Tim's Journal:
We were up early today as Renee took Aaron, myself, Myrtle, Elisa and
Noa to the CRREL (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory) Permafrost
tunnel. At
the tunnel we met Matthew Sturm who led us through the insulated double
doors into the refrigerated permafrost past. The US Army Corps of Engineers
constructed this 360+ foot long tunnel into permanently frozen silt and
gravel in the 1960's. Originally constructed to study methods for frozen
soil extraction and mining, the tunnel is now the site of permafrost and
climate research. This tour was really fantastic! The tunnel was constructed
in such a way that as we walked we were going backwards in stratigraphic
time. We observed deposits and organic remains dating all the way back
to the Pleistocene. We saw ice wedges, prehistoric mammal bones and a
fantastic stratigraphy.
Matthew Sturm in the permafrost tunnel.
In the afternoon we went to see The Pawnshop Super Store
(pretty bizarre) and window-shopped in downtown Fairbanks. I
went to numerous shops as well as the Fairbanks Visitor
Center and the Public Lands Information Center.
In the evening we all went to an ARCUS Barbecue at project manager Alison York's house. We had a great time with delicious food, hilarious stories and cut throat croquette.
This journal entry marks the end of an intense, fantastic sometimes almost surreal experience. I would like to thank the people of Deering for their acceptance and support especially co-workers Alvin, Bob, Susie, Stephanie, and Bonita, cook Calvin, and the Mayor of Deering and his wife the Hon. Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Barr.
I would like to thank the Deering project P.I.'s Anne Jensen and Glenn
Sheehan as well as the Archeologists at Deering Rick, Kristen, Ryan,
Randy and Betty. Thanks also go out to Mike Lewis of the University of
Fairbanks museum, Matthew Sturm of CRREL and to ARCUS staff Anne, Alison,
Alison, Diane and Milo.
Special thanks go out to Wayne Sukow of NSF for making this project possible and to Wendy Warnick of ARCUS for steering the project clear of the rocks up here in Alaska.
Finally I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Aaron Stupple my co-conspirator, and to Renee Crain, who Aaron correctly characterizes as our Fairy Godmother. I will miss both of you guys.
Elisa waits for a shot while Noa, Wendy and Myrtle eat, and Wendy's husband Andy cooks.
AARON'S ADDENDUM:
Today we saw perhaps one of the rarest sites available in the world.
It was a permafrost tunnel. The army core of engineers drilled a tunnel
into the side of a bluff to learn about the possibility of building missile
silos. They left it open to research and rare tours. The tunnel must be
kept refrigerated so that it doesn't slump in. It was very cold inside
and smelly as many of the trapped animal
remains from up to 32,000 years ago are slightly decomposing. The only
tunnel similar is in Siberia, but supposedly it isn't as interesting a
section of permafrost.
Today is the last day of my Alaska trip. I have had an unbelievable time. I will never forget it, and I can say without hesitation that it had been the most incredible thing I've ever been part of. There are too many people to thank. All those who work at ARCUS, the people at the National Science Foundation that funded everything, and all those in Deering. Thank you all, and good luck.
Waiting for Renee at 5:45 A.M.