Friday, July 30, 2010
Column!
Yay! Headed to Manteca to meet up with Ethan for two days at Column of the Giants. I'm hitting up yet another new crag this year (I'm on a roll!). So glad he's not bailing so I don't have to throw a massive Joe-style wobbler in my living room in lieu of going rock climbing. Yesssss.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Photos from the weekend
Al posted photos from last Sunday. I couldn't take any after we left the overlook because my memory card was full and I couldn't figure out how to reformat it.
Check it out.
Check it out.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Oil spill in China
Photos from an oil spill in China (via The Big Picture).
These pictures are astounding. However I think they are even more shocking to me now because I went through the HAZWOPER training for the gulf spill 2 weeks ago. In most of these photos the workers are covered in oil, some head to toe. Over three days of my training I learned about the levels of exposure that we may be subjected to in the gulf. You would never ever see American workers at an American site without total protection. Oil would never touch an American worker's skin, and decontamination would be very strict between the spill site and non-spill areas. There is so much regulation and protocol for dealing with toxic substances in the US to protect workers. I think this is a good thing. Oil is toxic; there's no two ways about it.
I fear for the Chinese who are participating in this cleanup effort.
These pictures are astounding. However I think they are even more shocking to me now because I went through the HAZWOPER training for the gulf spill 2 weeks ago. In most of these photos the workers are covered in oil, some head to toe. Over three days of my training I learned about the levels of exposure that we may be subjected to in the gulf. You would never ever see American workers at an American site without total protection. Oil would never touch an American worker's skin, and decontamination would be very strict between the spill site and non-spill areas. There is so much regulation and protocol for dealing with toxic substances in the US to protect workers. I think this is a good thing. Oil is toxic; there's no two ways about it.
I fear for the Chinese who are participating in this cleanup effort.
Back to Silver King?
If anyone cares about the type of work I do, check this article out from High Country News by Hillary Rosner. Different fish, but the idea is the same. Especially with the Walker Lake tui chub. Walker Lake is a terminal lake in Nevada. Water mining has reduced inflow to the lake, causing increased salinity. The tui chubs live a long time, so adults that were born in times of lower salinity are still alive. However the increasing salinity is bad for spawning and young (recruitment). Same idea with other desert fishes - they live a long time so they are still around, but no babies are born, so bodies of water are sort of like retirement communities. Lots of sex, but no babies. Eww, I know.
Anyway, I don't really expect anyone to click on the link, so if you do, kudos!
Here's a particularly gnarly passage:
"In the 1950s and early 1960s, government officials also routinely poisoned waterways, killing native species in order to stock sport fish like rainbow trout. Using money given to the states from taxes on recreational fishing products, government officials poisoned 2,500 miles of streams and 225,000 acres of lakes in 34 states, according to Anders Halversson, whose new book, An Entirely Synthetic Fish, chronicles America's love affair with rainbow trout.
In 1962, the Wyoming and Utah wildlife agencies orchestrated the ne plus ultra of fish genocide, a massive effort to poison native fish using a chemical called rotenone. The idea was to create a clean slate on the Green River -- a main Colorado tributary originating in Wyoming's Wind River Range -- above the soon-to-be-completed Flaming Gorge Dam, eradicating all life in the water and then filling it with millions of rainbow trout. Using a series of "drip stations" strung along 450 miles of river, as well as airboats and helicopters, officials killed off 450 tons of fish in three days. "As the rotenone front progressed downstream," writes Halversson, "it drove large schools of desperate fish in front of it, a sight that deeply impressed itself on those who saw them ‘thrashing about and struggling for air on the surface of the river.' "
More on the fish front: I'm going to go back to Silver King Creek August 9th (the day after I get back from South Carolina...yay) to do some sampling of the "pure" populations of Paiute cutthroat trout. My collaborator is looking for funding (possible post-doc?) to get a better grip on the genetic diversity of these populations.
In other news, I have a new gay boyfriend at the Lucky Jeans store in the Arden Fair mall. I went in to buy a new battery for my macbook (btw, the Apple store is complete fucking mayhem), and decided it was time for a new pair of jeans. Eric and I got along very well, and he insisted that I did not have muffin tops ("I've SEEN muffin tops, you do NOT have muffin tops"). So mission accomplished for new jeans and a new battery. Getting a new battery has been an egregious task I've put off since realizing my battery was dead in Spain. That was in October.
For the weekend, maybe Column of the Giants with Ethan? Who knows. People like to bail at the last minute. I'll end up doing something, even if I have to go somewhere alone. I'll try to bribe him with cookie-brownies.
Anyway, I don't really expect anyone to click on the link, so if you do, kudos!
Here's a particularly gnarly passage:
"In the 1950s and early 1960s, government officials also routinely poisoned waterways, killing native species in order to stock sport fish like rainbow trout. Using money given to the states from taxes on recreational fishing products, government officials poisoned 2,500 miles of streams and 225,000 acres of lakes in 34 states, according to Anders Halversson, whose new book, An Entirely Synthetic Fish, chronicles America's love affair with rainbow trout.
In 1962, the Wyoming and Utah wildlife agencies orchestrated the ne plus ultra of fish genocide, a massive effort to poison native fish using a chemical called rotenone. The idea was to create a clean slate on the Green River -- a main Colorado tributary originating in Wyoming's Wind River Range -- above the soon-to-be-completed Flaming Gorge Dam, eradicating all life in the water and then filling it with millions of rainbow trout. Using a series of "drip stations" strung along 450 miles of river, as well as airboats and helicopters, officials killed off 450 tons of fish in three days. "As the rotenone front progressed downstream," writes Halversson, "it drove large schools of desperate fish in front of it, a sight that deeply impressed itself on those who saw them ‘thrashing about and struggling for air on the surface of the river.' "
More on the fish front: I'm going to go back to Silver King Creek August 9th (the day after I get back from South Carolina...yay) to do some sampling of the "pure" populations of Paiute cutthroat trout. My collaborator is looking for funding (possible post-doc?) to get a better grip on the genetic diversity of these populations.
In other news, I have a new gay boyfriend at the Lucky Jeans store in the Arden Fair mall. I went in to buy a new battery for my macbook (btw, the Apple store is complete fucking mayhem), and decided it was time for a new pair of jeans. Eric and I got along very well, and he insisted that I did not have muffin tops ("I've SEEN muffin tops, you do NOT have muffin tops"). So mission accomplished for new jeans and a new battery. Getting a new battery has been an egregious task I've put off since realizing my battery was dead in Spain. That was in October.
For the weekend, maybe Column of the Giants with Ethan? Who knows. People like to bail at the last minute. I'll end up doing something, even if I have to go somewhere alone. I'll try to bribe him with cookie-brownies.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Photos from the weekend
Here are a couple of shots from Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The clouds made for awesome rainbows and a sunrise.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
new music/ north peak win/ mt conness fail
I really like this woman's voice:
Just got back from Lee Vining Canyon. Shannon, John, Townsend, Al and I were going to do North Peak and then North Ridge of Conness. I bailed after North Peak because I wasn't feel that well. It was just as well because pretty soon after I started walking down a heinous thunderstorm came over the peak. I kept looking back to see if Conness was getting hosed...it looked like it was.
I think I felt shitty because I didn't really eat anything and the group moved more quickly than I wanted to (no time to eat/drink, etc.). By the time I got down I'd only eaten a handful of trail mix and a couple of gummy bears, and I felt like shit. Normally I'm a big breakfast person, but this morning I just didn't get organized or motivated or something. I don't know. I staggered back to my car and drove down to the Mobil (down by noon - yay!), where I just sat in the driver's seat not knowing what to do with myself because I was kind of nauseous and not that hungry even though I knew I needed to eat. I made the mistake of ordering carnitas tacos which were largely composed of lumps of fat interspersed with lumps of meat. I never order carnitas - are they normally fatty like that? So gross.
On the drive home all I could think about eating was orange juice and avocados. Is that weird?
Good weekend all in all. Got to do 5 or so pitches at the dike wall with Sarah D. in Mammoth, so that was fun. And holy shit the mosquitos are awful this year. We were on top of North peak at 12400 feet getting bitten. WTF?
Just got back from Lee Vining Canyon. Shannon, John, Townsend, Al and I were going to do North Peak and then North Ridge of Conness. I bailed after North Peak because I wasn't feel that well. It was just as well because pretty soon after I started walking down a heinous thunderstorm came over the peak. I kept looking back to see if Conness was getting hosed...it looked like it was.
I think I felt shitty because I didn't really eat anything and the group moved more quickly than I wanted to (no time to eat/drink, etc.). By the time I got down I'd only eaten a handful of trail mix and a couple of gummy bears, and I felt like shit. Normally I'm a big breakfast person, but this morning I just didn't get organized or motivated or something. I don't know. I staggered back to my car and drove down to the Mobil (down by noon - yay!), where I just sat in the driver's seat not knowing what to do with myself because I was kind of nauseous and not that hungry even though I knew I needed to eat. I made the mistake of ordering carnitas tacos which were largely composed of lumps of fat interspersed with lumps of meat. I never order carnitas - are they normally fatty like that? So gross.
On the drive home all I could think about eating was orange juice and avocados. Is that weird?
Good weekend all in all. Got to do 5 or so pitches at the dike wall with Sarah D. in Mammoth, so that was fun. And holy shit the mosquitos are awful this year. We were on top of North peak at 12400 feet getting bitten. WTF?
Friday, July 23, 2010
mountains! flowers! Chocoflan!
Finally, a plan to go into the high sierra. It's been too long my friend.
The tentative plan (all plans are tentative until they are in the past...behind every cynic is a disappointed idealist) is to climb in mammoth on saturday with lauren, john and sarah, and then go tag north peak and do the north ridge of conness on sunday. It's a tidy little weekend with routes and bigger stuff. I'm excited to do it with Lauren so we can see what our paces are like, how our legs feel etc. for the possible Kenya climb.
So excited about the high sierra these days. I want to do middle palisade as well. Of course I'll lose a lot of fitness if I get called to the gulf, but whatever.
I'll finish the post with some photos of the endangered Vine Hill clarkia and the Vine Hill preserve. Take a good look at the flower because this is it - all that's left is what's growing on this 1.3 acre preserve.
The tentative plan (all plans are tentative until they are in the past...behind every cynic is a disappointed idealist) is to climb in mammoth on saturday with lauren, john and sarah, and then go tag north peak and do the north ridge of conness on sunday. It's a tidy little weekend with routes and bigger stuff. I'm excited to do it with Lauren so we can see what our paces are like, how our legs feel etc. for the possible Kenya climb.
So excited about the high sierra these days. I want to do middle palisade as well. Of course I'll lose a lot of fitness if I get called to the gulf, but whatever.
I'll finish the post with some photos of the endangered Vine Hill clarkia and the Vine Hill preserve. Take a good look at the flower because this is it - all that's left is what's growing on this 1.3 acre preserve.
closeup of a flower that's going ape shit.
view of the Vine Hill ceanothus and some biologists
biologists in their natural habitat
more clarkia - this is the more standard form compared to the photo at the top
Oh yeah - and I made CHOCOFLAN!!! so damn tasty.
Oh yeah - and I made CHOCOFLAN!!! so damn tasty.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Chat with a Patagonia person
shannon: you know what i don't understand? why, on patagonia's website, they make their clothes look unflattering even on the models
me: http://www.pata
Hi this is Peter, how can I help you?
case in point: http://www.pata
look at the crotch area on the one picture
why the hell would i buy those if they don't even look good on the freaking model Sent at 11:33 AM on Thursday
me: hA!!!!
yeah that's awful
room for the gunt
shannon: they do that often - the clothes look awkward/bad on the models
me: looks like they might be on backwards
i got some guy asking me on the pat website if i want to chat
should i ask him how that product shot got in?
shannon: pat?
oh, haha yeah - ask if the crotch will be that big for real
me: yeah
i'm going to ask
me: http://www.pata
look at the third picture
built in room for the gunt
Jeff: haha, awesome. i wonder how that product shot made it in.
me: maybe they know some women struggle with their gunts. especially wealthy athletic women
Jeff: good point. they should have used one of them as a model then instead of having a baggy gunt pouch.
Jeff: probably... patagonia has no idea how to make clothes that fit humans.
me: shannon wants to know if the crotch will be that big in real life
Sent at 11:39 AM on Thursday
Hi this is Peter, how can I help you?
You: my friends and I were wondering how the third shot made it in on the tranquila capri.
Peter: The black ones?
Peter: Which shot are you asking about?
You: for example, my friend jeff says
You: yeah the black ones
You: from the front
You: my friend shannon wants to know if the crotch is really that baggy
You: I'm sorry. I hope I'm not offending you
You: but the photo is really really bad
Peter: Yes they are not skin tight tights
Peter: Not the most appealing no but an accurate fit on the model
You: ok. i'll relay the information
You: I think they'd look awful on me for sure.
Peter: Sorry about that
You: no worries. have a nice day!
Jeff: nice work... poor peter
Jeff: nice work... poor peter
me: i know
Jeff: i called the chia pet helpline once...
me: i feel bad for peter
Jeff: i asked them if it was safe to eat the sprouts
me: so what did they say about the chia seeds?
me: so what did they say about the chia seeds?
sprouts
Jeff: the guy was pretty confused. he said it would probably be fine and then kind of changed his mind and said he couldn't recommend it.
Monday, July 19, 2010
No place like home
I've been in Vermont for Lauren and John's wedding (the second one, the trend seems to be to have more than one wedding these days) since Thursday. We stayed at Lauren's parents' lake house in North Hero, Champlain islands. I'd never been to Lake Champlain before. It looks a lot like the coast where I grew up in Georgia, except the water is fresh (and 79 degrees!!).
Heidi, Jaya, Vicken and Sarah also made it out from Davis, as did Lauren's advisor, Truman. I don't think I would have come all the way out here if the Davis crew hadn't already committed. It's a long way to go, the flight is expensive, blah blah blah, you know.
I'm glad I came though. Lauren and John are a great couple, and it's always nice to "see the best of people", which is really what weddings typically do for people. Truman made the comment that he can tell when a couple is going to break up when he can sense contempt in their language. Lauren and John have no such contempt. I think of my last relationship, and contempt was all that was left by the end. I can tell I've learned a lot, because I immediately identified a guy at the wedding who has that manner of speaking where every comment is sarcastic, a contradiction, a challenge, or a criticism. But of course, he's always "joking". After the first day I mostly ignored him (or tried to...he kept talking to me for some reason).
I'm so ready to go home. I can't even think straight. Too many people for too long. Before the wedding on Saturday I took my rental car over to the Smuggler's notch area and tagged the highest peak in Vermont, at a wopping 4,000 feet. Here they have four-ers and not fourteeners. I didn't even know it was the highest peak in VT until someone told me. Maybe I should make that a goal when I go to a new state. I'm going to SC for a family reunion. Shouldn't be too hard to borrow the car and tag whatever hill is the biggest there. A quick google search reveals Sassafras Mountain, at 3560 ft. Apparently you can drive to the top since everything but the summit is owned by Duke Energy company. Sweet.
I left the lake house early to try to catch an earlier flight, but no dice. So now I'm sitting in a Borders store...waiting. A bunch of people have either missed their flights coming into Burlington or leaving, and I'm not feeling super optimistic, since my flight leaves at 5:15 and goes through Chicago...and it's pouring rain. I wouldn't mind staying in the airport (other than it being uncomfortable) if I hadn't scheduled a site visit at Vine Hill (W of Santa Rosa) tomorrow. 3 or 4 people are meeting us there, coming from different directions, and it took a while to schedule the visit. And we have to go pretty soon because this is the season where the flower we're going to look at is blooming. I think I'll lose my shit if I don't make it home tonight. Which of course, isn't really a useful reaction at all.
In other news, I'm thinking of visiting Lauren in Kenya when she's there (She's there August through October). We've talked about climbing Mount Kenya, which seems to be no joke. I really feel like I need to climb something alpine with her before I commit to trying to climb Kenya, but time is limited. Alternatively, she's going back for another month in the Spring. One of the summits is better in the Spring and another is better in the Fall. The only problem with a climb in the spring is that winter will have prevented me from gaining high elevations that I'd like to hang out in before a climb like that.
I know it would take a lot of time away from stuff I need to do here, as well as cost big bucks (I will have to do some money moving to afford it). On the other hand, Lauren is familiar with the country (at least more than I am, since she's spent several field seasons there), speaks the language moderately well, and is generally a great person. We'll see.
Heidi, Jaya, Vicken and Sarah also made it out from Davis, as did Lauren's advisor, Truman. I don't think I would have come all the way out here if the Davis crew hadn't already committed. It's a long way to go, the flight is expensive, blah blah blah, you know.
I'm glad I came though. Lauren and John are a great couple, and it's always nice to "see the best of people", which is really what weddings typically do for people. Truman made the comment that he can tell when a couple is going to break up when he can sense contempt in their language. Lauren and John have no such contempt. I think of my last relationship, and contempt was all that was left by the end. I can tell I've learned a lot, because I immediately identified a guy at the wedding who has that manner of speaking where every comment is sarcastic, a contradiction, a challenge, or a criticism. But of course, he's always "joking". After the first day I mostly ignored him (or tried to...he kept talking to me for some reason).
I'm so ready to go home. I can't even think straight. Too many people for too long. Before the wedding on Saturday I took my rental car over to the Smuggler's notch area and tagged the highest peak in Vermont, at a wopping 4,000 feet. Here they have four-ers and not fourteeners. I didn't even know it was the highest peak in VT until someone told me. Maybe I should make that a goal when I go to a new state. I'm going to SC for a family reunion. Shouldn't be too hard to borrow the car and tag whatever hill is the biggest there. A quick google search reveals Sassafras Mountain, at 3560 ft. Apparently you can drive to the top since everything but the summit is owned by Duke Energy company. Sweet.
I left the lake house early to try to catch an earlier flight, but no dice. So now I'm sitting in a Borders store...waiting. A bunch of people have either missed their flights coming into Burlington or leaving, and I'm not feeling super optimistic, since my flight leaves at 5:15 and goes through Chicago...and it's pouring rain. I wouldn't mind staying in the airport (other than it being uncomfortable) if I hadn't scheduled a site visit at Vine Hill (W of Santa Rosa) tomorrow. 3 or 4 people are meeting us there, coming from different directions, and it took a while to schedule the visit. And we have to go pretty soon because this is the season where the flower we're going to look at is blooming. I think I'll lose my shit if I don't make it home tonight. Which of course, isn't really a useful reaction at all.
In other news, I'm thinking of visiting Lauren in Kenya when she's there (She's there August through October). We've talked about climbing Mount Kenya, which seems to be no joke. I really feel like I need to climb something alpine with her before I commit to trying to climb Kenya, but time is limited. Alternatively, she's going back for another month in the Spring. One of the summits is better in the Spring and another is better in the Fall. The only problem with a climb in the spring is that winter will have prevented me from gaining high elevations that I'd like to hang out in before a climb like that.
I know it would take a lot of time away from stuff I need to do here, as well as cost big bucks (I will have to do some money moving to afford it). On the other hand, Lauren is familiar with the country (at least more than I am, since she's spent several field seasons there), speaks the language moderately well, and is generally a great person. We'll see.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Gulf bound?
I'm pretty fired up about going down to the gulf to help (under the aegis of USFWS). Most people in the office are deploying, and some of them have come back already and have stories to tell.
It's likely I'll be doing field work, given that I'm a USFWS biologist, and have field experience. They station you somewhere (you don't know where until 24-48 hours ahead of time), and then you work 14 days straight, usually 12 hour days. On the upside, you are fed, housed, your linens are changed, laundry done, etc. And you get time and a half overtime. Whoa! That's a trip to Europe I think. If you are doing wildlife operations (likely for me), you go out in boats with locals and zoom around all day looking at birds, capturing birds, bagging dead bodies, and other wildlife-related things.
Next week I'm doing three days of hazard training, which hopefully won't be as mind-numbing as it sounds (I think it will be though, especially for me since I can't sit still for very long). Even my supervisor recommended that I bring a book. We're doing it at the Forest Service training center on McClelland in East Sac. Hopefully I don't get lost trying to find the damn place. I'm already dreading 8 hours for 3 days in a row of sitting. Maybe I'll bring my bike so I can ride during lunch.
Super early on Thursday I'm going to Vermont for a wedding, to return Monday night. In anticipation of all this sitting around I'm flogging my body with workouts. Still doing the cross-training class, which I'm super psyched on - it makes me so sore! I love it! Then climbing at Mayhem, and then perhaps the leap to do lots of pitches. Hiking too.
Early August I'm heading to South Carolina for a family reunion, which I admit I'm really not that excited about. It's at "Lake" Keowee, which I've already ranted about not being a Lake. It's a reservoir, dammit!
I put my on call dates for the gulf in most of August. You never know if you'll be called, and you never know what you'll be doing or where you'll be going until the very last minute. If I'm called I'll definitely go though, which could mean the entire month of August with no climbing...ugh. I'll have to rally in September then. And at some point I have to finish my PhD. Holy monkeys I'm busy.
It's likely I'll be doing field work, given that I'm a USFWS biologist, and have field experience. They station you somewhere (you don't know where until 24-48 hours ahead of time), and then you work 14 days straight, usually 12 hour days. On the upside, you are fed, housed, your linens are changed, laundry done, etc. And you get time and a half overtime. Whoa! That's a trip to Europe I think. If you are doing wildlife operations (likely for me), you go out in boats with locals and zoom around all day looking at birds, capturing birds, bagging dead bodies, and other wildlife-related things.
Next week I'm doing three days of hazard training, which hopefully won't be as mind-numbing as it sounds (I think it will be though, especially for me since I can't sit still for very long). Even my supervisor recommended that I bring a book. We're doing it at the Forest Service training center on McClelland in East Sac. Hopefully I don't get lost trying to find the damn place. I'm already dreading 8 hours for 3 days in a row of sitting. Maybe I'll bring my bike so I can ride during lunch.
Super early on Thursday I'm going to Vermont for a wedding, to return Monday night. In anticipation of all this sitting around I'm flogging my body with workouts. Still doing the cross-training class, which I'm super psyched on - it makes me so sore! I love it! Then climbing at Mayhem, and then perhaps the leap to do lots of pitches. Hiking too.
Early August I'm heading to South Carolina for a family reunion, which I admit I'm really not that excited about. It's at "Lake" Keowee, which I've already ranted about not being a Lake. It's a reservoir, dammit!
I put my on call dates for the gulf in most of August. You never know if you'll be called, and you never know what you'll be doing or where you'll be going until the very last minute. If I'm called I'll definitely go though, which could mean the entire month of August with no climbing...ugh. I'll have to rally in September then. And at some point I have to finish my PhD. Holy monkeys I'm busy.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Cake contest
I made a cake for the FWS summer picnic/"staff meeting". I like working for FWS. These people seem to like having fun...
Anyway, there was an informal cake competition, and since you really do need an occasion to make a fancy layer cake (does one ever make a layer cake just for themselves? I don't think so...though I wouldn't criticize them if they did!) I made a layer cake.
Marbled lemon-blueberry butter cake. Here is the first layer, accompanied by a blueberry preserve that I made (and an empty package of butter and other stuff lying around):
Here is the finished creation, at the picnic:
Another shot, with a slice taken out:
Finally, after it had been mauled by the masses:
Sadly, I didn't win. Though the judging was sort of informal and disorganized and chaotic, and there was a vote missing in the end (?)...The raspberry chocolate cake to the right won. I guess classics are classics for a reason. It was a fine cake though, and very pretty I think. I'd make it again for sure.
Anyway, there was an informal cake competition, and since you really do need an occasion to make a fancy layer cake (does one ever make a layer cake just for themselves? I don't think so...though I wouldn't criticize them if they did!) I made a layer cake.
Marbled lemon-blueberry butter cake. Here is the first layer, accompanied by a blueberry preserve that I made (and an empty package of butter and other stuff lying around):
Here is the finished creation, at the picnic:
Another shot, with a slice taken out:
Finally, after it had been mauled by the masses:
Sadly, I didn't win. Though the judging was sort of informal and disorganized and chaotic, and there was a vote missing in the end (?)...The raspberry chocolate cake to the right won. I guess classics are classics for a reason. It was a fine cake though, and very pretty I think. I'd make it again for sure.
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