Day 3 consisted of Team Alaska exploring Juneau the way a tourist might. The group roamed around the downtown area stopping at quaint book stores, trading posts, and the Alaska State Museum. This allowed the team to relax their aching feet and gain a new perspective of the city and borough of Juneau. After visiting the museum, the team gained a deeper appreciation for Alaska’s native cultures and complex history.
On day 4, Team Alaska conquered Bridget Cove, led by local forest ecologist and conservationist John Krapek. In order to get to the site, the team hiked over a mile of steep terrain covered by a large and spinous plant called Devil’s club. The team was able to collect a plethora of samples including that of yellow-cedar and western hemlock. After collecting the samples, the team took a lunch break and enjoyed a nearby muskeg. Finally, Team Alaska descended the slippery and densely vegetated trail, which was marked only by their previous footsteps. We wish Team Utah the best of luck braving triple digit weather, excited to meet back in Ohio in the coming days!
The group smiles upwards as Jesse snaps a quick picture.
A quick look at one of the group’s field notebooks.
John shows us how the ecologists do it!
Malisse of the pines.
Kerensa cranks out another core.
Alora peers into the canopy.
A wild Dr. Wiles is spotted from a far.
Josh gets his arm workout for the day.
Chris and Jesse take a break and find a tree to climb. No trees were harmed in the making of this picture.
Looks like you’re being productive. Chris and Jesse better not get hurt climbing around trees like that! Love that group photo!