just another day at the office

So everyone is back at camp (everyone but me and one other guy have been on break for the last week) and I finally got some of their photos...just a little look at what I have to endure at work everyday...enjoy!

we claim this land...

So it turns out we actually know what we are doing out here and the big-wigs in Canada have decided to claim some stakes based on what we have found. What this means is that this mining company now owns these big, beautiful mountains and they can dig them up at will - oh goodie! (did you sense the sarcasm?) Sometimes I wonder why I am out here working for a company that I don't agree with at all but then I just look around and remember - at least I get to see it while it's still here:) The only cool thing about this whole process it how it happens: we label and date all these stakes, load them into the helicopter, and then fly around chucking them out into a grid - marking our claims. Basically it's like extreme lawn darts.

I'm working up here, really!

So the blue and green stuff on these rocks isn't spray paint, as it may look, but two copper containing minerals - malachite and azurite. It's pretty cool to find cause it's not that common and the other day we found LOTS of it...what a nerd I am.
I took this picture of John while I rested during our 500 foot straight up death march through a talus slope. You may be thinking "it can't be as steep as it looks, that must be an optical illusion" but no, no - it was. If I had to guess I would say it was 75 degrees - who needs a stair-stepper when I have this?

John and Heidi doing some serious work. If it looks like the mountain drops off on either side of them then you are looking at it right - that is what we were walking on all day.
So we had to get back to the helicopter somehow and what better way then to slide down the majority of the 500 feet we had climbed that morning...on our butts...in the snow.

crusin'

So if anyone is wondering...this is my mode of transportation everyday to and from the work area. I'll try and catch a bear in the shot next time:)

GLACIER!

So last night we took a walk up the valley to the glacier - amazing! This looks like a rock cliff right? Wrong! It's ice- crazy.

This cave has been carved by a river running underneath the glacier. Naturally, we had to go in it...
Me, John, Hans, and Wes INSIDE the glacier cave. The ice was so beautiful and clear, you could see about 2 feet into it. Other people got better pics so I will try and get those up - it still doesn't do it justice but it helps.

day one (sort-of)

OK, so today is really day 3 but it's day one of the blog and day one of actual work so I thought the title was appropriate. Here is a shot from the plane one the way into camp and yes, we did fly through that pass.

The first 2 days were spent getting everything unpacked and organized and getting everyone acquainted and moved in. Here is where I will be living the next 2 months - home sweet home

Today we did some stream sediment sampling and while I didn't get a picture of that, I did get a sweet shot of the helicopter on the hill - it's a rough life, I know.


ps I struggle with the computer and I couldn't get these pictures and descriptions to match up but you can figure it out, right? I'll work it out for next time.