Ohio, Some Fun, A Little Bit of Geology, and Back

Guest Blogger: Jesse Davenport

We always hear about how all geologists have the opportunity to go to fantastic places in far away lands. Or at least that was what I thought, while I envied my professors from afar. However, this summer I have had the opportunity to travel across the United States, on a road trip no less. From conquering Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, and Pikes Peak in Colorado to backpacking 83 miles in 10 days in the New Mexico backcountry (not to mention being attacked by a black bear) to spending a few days in the Sawtooth National Forest, to climbing Mt St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, and back to central Utah. And yet my trip isn’t even halfway complete. After assisting Dr. Judge and Elizabeth in her I.S. fieldwork, I will then head to southwestern Montana to begin my fieldwork in the Tobacco Root Mountains, where I will be working with Archean metamorphic and igneous rocks, some of the oldest you can find in North America. Being able to drive everywhere also has had a number of exciting perks. I have visited Colorado School of Mines and University of Utah, two schools I have looked at and am very interested in for graduate school for a Mining Engineering degree. I will also have the opportunity to visit the Bingham Canyon Cooper mine near Provo, Utah with the OSU folks. Hopefully I will be able to send out another update once I begin my work in Montana!

Jesse on top of the Colorado National Monument at 6,106 feet near Fruita, Colorado.

From Ohio to the west coast. A view of the Pacific Ocean near Ocean Shores, Washington.