2nd week of field camp complete: Road Trippin through CO

Just had an AWESOME day.

This past week we mapped Twin Mountain, which is an awesome folded Mountain further deformed by a big thrust fault. I did well on my map and cross section and I’m feeling pretty good about it. Next week everything changes because we move from Mike Taylor as our Professor to Doug Walker and we start using GIS and toughbooks (outdoor laptops) to map. It will be a new monster to deal with since I’ve never done it before but I’m sure it’ll be just fine. At least I have more practice with what I’m looking at.

This past week on Monday night our TA’s Joe and Richard and my cabinmate Samantha and I all went on a small adventure after work. We drove up a windy road through Cripple Creek (an old mining town) and up the back side of Pikes Peak. We were cut off by a road closure so we made the best of it. It was beautiful.

We actually have a whole two days off for our weekend this week. Today we went to Waffel Wagon and got a delicious sauce-smothered breakfast. Then we drove about two hours through Salida and Buena Vista and checked out some beautiful creeks and mountains and forests. It was so incredible to be in real forest again. Where we are for field camp is high desert with few trees. The smell of pines and real rushing mountain streams felt like medicine.

It totally helps realize my priorities and what I enjoy in life. It reminds me of the other ways to live and other things in life, other than school and constantly rushing forward in one direction. I need to get out here.
I’m really thinking UC Boulder for grad school, or Arizona if I could get in. It depends on the programs and the research being done. Regardless I think I need to live in CO for a while in life.

I really just feel hiking and high elevation forest withdrawal. It’s like missing something when it’s right in front of you because you know one day it will be gone.

Being here makes me want to be a park ranger again. Being here makes me want to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon again with more time.

Also, brunches here are all smothered in some sauce whether it is gravy or chili relleno. That’s a difference from the East Coast.