Cedar Adventure to Excursion Ridge

Intro
Kelly and Colin standing on one of the lower ridges near Excursion Ridge.

Today we hiked up Excursion Ridge to collect yellow-cedar samples for Colin’s I.S. On the trek up to the cedar stand, we hiked up the road and passed the dam used for the Falls Creek hydroelectric project. They plan to harness the power of Falls Creek to provide summer power to Gustavus.

Dam
The dam on Falls Creek. They regulate the flow of the creek to provide power while still allowing enough water for the fish. It is a controversial project due to questions on power provided versus environmental impact.

The day was uncharacteristically beautiful, and the expedition turned out to be fruitful. We collected samples from 43 yellow-cedars, with at least two samples from each tree. While at the site, we also collected samples from lodgepole pines dominating the meadow to satisfy our scientific curiosity. All in all a very productive day.

Coring
Colin places a core into the straw after extracting it from the tree.

Meadow
The meadow located at the top of the sample site, dominated by lodgepole pines and covered by arctic cotton.

Lunch
Dr. Wiles and Kelly walk through the meadow to the lunch site.

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One Response to Cedar Adventure to Excursion Ridge

  1. Mark Wilson says:

    Nice sunlight for the Alaskan team! All the summer research teams now on the blog. Good times to be a Wooster geologist!

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