News from the Field: Day 14--Lundy Canyon and Farewell Barbeque

Our last day in the field! We spent the first part of the day with a final cleanup of the SNARL dorm, our home for the last two weeks. Did we make a mess! With a lot of cooperation and group spirit, we made the dorm sparkle, said our fond farewells, and headed up north to Lundy Canyon. We met Dave Marquardt and Connie Henderson, who led our hike up the canyon. Dave is the park ranger from the South Tufa Reserve who helped us with a lot of the logistical arrangements for the trip. He is a splendid naturalist, who knows all of the trees, birds, and animals that inhabit this beautiful valley. His wife, Connie, a Bloomington native, is an expert on wildflowers, which are just starting to bloom in the valley. We hiked way up the valley, over rocks, snow, and waterfalls, to view a beautiful alpine setting, just at the beginning of spring. Lots of recreational opportunities, from birdwatching to rock climbing to glissading down the snow. We met back at a beautiful campsite for a late afternoon barbeque, a campfire, and impromptu dance and theater extravaganza that lasted to nightfall. After the party, we headed south to Bishop for our last night in the Sierra, at the White Mountain Research Station.

May 31st

*Almost ready to go, a sad farewell to the SNARL dorm*
*Our first view of Lundy Canyon, one of the beautiful alpine valleys of the eastern Sierra*
*Our hike leaders, Dave Marquardt and Connie Henderson.*
*Halfway up the valley, we find a great swimming hole. Curtis Williams, Laura Dunn, and Caroline Pew try out the icy water.*
*Further up the valley, we encounter...snow!*
*Mariel Berger has perfected her snow-hiking technique...*
*And Neal Solon follows. Check out those beautiful exposures of metamorphic roof pendant rocks in the background!*
*And Hilary Weimer and Brandy Anglen take up the rear...*
*Further up the canyon, we encounter a spectacular waterfall, cutting its way through ice and snow.*
*The gang slides down a snowfield!*
*Brian Moore recounts his adventure after a long slide down the snow.*
*John Schuman shows off his glissading technique. Does it look like fun or terror?*
*John Rupp and Tom McFarland make their way down the snowfield*
*Back at the campsite, our super-chef, Linda Dore is waiting...*
*...with an amazing barbeque!*
*After dinner, the group gathers around the campfire*
*And of course, the requisite campfire dessert--s'mores!*
*Adam Schau and Leah French put out a wildfire!*
*And Adam demonstrates the proper technique for eating a fully loaded s'more*
*After dessert, the theater begins! Adam and Laura Dunn in the doctor's office*
*And Sarah Rapp and Caroline Pew do "the ugliest person in the world"...*
*It's Curtis!*
*And of course, Adam and Leah put on a gymnastics exhibition... (What's wrong with this picture???)*
*Leah shows the proper technique for winning a limbo contest...*
*And John shows, well, an alternative technique...*
*And then crank up the music to close off the evening with a dance under the stars (well, clouds!)*
*View Caroline and Mariel jumping into the icy water of Lundy Creek [1.8 MB] [*	Click here
*Watch a video clip of the gang sliding down the snowfield at Lundy Canyon [1.4 MB]*	Click here
*Watch a video clip of John getting a 'marshmallow kiss' from John and Curtis [700 KB]*	Click here
*View Adam's command performance in the skit "Doctor's Office" at the farewell barbeque [7.0 MB]*	Click here