09:00

High temps (ATL): 49-66FLow temps (ATL): 40-46FI went down to Atlanta to join about six thousand other meteorologists and atmospheric scientists from around the country (and world for that matter) for what I like to call, the annual weather nerd fest.  I went down by myself from Fairbanks but quickly reunited with many friends and acquaintances from undergrad and summer internships.  It was very

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-72560285225926796312010-01-13T12:35:00.008-09:002010-05-03T11:19:54.002-08:00

On the way home from Red Dog, Oceana and I had a layover in Kotzebue.Even though it was only -15 in Kotzebue, it felt FLIPPING COLD. Colder than I have experienced yet this winter. There was a slight breeze which made all the difference. I actually WANTED to be inside, that is how cold it was.We made the time pass by checking out ridiculously expensive handmade parkas at an art shop.And of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-14608816962560811152010-01-10T09:42:00.015-09:002010-05-03T11:19:54.000-08:00

I had the privilege to go out to Red Dog in the Northwestern Brooks Range with Oceana to take down her coastal radar at the port. We were supposed to go over winter solstice (funny time to go above the Arctic Circle) but the trip was pushed back a couple of weeks.. and ended up landing on my two year anniversary as an Alaskan resident. Not a bad way to spend it. :-)Upon entering the mudroom, I

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-52821991693712980922010-01-02T23:50:00.006-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.251-09:00

High today (ANC): 8FLow today (ANC): 1FI spent a day lingering around Anchorage, finding $5 shirts at Kohl's, (yes! Anchorage has a Kohl's now!), drooling at gear at REI, and going to places that were once familiar. My favorite visit though, was somewhere I spent nearly every other Friday at, and some weekdays after work, too. Far North Bicentennial Park.This place brings back a lot of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-2388644871118084152010-01-01T01:40:00.001-09:002010-01-08T00:34:51.992-09:00

High today (ANC): 9FLow today (ANC): 2FThis post is a continuation of my day at Hatcher Pass. After having a beverage and some appetizers at the lodge, we headed up to Houston, the land of 5 or 6 fireworks mega-stores which are open twice a year, before the 4th of July and before the New Year.What's even better is that the Mat-su valley lifted their fireworks ban for New Years Eve. Not that a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-65695874095993873782009-12-31T23:59:00.001-09:002010-01-08T01:08:26.667-09:00

High today (ANC): +21FLow today (ANC): +10FSo the whole idea of me leaving the cabin near Broad Pass in such a hurry this morning was to get to Palmer to pick up Nikole and Shawn, and to get to Hatcher Pass to meet with the Mat-su Valley Bikers and Hikers group for a xc ski. Absolutely incredible conditions down here.Poops likes the view.I could not believe how fast the skiing was. I love

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-84662991520168541812009-12-30T23:38:00.003-09:002010-01-08T01:06:48.240-09:00

High today (FAI): -10FLow today (FAI): -21FBlue-moon and starlit skies hung over me as Davya, Bad-Bob, Poops, Mocha, and I hit the trail to their cabin. I was en-route to Palmer for New Years but made a pit stop just south of Cantwell in easily the most beautiful section of the Parks Highway, just down the hill from Broad Pass. I can't say that I was able to take it all in since that 12 hour

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-69063985453256713372009-12-30T16:53:00.003-09:002009-12-30T17:08:26.476-09:00

High today: -10FLow today (so far): -19FThis morning I went down to the Tanana River with Chris to check his set line. No bites! Bummer. We took turns trying to break through the ice. He says the run starts back up at the end of February. Try again, then!

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-57531095698368380012009-12-28T23:22:00.000-09:002010-01-07T23:33:57.250-09:00

High today: -5FLow today: -17FWent out to the Permafrost Tunnel again today with Mark-e this time to help Matt out with his photography project.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-88810378858429608152009-12-24T23:50:00.001-09:002009-12-26T19:24:23.436-09:00

High today: 20 FLow today: -10 FPhew, I am glad that Amanda organized a mush/skijor/bike ride this morning because I may have gushed in my morning-Christmas Eve-homesickness and stayed in my bed all day. Now that would have been a silly way to spend the holiday, huh?So Amanda is special, because she is the only musher I know at this point in time. Amazing to have spent all this time in Alaska

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-88371387002964472602009-12-20T13:40:00.016-09:002009-12-22T10:19:35.453-09:00

High temps (at FAI): -22 to -13FLow temps (at FAI): -36 to -24FMileage: 17Well this weekend things didn't go quite as planned. Ah, the joys of picking a weekend ahead of time when you're not working and then letting nature do its thing. I reserved the Colorado Creek cabin a couple weeks ago which DNR owns off of Chena Hot Springs Road (not to be confused with the awesomer one in the White

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-55159556466105254002009-12-14T22:24:00.001-09:002009-12-22T10:46:03.371-09:00

High today: -4 FLow today: -13 FI headed up to the Permafrost tunnel today to "assist" someone doing a photography project. In other words, you have to have someone in the tunnel with you for safety protocol, so I accompanied the photographer to make sure if the place caved in, I could use my superpowers to save him. :-) Riiight. In other words, free access to a cool place!!! You can't just

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-58256019937307202452009-12-12T17:57:00.022-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.252-09:00

High today: -3 F (and rising)Low today: -15 FMileage: 22Time from car to cabin and back: 5 hoursWaking up on a Saturday morning to an alarm alerting me now is the time to get up if I want to use all 3 hrs and 53 mins of sunlight (or 6 hrs and 40 min of twillight), my body ached and yelled and said it wanted to stay curled up underneath the warm blankets and rest some more. But luckily I know

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-40383429965137154392009-12-08T22:52:00.004-09:002009-12-08T23:11:56.749-09:00

Had my 3rd and final knee strength test today and the doc is very happy with my strength numbers. My "bad knee" is only 8-12% behind the "good knee", which he said we couldn't ask for better numbers 3 months out. Hooray for a promising recovery and being ahead of schedule! :-)

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-58715450013888606332009-12-03T11:11:00.006-09:002009-12-22T16:30:53.363-09:00

Well maybe I'm taking a dive off of the deep end, but I've signed up for my first 100 mile winter bike race, the inaugural year of White Mountains 100! I was going to do the Susitna 100 this year, but this one came up, and not only is it local trails and not-so-swingy weather conditions, but it's much cheaper (and that is an issue right now in life), and the timing is better since my thesis is

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-79346908488196115462009-11-29T16:26:00.014-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.252-09:00

Temps: 0 to 20 FR/T mileage: ~31Awhile back Dick and Sarah invited me out to Co Creek Cabin in the White Mtns for Thanksgiving weekend. I decided to bike out to the cabin which is a 14 mile fairly flat trail.. but the trail had not been groomed by BLM yet. Started a couple of hours ahead of Dick and Sarah so I could get a head start to the cabin, as I was expecting to have to push quite a bit

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-72900433806378496672009-11-25T22:45:00.008-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.253-09:00

High today: 4 FLow today: -9 F and droppingWell that's a sight you don't see everyday.. unless you are out on the trails around Fairbanks this time of year! I have been wanting to get a picture of a musher crossing the road since I got here.Today Heike and I went for another ride at lunch time to test out my newest tires, WTB Weirwolfs (apparently all the cool winter riders in town have them..

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-91458966161008567432009-11-22T19:07:00.008-09:002010-03-06T17:09:37.254-09:00

High today so far: -8 F and risingLow today: -33 FWell today was interesting. I had more mechanical problems on my bike than ever before. Big mistake: Putting an old (but never used) tire on the back wheel. Why? Read on. Ben and Heike came over and we started riding from the cabin, since the FCC winter ride was not happening due to the cold. This was the first time I rode with them, since I

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-79272817971933137242009-11-21T16:35:00.005-09:002009-11-22T21:16:51.364-09:00

High today: -25 FLow today: -34 FOvernight last night and this morning I did my last weather balloon launches for my grad study. I am very excited that this is over - I enjoyed the field work but it is nice to not have to be flaky on people and to be able to plan trips more than a few days in advance... not to mention feeling like I can now crank through this thesis thing. It is due in early/

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-17663428049191358202009-11-18T19:16:00.001-09:002009-11-18T19:59:36.035-09:00

High today: -11 FLow today: -14 FAbout a month ago I snatched a pair of original Snowcats by a tick of luck.. and by luck, I mean within 5 mins of the guy sending out an email about them before about 20 more people contacted him about them by the next morning. If you were one of those people...sorry, but know that they will be very much loved. :-)Rocky the Rockhopper was in the shop waiting for

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-30044568432235837822009-11-15T23:25:00.003-09:002009-11-16T00:27:28.549-09:00

High today: 0 FLow today: -16 FToday we celebrated Celine's birthday with a ski at Birch Hill and a potluck dinner. Two years in a row she has had awesome weather for her bday. Today's ski was really good, I am getting confident (hopefully not too quickly) with my current capabilities on the skis and ready to bomb down hills again. Not ready for alpine skiing yet but hey it's going to get

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-68787599958458958652009-11-14T17:41:00.002-09:002009-11-14T17:59:51.880-09:00

High today: -6FLow today: -21FYou know what I love about Fairbanks?? The whole guaranteed-snow thing. Granted, it could come late, but you are seriously guaranteed some good snow. We established a really nice snowpack this past week with 3 days in a row of snowfall. Locations around town saw anywhere from 4" to a foot, and north of here they received up to two feet of snow. Hooray!!!! I had

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-27657738810497979712009-11-10T23:30:00.001-09:002009-11-11T00:04:39.695-09:00

Mr. Snowman is a good representation about how I feel about this weather. He smiles at everyone skiing by and every flake that falls from the sky. Keep that fluffy white stuff coming. It's good for the soul.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-63700762521700957342009-11-03T23:26:00.002-09:002009-11-09T00:00:31.933-09:00

Wow I had awesome luck today. After pushing my 51 lb bag through as an "under 50 lb" bag, I got myself into a first class seat (for the first time!) thanks to the kindness of the dude at the desk. (what are their official names?? I have no idea...) If I would have known I wouldn't have eaten breakfast since first class gets a free one. :-) On top of that, I've flown once again having a nice

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-58953159823416940872009-11-02T20:49:00.008-09:002009-11-08T23:57:39.671-09:00

High today (PIT): 57 FLow today (PIT): 31 FJust a few more photos from Pittsburgh. My buddy from college, Nick, came to Pittsburgh to visit from Columbus OH. We roamed around the neighborhood where I went to high school and walked up 42 floors to get to the top of the building. And why would we do such a silly thing? Because we can.When I was little and naive and didn't know where Oakland CA

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-4340735195560734672009-11-01T20:22:00.011-09:002009-11-17T00:08:08.338-09:00

High today: 52 FLow today: 41 FI had originally intended to do a 3-day backpacking trip in Central/Northern PA with some old friends, but by the time I got to State College exhausted from DC, and realized that I still know a lot of people in State College whom I wanted to see, I changed plans to accommodate seeing more people. The first day I crashed Walker building, home of the meteorology and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-78126486197610467122009-10-29T20:11:00.006-08:002009-11-07T12:21:57.463-09:00

High today (DCA): 62 FLow today (DCA): 56 FI headed down to the DC area for the first time ever to see some of my best friends from growing up. Alexis and I met in Rockville MD to stay with Meg, my best bud from high school (who is now engaged!!!), for the first night, then the second night we headed over to Fairfax VA to meet up with our old roommate, Laura, and our friend, Armand, from

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014268020383263707.post-60403984460027016392009-10-26T20:08:00.005-08:002009-11-03T10:59:12.833-09:00

High today (PIT): 60 FLow today (PIT): 37 FMy friend Jennifer drove up from Blacksburg VA with her son Owen, to come visit me and get the grand tour of Pittsburgh in a day and a half. They are friends from Fairbanks who moved to VA for Jennifer's job. We had a lot of fun being tourists and eating good food. It was great to have them and really appreciate the effort they took to come see me.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03422846261966219793noreply@blogger.com0