Tolovana Hot Springs

The hot springs are an 11 mile hike from the Elliot Highway, north of Fairbanks. It is a difficult hike due to the large amount of elevation change, the typically cold and windy weather conditions, and the distance, but at the end lies a warm cabin and hot springs! In the image below, the trail goes down this hill and across the bog flats before climbing over the dome on the right. Descending the other side of that dome will take you to the valley where the hot springs are. We started snowshoeing at about 2 pm on Saturday. Luckily, there was little wind and the temps were relatively warm (-10F).

A recent ice storm transformed the birch forest into chandeliers!

When we had a long downhill, we tried to sled. Based on milepost markers, our longest continuous sled was well over a mile!

Looking towards Tolovana Dome while walking through the black spruce bog. These trees were dead because they were burned in a fire.

The last few sunset streaks in the sky as we approached the other side of the bog, preparing to ascend the dome. It was COLD down in the low spots! After this point we were hiking for about 2 hours at night, but the full moon rose just as the sun set, so we had plenty of illumination along the way!

Our cabin at the hot springs was surrounded by a snowy fog Sunday morning.

One of the three hot tubs along the creek. Which was basically a big wooden box. Awesome.

The most difficult part of the trip was just extracting yourself from the hot tub and then being conscious enough to hike back out! We made sure to fill up the thermoses with hot tea to ease the return trip. It was much colder the day we hiked back, though I got well frosted hiking up the dome! Now I'm cryptic with the alder.

Approaching the top of the dome

The evening light transformed the world into black and white!

Extreme Ecology: Winter Fieldwork

Our lab is embarking on a group project to sample stream water throughout the winter, hoping to detect changes in water chemistry and carbon bioavailability.  This is what our field site looked like after the first big snowstorm of the year - return of the spruce pipe cleaners! 

We are equipped with an ice auger, but didn't need it to access any of the streams. Where the flow is fast and the channel is deep, the ice can remain thin even in really cold temperatures.

Driving a snow machine is sort of like driving a boat: you need to anticipate turns long before they happen! Often, you need to lean in to the turns to give the machine track enough contact with the snow. And you've got to have really big mitts to keep your hands from freezing!  

Edge ice

Sampling Poker Creek!

Sampling the Chatanika

Return of the Ice

On top of Murphy Dome, the hoarfrost was super-thick!

Banners of ice on the alders 

Octopus arms!!

Snow dredlocks

Serpentine grasses

Sunset

I hope this is legible. Based on true events. Amani refused to leave his cage, inexplicably, for more than three weeks. But after we had a party at our house last week, he has suddenly become his normal sociable self and is rediscovering the cabin. Unfortunately, this meant rediscovering some of the house plants.

We also went hiking on Mt. Healy. The trail was difficult because of ice and windblown snowdrifts. In fact, the winds were so strong that both Dash and I were blown off our feet while descending. Before that point, it was fun to hop and feel the wind carry you!

The route, steep and slippery

The proper peak is the high blocky point in the center 

Now that it's dark so much of the day, headlamp etiquette becomes of paramount importance.