Whimsical Weather.

Pure, unadulterated happiness right here.

I'm just going to come out and say it.
Last week I launched a giant weather balloon miles into the sky and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life.  There.  Now that I have it off my chest,  I can begin to go into a little more detail about the weather adventure us volunteers had last week.

When a friend at the National Weather Service called the station last week during my Late Afternoon Show, we volunteers were invited to come out and launch a weather balloon sometime in the future.  At the risk of sounding way too eager, I called him back the very next morning and made us an appointment to come out that very day for a launch.  I mean, when you are given the chance to fill up a balloon the size of elephant's head, you should just go for it.   Not only will this experience be one of the few times you get to maneuver enough helium to make you feel like you're going to lift right up into the air a 'la some Banksy art piece, it's also the chance to snag a peek at just how weather information is received.   Afterall, weather is a big part of KNOM's programming.  No one wants to be out kayaking during a small craft advisory, and a sudden winter storm could put more than an uncomfortable damper on a hike.  Western Alaska depends on accurate weather forecasts and current conditions to live safely and productively in this very unique part of the world.
Before heading out with the Weather Service guys, I wasn't exactly sure what a weather balloon was.  I figured that thinking it was a giant balloon that acted as a conveyance for gathering weather information seemed way to simple.  I was expecting some kind of only slight balloon-esque contraption complete with propellers, antennae, and possibly some kind of futuristic looking doppler radar.  Wrong.  It's just a balloon with what looks like a take-out box of sesame chicken attached by a string.  Okay, I'm probably under emphasizing the technology behind all of this, nonetheless, the launch was a simple process free of the propeller and doppler gadgetry I was expecting.
At the end of the day, I was just excited to be holding a giant balloon.  I love it when whimsy meets practicality.

Liftoff!

 

 

 

 

*Thanks to Margaret for being a wonderful photographer!

Outsiders In Nome.

It was a strange feeling being in the shoes of the person who acts as a tour guide of Nome.  After all, it wasn’t that long ago that former volunteer, Matt, was walking me down the streets of Nome showing me the Subway, post office, and Nome’s unofficial mascot, Velvet Eyes the pet reindeer.    However, when some friends from my days in AmeriCorps NCCC came to visit last week, I found myself in the position of certified “Nomeite” over “small town newbie”.

See? Look how lost Eva and I are.  I’m a terrible tour guide.

Luckily however, I don’t think my friends Andrea and Nicole saw through the facade that I actually know where I’m going in this town.  You’d think that I’d know where I was going seeing as how this is a small town and there’s plenty of time to explore.  As my mother says however, “that boy couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag”.  It’s true.  I’ve been known to avoid carrying homemade lunches for this very reason.
We can talk about my lunchtime habits during some other blog post though.  All in all I feel like I did a good job of showing my friends around.  Not only was it great getting the chance to introduce my friends to the voyage I’ve embarked on here in Nome, visiting places like Anvil Mountain, the White Alice Site, and the icy shoreline was also a much needed reminded for myself of how much adventure awaits just outside of the Volunteer House.
The best part of having visitors in Nome is surprising them with facts about day-to-day life here in Town.  Some of my favorites to name a few include:
“Here’s the post office.  It’s also the Chiropractor’s.”
“What kind of restaurant is that?  Well it serves sushi, pizza, Korean, Barbeque, Japanese, and burgers.”
“Here’s our only chain restaurant, Subway.  It’s also the movie theater.”

I am looking forward to more Volunteer House guests as my time here progresses.  Until then, I’m going to studying up on how to get from all the point A’s to point B’s in this town before more company arrives.

Andrea and Nicole on Anvil Mountain.

Andrea and I.

Andrea at sunrise.

Touching the sea.

Getting ready for a hike!

Welcome to Nome!

When a friend arrives, you steal their talent.

Nicole recording an educational spot.

Anvil Mountain Sunset.

Outsiders!

See? Look how lost I am.

Dinner time.

Everybody!

Inside the studio.

Andrea and I on Anvil.

Always Wear Sunscreen.

You step outside with your layers of warm cotton, rain resistant nylon, and cozy wool to breathe in a clean, crisp, breath of ocean air.  Welcome to your morning in Nome.

For my first few weeks here, the smell of ocean air paired with the chilly atmosphere totally baffled my senses.  I would step out for a walk, take in my fair share of oxygen and immediately my mind would flood with thoughts of sunscreen and hot sand.  It only takes on frigid gust of wind to dispel those thoughts and bring you back into the reality of being in Nome, Alaska over, say, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The cold air and lack of conventional seaside frolicking hasn't kept Nome's shores from becoming my favorite haunt in town.

Maybe it's the fact that no matter where I am in the world, the beach reminds me a bit of homespun vacation memories tucked back in the 'North Carolina' box of my mind, or perhaps it's just the fact that the feel of yielding sand beneath your feet paired with the sound of crashing waves is always a recipe for a zen moment, but I find myself walking the same seaside paths week to week.  When you're off having an adventure far from home like we volunteers are, it is important to take time and space to reflect and continue to develop the connection between where you are, where you've been, and where you're going.  I know, I know, I'm getting a little sentimental and deep here.  That's probably because as I am writing this I am occasionally taking glances out toward the sea.  You see?  It just brings out the inner-peace in me.  It is magic.

Going to the beach doesn't always mean being alone with your thoughts.  You can always find a friend to take a walk with at the Volunteer House.  This especially is a fun time of year to hang out at the beach as you can take turns chucking ice into the water, acting as lookouts for marine mammals, and climbing the rock wall.  Watching the ocean freeze over is such a surreal experience.  The closest experience I have with bodies of water freezing in my presence is when I load the freezer with a freshly refilled ice cube tray.  I can't wait to have the opportunity to walk on the ocean.  Hello whimsy.  Until then I'll just keep track of the progress it is making from my window view.

(You'll have to excuse me for all of the slight altered photos.  I enjoy editing all of my photos to look like they came out of Lana Del Rey music videos.)

Gourd Times.

This is my favorite time of year.

Fall means donning warm sweaters, listening to the rustling of dry, colorful leaves on your front lawn, and enjoying the last few weeks of greenery and sunshine filled days.

Unless you live in Nome.

Look at those beautiful Fall colors!

I'm not quite sure, but I think autumn came at about about 2pm on a Thursday afternoon of September and left us by 3:30 pm the same day.  Now if you were to go out to your front lawn and try to listen to rustling leaves in just a sweater, you may get more than a few strange looks and passing car honks.  Maybe it's the lack of trees to provide said leaves, or maybe it's the fact that the temperature is known to drop well below what I would deem 'sweater' weather, but one is forced to rethink what October festivities mean to them when dwelling in Western Alaska.

Luckily, us volunteers have a plethora of wonderful friends and contacts here in the Nome community who are more than willing to indulge our occasional homesick inspired whims with the Nome equivalents of Lower 48 practices.  This was the case just the other week when I was feeling more than a touch nostalgic for Autumn evening spent with my parents decorating for our favorite family holiday, Halloween.  You see, my mother always makes this time of year feel so special.  While our family usually isn't the type to go all out for holidays, Mom usually ramps up the excitement of late October with whimsical decor, mornings paired with pumpkin spice pancakes, and of course, jack-o-lanterns. Here's where the Nome whimsy kicks in.

Our good friend Jenn whisked away our feelings that we may have missed the brief period of time that was Autumn here in Nome by inviting us over for some October themed celebrations.  Namely, pumpkin carving.  I'm happy to say that none of us were injured in our gourd based festivities, however some of the pumpkins are in critical care at the Volunteer House.

Daynee may look scary but...well, she is.

...and we rode off into the sunset.

Margaret made fun time look so professional.

We obviously enjoy this kind of thing.

A Day With Headphones

Ever wonder what the Music Director does at KNOM?  Here's a look into my typical Monday:

Eva always looks this busy.  I like to bug her anyways.

At 10am I roll into an already hopping studio.  Lucus and Daynee are rocking the end of ahilarious morning show that I had the chance listen to while I was at the gym.  They were their usual hilarious selves talking about everything from existentialism to pancakes.  I stroll by Studio C which is occupied with its usual morning guest, Margaret, who is getting her news stories ready for the day.  I stick my head and to confirm a meeting with her later today about her KNOM Crew Picks.  On my way to complete my most important morning task, grabbing a cup of coffee,  I pop into the batcave (the loving name given to Eva’s black-clad recording studio/office) to let Eva know how much I loved her recent profile on a non-profit doing some much needed good in the area.
I make my way upstairs to find three packages on my desk, all sent from both big and small record labels.  It’s a good sight as it means I have brand spankin’ new music to screen later.  It’s like a miniature musical birthday present moment.  To add to the birthday moment, I also find a new music magazine on my desk detailing Alanis Morrisette’s newest album.  For once I have a job that warrants reading about music during work hours.

We get in everything from digital downloads, to CDs, and even a vinyl now and again

I log into my e-mail to find new music downloads from small labels who have switched from sending tangible recordings my way to doing everything digitally.  I start a hefty download of several new singles and albums from various artists and let these kind music promoters know what I thought of last week’s selections provided to me.  Nine times out of ten I say something along the lines of “That was great!  Send me more!”.  You never know what you’re going to get in the mail from week to week.  It’s all pretty exciting for a music buff like myself.

Double headphones (like a boss).

 I open up an audio file that I’ve been working on the past week or so for one of my pre-produced Music Detour shows.  This episode has been a lot of fun to piece together as it is about one of my favorite topics – space.  While I must admit my reservoir of songs about space hadn’t been completely tapped, Lucus sent me a link to an excellent song to add to the mix.  It’s great to be able to blend multiple kinds of music into one show and it helps the amalgamation process to get outside recommendations from others.

It’s lunchtime.  I ate a turkey sandwich with spinach, swiss cheese, and spicy mustard.  But you probably didn’t need to know that.

I return to work and switch a couple of my Music Detour songs out and edit any mistakes in the script I wrote and recorded for the show.  I decide it’s time to drop it until tomorrow – I don’t want to over-edit.  In my striving to be ever hip and with-it, I check out what the Billboard charts have to say for the day.  I take note that some of the singles I’ve recently added are climbing ever higher on the Billboard Hot 100.  That’s good news.  I also make a mental note to move some of our song selections that are losing their momentum to a less regular rotation.
As promised, I meet with Margaret to talk about her KNOM Crew picks.  Everyone already has a grasp on what their doing here work-wise, but I enjoy it when I’m asked my opinions on music selections.  All of my fellow volunteers have an excellent grasp on music knowledge so they can always be tapped for inspiration.  They also help me keep in check that I am keeping our system up to date with music that I wouldn’t normally be a fan of.
Margaret tags me on my way back up from the batcave to give me some interview leads for my upcoming Sounding Board show.  I’m not a newsie at heart, so I take to heart any advice that the news department has to give.  I take one last moment to look at some of the smaller music charts.

Then it’s time for the really fun part of my workday, The Late Afternoon show.  Here’s where I get to put all of my musical taste and trivial knowledge to use as I get to hang out with Western Alaska for the remainder of the day.

At the end of the day I leave feeling pretty awesome that my job has me doing something I’ve always love – sharing great music with others and doing my small part to make the world a more groovy place.

Anything Could Happen.

Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, Heart.

 

At the end of the workday when you’ve had your share of listening to music and talking, nothing feels better than coming home to your radio companions and friends for a nice get-together of…listening to music and talking. I feel so blessed to have been placed among the four awesome individuals I share the Volunteer House with. Everyone brings something to the table that makes me look forward to our coming adventures together with each new experience that passes by us.

Life at the Volunteer House goes from manic to incredibly zen. Many hours are spent indulging in good conversation, KNOM playing quietly in the background, sipping whatever delicious tea that Eva’s oh-so-generous grandmother has shipped to us. Many hours are also spent participating in what we call our Nome Dance Party. It’s just like any dance party, except we bust moves in our bulky Bunny Boots. It isn’t easy, but it’s a whole lot of fun as well as a great strength training routine for our legs. At this rate we ought have the shapeliest legs this side of Nome come winter.

Eva and Margaret tell me my boots don't fit them.  I don't think they're trying hard enough.

 

 

Eva: My grandma sent us tea!
Josh: Gee Golly!

 

Fun hasn’t been all about calorie burning however. The calories I have consumed in this past month living in our community housing have been some of the most adventurous and delicious I’ve encountered in a very long time. Lucs makes pita bread that is so good it’ll make you cry. Daynee’s culinary creations range from the exotic to the whimsical with her most recent creation being something called Unicorn Poop Cookies. They’re more delicious than they sound – trust me. Yet has anyone at the Volunteer House taken their turn at the stove without producing items have fallen short of tasty.

Daynee making Unicorn Poop.

 

The most exciting part about all of this fellowship we are experiencing is that there is so much more to come just lingering on the horizon. Anything could happen. I wholeheartedly plan to keep eating well, laughing lots, and dancing the night away with the spattering of wonderful, talented people this experience has gifted me.

Lucas, some guy, Eva, Daynee, and Margaret.

*As seen on the KNOM Volunteer Blog

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Pulpiest of Times.

I’ve had a torrid love affair with berry picking all of my life. Like any good story of a torrid nature, it starts in my early childhood.

My parents still tell stories dating back to my early 90’s childhood concerning my love for berries. Once my mother demonstrated that these colorful objects could be picked from something leafy and green and placed right in one’s mouth, I was completely engaged – which is saying a lot for a child of single digit years. On family camping trips I would ravenously consume blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strange bitter purple berries, awful red berries, gritty grey berries…and the list goes on. In fact my love for berry picking was so intense that I developed no discerning eye for a particular berry, shoving in whatever I could scavenge at such a rate that I would come close to consuming twigs and leaves along with my valued berry prize.

At some point in my berry history, I’m guessing around my moody years of adolescence, my love of picking able to pick something right out of nature and consume it faded. Berry picking was no longer a loved pastime associated with family vacations and gluttony. Instead all it meant to me was baking in the 108-degree sun in a dusty field for the equivalent of a palm full of pulpy, stain creating juice. Remind you however, I was young and moody, so I found most things as enthralling as I found pulp and berry stains.

Berry picking in this region however seems to be a big part of life in the summertime. For the past three weeks I’ve heard of folks going out to pick blueberries and salmon berries (a berry I was ignorant of until recent) and then heard tales of their uses from jam, to scones, to pancakes. While delicious creations such as those do entice me, I must admit that when I was asked to go berry picking on the tundra the other day, I felt the urge to channel my inner berry disdaining adolescent.

I’m happy to tell you that this story has a happy ending. As simple as it may seem, blueberry picking with members of the KNOM staff and fellow volunteers has been the most Alaskan experience I’ve had in my short tenure here. Everything about the hour and a half spent kneeled down amongst the miniature sized jungle that is tundra vegetation was immensely zen and soul-easing. The rolling hills, the sound of wind making its way across the tundra, and the occasional call of a raven or seagull paired with the company of new friends made for a wonderful time. To put it gently, the berry lover in my got his groove back.

It is the small wonders in life that truly add flavor…and Nome is a city ripe with small wonders. Small wonders and sweet, sweet berries.

The tundra is a miniature jungle!

Laura's dogs can sniff out all of the best berry patches.

Eva shows off her harvest.

Daynee didn't have many berries.

Maybe this is why.

A great day for man and berrykind alike.

*As seen on the KNOM Volunteer Blog



Procurement.

Since there is no such thing as Craigslist for Nome, the townsfolk use something called Nome Announce which sends every single want/for sale/announcement ad straight to your inbox. Of the 2000+ emails I've gotten so far, this is certainly one of my favorites.

Berry Dredge.

At our weekly staff meeting each of us gets spotlighted for any updates we have about work.  I always start mine off by saying "Things are super great".  Then that sentiment is usually followed by "That's all".  As the whirlwind of training has come to an end (more or less - I supposed you never really stop training altogether) I find myself really diving into my work and finding a lot of enjoyment in it.  Not only are all the people I work with wonderful, but the work itself provides a lot of satisfaction. 

As a kid I used to make mixtapes to play to the invisible audience in my room.  It seems now that such a practice was less childhood folly, and moreso off site job training.  The fact that my day consists of producing music shows, screening brand new albums, and, to put it simply, say words on the radio is thrilling.  It was hard to grasp how I could possibly ever work with music as a kid seeing as how I knew I likely wouldn't go to college for it plus I lacked any background in the subject.  Somehow here I am.  I can't say that I plan to make music shows for the rest of my life, but it feels great to live out this dream even if it is just for a little while.

Of course there is more to my day-to-day than wearing headphones.  Nome life thusfar has been an adventure.  With the arrival of fellow KNOM service members I've found myself taking hikes up Anvil Mountain, blueberry picking on the tundra until my hands are numb from cold, and exploring abandoned gold dredges.  I had planned on doing a post for each of these experiences but am experiencing the second month blog slump that I usually do.  Maybe September will be better.  Until then, enjoy these photos!

The abandoned dredge.  You see the flume in the far left?  We climbed all the way to the top of it!

Not OSHA approved.

Climbing up the tower...for just a little ways.

Eva at the controls.

Laura's dogs can smell out the best berry patches!

The yield.

Daynee and Eva.

The tundra is a miniature jungle!

 

 

Hit The Ground Running (And Talking...A Lot.)

The following is my first guest blog post for KNOM's Volunteer Blog.

Just over a month ago you might have been able to find me traversing a waterway in Eastern Tennessee in chest-high waders collecting samples of water discharges. Just a year before that you could have found me in the wilderness of Northern California decked out in wildland firefighting gear cutting fire lines up a mountainside. Naturally now I find myself in an office lined with LPs, and a desk covered with everything from scripts outlining all of the important notables on The Paper Route’s newest album, to chicken-scratched post-it notes on how to properly execute the daily weather roundup. I suppose that radio work is the clichéd next stepping-stone after environmental and firefighting work, right? Nonetheless here I am with headphones around my neck, a stack of cds anxiously awaiting to be heard by my side, a big white text box expecting me to input my very first KNOM Volunteer blog post inside of it, and a big smile on my face for realizing that I have finally made the move from being an avid reader of this blog to becoming a contributor.

Obviously things move fast here at KNOM. The part of my brain that realizes I only hopped off of the plane into Nome two weeks ago knows that things are clipping along fairly quickly in my foray into being a KNOM Volunteer, however the part of me that lives in the moment here realized that despite its relative speed, things here simultaneously with a slow, steady, and patient gait. For example, if you had told me my first week I’d be able to sit behind a mixing board and DJ for a three hour shift without totally dropping the ball every time I opened the mic or pressed a button come my second week, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Alas, here I am in week number two feeling fairly well at ease with the my upcoming Fist-Pound Show with Community DJ, Tousana, at the end of my shift today, as well as a sense of pride from finishing my very first Music Detour show to be aired next month. Everyone here told me that I would pick up on things before my training period was out. I don’t know if I believed them after my first few days of crash-courses in radio, but I am beginning to think they were right after all.

Me pretending to know what I am doing with some degree of success!

My short tenure here as a citizen of Nome has already given me plenty of reasons to fall head over heels for this place. I don’t even know what to begin talking about during my weekend phone calls back home. I’ve spent hours in awe of the Bering Sea, petted a reindeer, had my voice carried to distant places that I can’t even fathom, taken photos of a beached whale, hiked beautiful Anvil Mountain, and just yesterday I ate my very first caribou burger. I don’t think a regular lower-48 fast food meat and bread pairing will ever satisfy me again.

I look forward to sharing my many upcoming adventures here at KNOM and in Nome this next year. I am sure all of us upcoming volunteers are on board for what it going to be an incredible, inspiring, and hopefully caribou meat filled ride.

Little Wonders and Big Whales

It has been a beautiful weekend here in Nome.  The sun is shining (day and night I should mention), the sea breeze is blowing, and the only sounds outside of my window are waves crashing and the sound of kids playing on the street. 

The view from the back porch of the volunteer house.

Though I have walked the the perimeter of the bulk of the town several times, I never cease to find something new to ponder and snap a photo of.  I think that is part of the magic behind Nome, Alaska.  For being a town so small in its population and spread, it holds a vast amount of little wonders.  And what is life without all of the little wonders?

A rather large wonder happened my way that I have been checking up on throughout the week.  A beached whale was found on Friday morning just a couple of blocks from the station.  Sadly, by the time it was discovered it had already passed.  The corpse however was photo documented and observations concerning it were sent to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  I've visited it a couple of times this past week as the waves move it along the shore.

This is with the tail facing the camera.

A seagull has to do what a seagull has to do.

...and one just because I was feeling a bit artsy.

I have managed to find some time to breakaway from photographing large marine mammal carcasses though.  Below are the results of my walking around town paired with my obsession with making everything look like it came out of a photo album from 1967.

This here...this is an awesome house.

I found a matching limb three miles away.  Seriously.

At the Alaska National Guard Armory.

I doubt I'll grow tired of living this close to the Bering Sea.

No reason.  I just like creepy, old looking photos.

Before I drown you out with more pictures I should go.  Stick with me though as I am bound to have more adventures coming up as I am determined to use some of my free time to do more than take pictures of abandoned things. 

Here's to another, hopefully dead whale free, week of learning how to operate all of those flashing buttons and sliders at the radio station.

Baby Steps, Josh, Baby Steps...

My oh my, what a week it has been.

To say that I had to hit the ground running at the start of this work week is an understatement.  In fact it often feels like I am sprinting just to keep my head above water.  Yeah, I know, I am mixing my running and swimming metaphors, but stick with me - this week was a challenge.

Since Monday morning I have gone from zero radio experience to sitting in on and even hosting several DJ shifts, flubbed my words more than a handful of times in front of Western Alaska and whoever might be tuning in Russia wise, and have been given basic training on everything from news reporting to radio tower maintenance.  Come Friday I felt that my brain was merely a dish sponge with gallons upon gallons of water being poured upon it that would just bounce off of the already saturated surface. 

Geeze.  I've really gotta start working on my metaphors.

I tend to be a hard on myself about doing well in my work, and I know I should certainly lighten up considering that it is only my first week working in an entirely different field, but I certainly look forward to the day I feel proficient at this whole DJ gig.  I believe I have a grasp on he production part - making shows, inputting new music to play, creating spots.  It is the actual time spent with the microphone in front of me that wierds me out a bit.  Sure, it is nerve wracking trying  not to say something completely idiotic or inappropriate to thousands of listeners, but what really stumps me is the timing, multitasking, and technology behind it all.  I am sure I have asked the three same questions revolving around my DJ sets at least a dozen times over to a number of staff members at the station.  Luckily they are all kind enough not to smack me in the face with a paperweight whenever they see me approaching their desk.

Again,  I do tend to be more than a little self-critical so I shouldn't concentrate on these feelings too much.  I just hope that my fellow volunteers arriving soon grasp on to these concepts more seamlessly than I have. 

I am sure they will.

Hopefully next week I'll be entertaining you with tales of my on-air wit and technological capability.  Until then I'll be trying to free up some space in the ol' sponge.

FUDSicles.

Overlooking Nome like some alien colony who never took any lessons in subtlety, the White Alice telecommunication settlement of World War II had been the premise of many of my google searches before reaching Nome.  I don't know why exactly but I have always had a fascination with both A. Space-esque futuristic things and B. Abandoned buildings.  Short of finding a defunct Planetarium, the White Alice site is paradise for someone like me.  While most FUDS (Formerly Used Defense Sites) such as the White Alice in Nome are being completely dismantled, this particular site has been chosen for preservation by city officials due to public demand.  While the Nome site is nothing like what it apparently used to be, I think it is fantastic that at the very least the ominous towers on the horizon will be a sight to see for years to come.

The view not far from where I live.

It is thanks to my fellow KNOM-ers that I got a chance to visit this awesome place today.  We drove just a few miles out of town to see where folks live who wish to apparently escape the crowd of Nome if you will.  How the population even just a few miles outside of the city manages to get supplies in the winter is beyond me, but hey, more power to them.  Perhaps the chance to get to look at the rolling hills over the Bering Sea is reason enough to live away from town.  I know I certainly felt a calling to this particular area.

The fog covering the distant comm towers gave everything an almost Prypiat feeling to it.  Every once and a while you would here the sound of metal scraping against itself as a worker on the top of the mountain was dismantling part of the White Alice framework out of eyesight.  Aside from that, the hike was eerily quiet.  Short of playing a few hours of Skyrim, I don't think I've ever had a hiking experience quite like this before.

Never before have I been in such fog. 

Bones and a blanket.  You tell me.

Bone.  I'm presuming from a dragon.

This seems normal and not out of place at all.

The 'Anvil'.

Apparently there is a good view from the rocks...just not today.

Bekah and Matt acting as my tour guides.

Obviously I'm not a great sign follower.

Arriving at the White Alice site.

One of the towers in the process of asbestos removal.

This lone fellow with the military stopped to talk with us a bit about the site.

Sepia toned for your pleasure.

On our way back down the mountain we ran across these muskox.

Before, this was the only sighting of muskox I had experienced.

All in all it was a great, surreal kind of day.  I can't wait to get back up there again.  Until then White Alice will have her eye on me and mine on her.

Wish me luck tomorrow as it is my first day working at the radio station!