Geosciences in Alaska

Overview

Arctic Alaska Dinosaur Project

Team Members

Preparatory Field Trip to Pt. Reyes

Field Research in Alaska

Geoscience Conceptual Framework

Contacts

Trip Log: Monday, July 22, 2002

warming up at the campfire

Above: Can you tell we’re slightly cold?
Below:Peg and Rena measure the location of a fossil as Phelana records.

Peg, Rena and Phelana in the quarry

Yesterday we were splashing in the Colville River in 80-degree weather and complaining about working in our quarries in the heat. Today, the temperature hovered at 55 degrees and we were wearing our heavy jackets, caps, and wool gloves. We didn’t see the sun all day. We started working in our quarries at 7:30. Our goal was to avoid the afternoon heat. By 10:30 we were huddled around a campfire taking a long snack break.

Our third day quarry work yielded two times the elements in quarries one and two. One highlight was finding a complete radius. Rena was deemed the “fossil ferret” and was finding so much stuff that she was relegated to sweeping for one hour while her recorder caught up with all of her finds.

Quarries three and four suffered from quarry envy. Holly continued to find teeth and has been named “the tooth fairy.” Quarry four uncovered a neural spine.

There was a terrible TP incident. A roll was carelessly tossed up the hill from Janet to Phil. As it rolled back down the hill heading for the water, Chris saved the day by dashing down the hill and intercepting the roll before it entered the river. Toilet paper is sacred, as most of it is used to wrap fossil samples.

The day ended with a gourmet dinner of bowls lined with homemade mashed potatoes and canned beef stew. Dinner was served in the weather port. Later we huddled around the campfire.

Reporters for the day: Pam and Phil

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Project partners and sponsors:
West Contra Costa Unified School District   UC Museum of Paleontology   University of Alaska Museum    National Science Foundation    The Mechanics Bank
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