Wow. I cant believe that summer is actually coming to a close. I had my last day of work today and it was bittersweet, accompanied by awkward farewells.
I am excited, though, to adventure with my sister and begin an epic road trip.
I will report more on this as it follows.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Saturday madness
I'm sitting at the park adjacent to the library where I routinely steal internet, and a girl drives up in a blue dodge pickup. A clown car effect follows. About 12 children unload, ranging from about my age down to newborn. The boys wear checkered collared shirts tucked into bluejeans. The girls wear colorful prairie dresses and french braids. Each kid unloads one younger. The ten year old helping out the toddlers, the toddlers helping out the babies.
Even more surprising, they then unload bikes and skateboards and begin to run around the skate park. An 8-year old girl, a prototypical Mormon, leads the pack. Her skateboard skills, impress me, making do in her ankle length dress, leggings, and sensible shoes.
The older ones dispense Popsicles. Not a bad day, really. A day with the family in the park, though their relation to eachother is unclear.
Four middle aged European tourists look on with looks of confusion or bemusement. A cultural experience to be sure.
They must think --
"America..what a strange place."
I think so too.
Even more surprising, they then unload bikes and skateboards and begin to run around the skate park. An 8-year old girl, a prototypical Mormon, leads the pack. Her skateboard skills, impress me, making do in her ankle length dress, leggings, and sensible shoes.
The older ones dispense Popsicles. Not a bad day, really. A day with the family in the park, though their relation to eachother is unclear.
Four middle aged European tourists look on with looks of confusion or bemusement. A cultural experience to be sure.
They must think --
"America..what a strange place."
I think so too.
Monday, August 11, 2008
(d)evolution
I realize this blog has turned more and more away from details of adventuring in archaeology, and is becoming more focused on snarky comments. I could remedy this and tell of my amazing finds and adventures in cliff dwellings, but instead I will relate this:
I met someone over this weekend who actually likes Nickelback. I thought it was a universally agreed upon truth that they were awful. I assumed the bassist had an uncle or cousin who worked for Clear Channel. Apparently this isn't so.
I also learned that people who list Nickelback as their favorite band can be quite lovely.
So I guess this post isn't as snarky as it could be.
I'll have to work on that
I met someone over this weekend who actually likes Nickelback. I thought it was a universally agreed upon truth that they were awful. I assumed the bassist had an uncle or cousin who worked for Clear Channel. Apparently this isn't so.
I also learned that people who list Nickelback as their favorite band can be quite lovely.
So I guess this post isn't as snarky as it could be.
I'll have to work on that
Friday, August 1, 2008
technicals
It never felt so good to sleep in a real bed.
The last two weeks we have been camping out in an effort to cram in as much surveying as possible before our team shrinks by a member. In other words, before I leave. It's good to feel valued, if only as an extra pair of legs to walk acres and acres. On Wednesday, in fact, the three of us walked a combined total of 126 acres. Damn, thats a lot of walking.
We switched gears from walking roads in the north section near Moab, to walking polygon areas in the south section closer to Monticello. These are areas set aside for grazing, and have been so chewed up by cattle and bulldozers, there is little integrity left in the land. Despite this, however, the stuff we find is much cooler.
There are actually remains of buildings, though it was only after 3 or 4 days of surveying that I could differentiate the masonry rubble from natural sandstone outcrops. Now, however, I feel more accustomed to the masonry and can sort of imagine how the buildings may have looked 800 or 900 years ago.
And, in addition to this, we find broken ceramics which is something EVERYONE can recognize as cultural material. And its pretty. Pretty is good.
The last two weeks we have been camping out in an effort to cram in as much surveying as possible before our team shrinks by a member. In other words, before I leave. It's good to feel valued, if only as an extra pair of legs to walk acres and acres. On Wednesday, in fact, the three of us walked a combined total of 126 acres. Damn, thats a lot of walking.
We switched gears from walking roads in the north section near Moab, to walking polygon areas in the south section closer to Monticello. These are areas set aside for grazing, and have been so chewed up by cattle and bulldozers, there is little integrity left in the land. Despite this, however, the stuff we find is much cooler.
There are actually remains of buildings, though it was only after 3 or 4 days of surveying that I could differentiate the masonry rubble from natural sandstone outcrops. Now, however, I feel more accustomed to the masonry and can sort of imagine how the buildings may have looked 800 or 900 years ago.
And, in addition to this, we find broken ceramics which is something EVERYONE can recognize as cultural material. And its pretty. Pretty is good.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
some stuff.
It seems a large number of Forest Service employees chew tobacco.
Thus, when refusing dip this summer, I am not awkwardly declining the artichoke variety. I am just awkwardly declining.
Just saying.
In other news, this weekend is the celebration of Pioneer Day in Utah, which they seem to take very seriously here in Monticello. The holiday originally celebrated the coming of Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, but in recent years the state has sought out a more inclusive attitude and expanded it to celebrate all of Utah's history. This means such activities as a mens softball tournement, ring tosses, and potato sac races.
Unfortunately it also means the closure of the following establishments
1. The library
2. The coffee shop
3. The video store
4. The liquor store
Yes...i did try and go to them in that order.
Apparently, however, there are also fireworks. So that might make up for the days absence of entertainment.
Thus, when refusing dip this summer, I am not awkwardly declining the artichoke variety. I am just awkwardly declining.
Just saying.
In other news, this weekend is the celebration of Pioneer Day in Utah, which they seem to take very seriously here in Monticello. The holiday originally celebrated the coming of Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, but in recent years the state has sought out a more inclusive attitude and expanded it to celebrate all of Utah's history. This means such activities as a mens softball tournement, ring tosses, and potato sac races.
Unfortunately it also means the closure of the following establishments
1. The library
2. The coffee shop
3. The video store
4. The liquor store
Yes...i did try and go to them in that order.
Apparently, however, there are also fireworks. So that might make up for the days absence of entertainment.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Road trips and Rodeo dreams
Telluride, CO and area is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I've always been a sucker for mountains, but I think even someone who was normally adverse to elevation would have to give in. Of course, the town is beautiful in a way only oodles and oodles of money can produce. Every miners cabin is perfectly painted in bright shades of purple and turquoise with perfectly manicured lawns. The locals have on freshly purchased Chaco sandals and sporty organic fabrics as they ride around on their vintage Cruisers or high end mountain bikes.
It's almost nauseating...or maybe it is nauseating. But endearing, and lovely, and if I had 1.5 million dollars to spend on a 2 bedroom miners cabin, I might give into a life of yuppy-ism. Or maybe I'd live like the other half --working odd jobs, garbage man, construction worker, hiking guide for a roof and a lift ticket. Or maybe just a lift ticket.
I was happy to see that Josh Ritter agreed. He repeated more than twice his desire to return, even though the small opera house was half empty and he is playing in amphitheaters elsewhere ...like Toronto, at the Molson Amphitheater, a long way from the Horseshoe a year ago.
The concert, by the way, was amazing. That man has one of the most endearing stage personalities I have ever seen. He manages to sustain a facial expression the whole show that says
"Wow! You guys are here to see me? This is awesome! Wow!"
I think he genuinely feels that way too, with interjections about growing up in rural Idaho and his career as a paperboy.
sigh. If I could live in the mountains and listen to Josh Ritter weekly I would be a happy girl.
It's almost nauseating...or maybe it is nauseating. But endearing, and lovely, and if I had 1.5 million dollars to spend on a 2 bedroom miners cabin, I might give into a life of yuppy-ism. Or maybe I'd live like the other half --working odd jobs, garbage man, construction worker, hiking guide for a roof and a lift ticket. Or maybe just a lift ticket.
I was happy to see that Josh Ritter agreed. He repeated more than twice his desire to return, even though the small opera house was half empty and he is playing in amphitheaters elsewhere ...like Toronto, at the Molson Amphitheater, a long way from the Horseshoe a year ago.
The concert, by the way, was amazing. That man has one of the most endearing stage personalities I have ever seen. He manages to sustain a facial expression the whole show that says
"Wow! You guys are here to see me? This is awesome! Wow!"
I think he genuinely feels that way too, with interjections about growing up in rural Idaho and his career as a paperboy.
sigh. If I could live in the mountains and listen to Josh Ritter weekly I would be a happy girl.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
age of innocence
This past week was a fellow bunkmate's 21st, so we made the 17 mile drive to the Colorado state line to hit up the nearest bar, aptly named the State Line. We were lucky enough to have a good Mormon boy to be our D-D, though his sobriety guilted us into being relatively abstemious. I don't think he realized our moderation, however, happy to make jokes about how wasted we were (or tatered, as another option. Pass it on).
Though I have little interaction with locals, the interaction I do have has illustrated some of the innocence produced by a life lived in small town religious America.
This first became clear during my CPR/First Aid class in a discussion of blood-born pathogens. Our instructor, as to cover all bases, asked us what the best way to prevent STDs was, and the D-D in question piped up,
"ABSTINENCE!"
A girl next to him penciled it in in our workbook above condoms.
They have obviously been taught well in this town where Mormon seminaries are located on public school property, or at least close enough for no one to be able to tell where one begins and the other ends.
I guess I'm being hard on these recent high school graduates, because it is not as if I was worldly at 18, or for that matter, very worldly now. My high school sobriety and naiveté was punctuated by one drunken night in the Riley Room (Rock me like a hurricane...) and a wild night celebrating the Red Sox victory. It took a wild night of Fabio fame and a 28 year old Uruguayan with saucy intentions to start me down a path towards anything vaguely resembling debauchery. Even through that, however, innocence was mostly retained, and it was only in retrospect that I realized the true significance of those events.
Still, I wonder if and when these kids will have those moments. I wonder if they will bust out of small town Utah and discover that one drink doesn''t make you totally incapacitated.
I kind of hope not
Though I have little interaction with locals, the interaction I do have has illustrated some of the innocence produced by a life lived in small town religious America.
This first became clear during my CPR/First Aid class in a discussion of blood-born pathogens. Our instructor, as to cover all bases, asked us what the best way to prevent STDs was, and the D-D in question piped up,
"ABSTINENCE!"
A girl next to him penciled it in in our workbook above condoms.
They have obviously been taught well in this town where Mormon seminaries are located on public school property, or at least close enough for no one to be able to tell where one begins and the other ends.
I guess I'm being hard on these recent high school graduates, because it is not as if I was worldly at 18, or for that matter, very worldly now. My high school sobriety and naiveté was punctuated by one drunken night in the Riley Room (Rock me like a hurricane...) and a wild night celebrating the Red Sox victory. It took a wild night of Fabio fame and a 28 year old Uruguayan with saucy intentions to start me down a path towards anything vaguely resembling debauchery. Even through that, however, innocence was mostly retained, and it was only in retrospect that I realized the true significance of those events.
Still, I wonder if and when these kids will have those moments. I wonder if they will bust out of small town Utah and discover that one drink doesn''t make you totally incapacitated.
I kind of hope not
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
no longer a noob
My favorite part of any new job: No longer being the newest person there.
This week a volunteer started, who is even more clueless than I was when I started. Though this has its drawbacks, it does mean that I get to walk around and act like I know what's going on. I get to offer tips and advice. I give explanations.
I think he is fooled so far. He seems to think I actually know what's going on.
Mission accomplished
This week a volunteer started, who is even more clueless than I was when I started. Though this has its drawbacks, it does mean that I get to walk around and act like I know what's going on. I get to offer tips and advice. I give explanations.
I think he is fooled so far. He seems to think I actually know what's going on.
Mission accomplished
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The juicy details
So...when I said we hadn't been finding much, I was lying. The sites we were surveying the last few weeks were crammed full of stuff as compared to what we were looking at this week. But over the last 5 weeks, I have learned to appreciate the small finds so much more. I'm getting better at picking out cores and scrapers from rocks, and I actually am getting some sense of when they might date from. Exciting stuff.
I don't have any personal pictures, because I dont want to get grit in my camera, but I have scrounged up some pictures online to give you a general idea of what I'm dealing with. This is similar to stuff we were finding, when life was more exciting.
A lithic scatter (aka, a concentration of stone flakes) looks something like this:
Except instead of obsidian (black volcanic stone) we get white chert.
A lithic scatter is a find we have to document, but finding tools is better. Sometimes we get projectile points or scrapers or something that looks on first glance like something exciting.
Stuff like this!
Mostly our tools look like this though:
Thus concludes more than you needed to know about my personal discovery of stone tools.
I don't have any personal pictures, because I dont want to get grit in my camera, but I have scrounged up some pictures online to give you a general idea of what I'm dealing with. This is similar to stuff we were finding, when life was more exciting.
A lithic scatter (aka, a concentration of stone flakes) looks something like this:
Except instead of obsidian (black volcanic stone) we get white chert.
A lithic scatter is a find we have to document, but finding tools is better. Sometimes we get projectile points or scrapers or something that looks on first glance like something exciting.
Stuff like this!
Mostly our tools look like this though:
Thus concludes more than you needed to know about my personal discovery of stone tools.
Monday, June 30, 2008
More weekend adventuring
This past weekend was a long one (yay for Fridays off!), hopefully to be the first of many. We think we are going to be able to work four ten-hour days for the whole of July. Since we spend at least 2 hours in the car every day, the travel-work ratio will work out much better. And maybe with an extra day of rest thrown in there, I will actually have the energy to go a-traveling a little bit more. I had grand ambitions, but reality has fallen short due to laziness and apprehension about camping alone. As my roommates no longer have the same days off that I do, however, I've realized I need to get over this.
So this past weekend, I went for a trial adventuring run and saw some of the sites in the immediate area. I toured Cortez, which with a population of 9000 now feels like the BIG CITY. I saw a movie, which was a novel experience, especially because I was surrounded by cyclists on a round-Colorado trip. They seemed to think that I was part of the group and were unusually friendly. I'm ok with that.
Sunday I went to Hovenweep National Monument, which was built and inhabited about the same time as Mesa Verde. If you need that link, tsk tsk. Basically it was the remnants of dwellings built in the 1200s along the edges of a canyon/drainage. The coolest part of the archaeology in this area is that you can really tell why people chose to settle where they did. I wanted to live there, or at least camp there for the night.
That wasn't so true about the ruins we saw in Jordan which were situated in the exact center of desert plateaus. What were those people thinking?
At any rate. I took pictures, but it turns out I am kind of a crap photographer. I will post them anyway, though, because why not?
Hovenweep with the "Sleeping Ute" in the background
More Hovenweep. Not capturing the awesomeness
Foy Lake. Somewhere completely different. the Manti-La Sal is full of these preposterous man-made lakes that are rarely used except for by the occasional fisherman. They are pretty from the right angles, though.
So this past weekend, I went for a trial adventuring run and saw some of the sites in the immediate area. I toured Cortez, which with a population of 9000 now feels like the BIG CITY. I saw a movie, which was a novel experience, especially because I was surrounded by cyclists on a round-Colorado trip. They seemed to think that I was part of the group and were unusually friendly. I'm ok with that.
Sunday I went to Hovenweep National Monument, which was built and inhabited about the same time as Mesa Verde. If you need that link, tsk tsk. Basically it was the remnants of dwellings built in the 1200s along the edges of a canyon/drainage. The coolest part of the archaeology in this area is that you can really tell why people chose to settle where they did. I wanted to live there, or at least camp there for the night.
That wasn't so true about the ruins we saw in Jordan which were situated in the exact center of desert plateaus. What were those people thinking?
At any rate. I took pictures, but it turns out I am kind of a crap photographer. I will post them anyway, though, because why not?
Hovenweep with the "Sleeping Ute" in the background
More Hovenweep. Not capturing the awesomeness
Foy Lake. Somewhere completely different. the Manti-La Sal is full of these preposterous man-made lakes that are rarely used except for by the occasional fisherman. They are pretty from the right angles, though.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Weekend adventures
This past Saturday, two girls that I live with and I risked the 3.5 hour drive to Lake Powell. Lake Powell is the second largest man-made lake in the US, and is smack dab in the middle of the Arizona desert. It is a monstrosity by any definition.
Driving across hours and hours of desert to get there was definitely strange. All of a sudden we passed through a town, rounded a corner, and there it was. Gallons and gallons of sparkling blue water. We clambered down sandstone phases and jumped in immediately. Hitting the water made the drive worth it. I'm not a big beach person, but three weeks in the desert makes you so much more appreciative of water.
I also managed to jump off of one of the sandstone cliffs into the water, I don't know how high up. I am a wimp, though, so it seemed ridiculously high.
Pictures to follow
Driving across hours and hours of desert to get there was definitely strange. All of a sudden we passed through a town, rounded a corner, and there it was. Gallons and gallons of sparkling blue water. We clambered down sandstone phases and jumped in immediately. Hitting the water made the drive worth it. I'm not a big beach person, but three weeks in the desert makes you so much more appreciative of water.
I also managed to jump off of one of the sandstone cliffs into the water, I don't know how high up. I am a wimp, though, so it seemed ridiculously high.
Pictures to follow
Friday, June 20, 2008
rds.
It's weird that I am already a quarter done here.
Or rather, that the summer is already a quarter done.
We have started working on a "roads" project, which means I probably won't be finding any priceless artifacts anytime soon. Sorry guys. I will be sure to let you know when I find the holy grail or sacrificial blade, however.
Basically for this project we are walking up and down little used roads. We are surveying illegal (and some legal) roads, in part of a project to decide what can stay open and what has to be closed. It's not the most thrilling thing ever, but it's alright, and of course, it's beautiful.
Yesterday we probably hiked about 8 miles (including a little detour after we temporarily lost the car), and I think today will be about the same.
Thus ends a thrilling entry.
Or rather, that the summer is already a quarter done.
We have started working on a "roads" project, which means I probably won't be finding any priceless artifacts anytime soon. Sorry guys. I will be sure to let you know when I find the holy grail or sacrificial blade, however.
Basically for this project we are walking up and down little used roads. We are surveying illegal (and some legal) roads, in part of a project to decide what can stay open and what has to be closed. It's not the most thrilling thing ever, but it's alright, and of course, it's beautiful.
Yesterday we probably hiked about 8 miles (including a little detour after we temporarily lost the car), and I think today will be about the same.
Thus ends a thrilling entry.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Continuations
So my second week has finished, and I've learned much about bureaucracy, which as many of you know . . .I love. Monday - Wednesday was district orientation, which means everyone from the entire district got together for many hours of boring lectures. It was interesting, though, to see everyone who works in the forest, because I don't run into them on a daily basis. There is the geologist, the wildlife biologists, the range people, the fire crew, the rec crew, etc. etc. The four of us in Heritage, aka, archaeology, are definetly the nerds of the bunch, but that is kind of fun :)
Some Highlights:
Watch out for meth labs in the forest. Apparently they are prevalent and can be identified by propane tanks and large amounts of prescription pain medication.
Watch out for "tweakers" wielding machine guns. I guess they are big in the archaeological site raiding business. They then sell artifacts at high prices...
So we may be the geeks of the crew, but crazed drug addicts aren't raiding the mountain bike trails or forest fires. So there.
PS. Don't worry, I don't think these things actually really happen. Forest employees favorite pastime is paranoia.
Some Highlights:
Watch out for meth labs in the forest. Apparently they are prevalent and can be identified by propane tanks and large amounts of prescription pain medication.
Watch out for "tweakers" wielding machine guns. I guess they are big in the archaeological site raiding business. They then sell artifacts at high prices...
So we may be the geeks of the crew, but crazed drug addicts aren't raiding the mountain bike trails or forest fires. So there.
PS. Don't worry, I don't think these things actually really happen. Forest employees favorite pastime is paranoia.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
First Days
My first week has ended successfully. Like starting any new job, this week was stressful and I explored the unknown with trepidation. But by the end of three days in the field and two in the office, I feel more confident of my abilities and think this summer is going to be OK.
I am interning in the Heritage department of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Basically, we are responsible for making sure priceless archaeological remains don't get destroyed by changing land uses. So before recreation puts in a new mountain bike trail, fire does a controlled burn, or the forest turns over land to cattle grazing, we survey the area. This entails walking, eyes glued to the ground, looking for flakes, points, ceramics, or anything else man made. If we find anything we record it and map it. If we think its important, we recommend the area is preserved in the name of heritage.
So yeah, thats what I'm doing. Hopefully it's clearer than my previous explanations that sounded something like...
"err...I'm not really sure. I'm doing something involving archaeology and mapping in the middle of nowhere."
I'm still adapting to living here, but I am enjoying myself more or less so far. If nothing else, the landscape is gorgeous, and I'm hoping to get the opportunity to explore it a little more. I meant to go adventuring this weekend, but it's nice to have a couple days off to twiddle my thumbs, read, play guitar, and veg out.
More soon.
I am interning in the Heritage department of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Basically, we are responsible for making sure priceless archaeological remains don't get destroyed by changing land uses. So before recreation puts in a new mountain bike trail, fire does a controlled burn, or the forest turns over land to cattle grazing, we survey the area. This entails walking, eyes glued to the ground, looking for flakes, points, ceramics, or anything else man made. If we find anything we record it and map it. If we think its important, we recommend the area is preserved in the name of heritage.
So yeah, thats what I'm doing. Hopefully it's clearer than my previous explanations that sounded something like...
"err...I'm not really sure. I'm doing something involving archaeology and mapping in the middle of nowhere."
I'm still adapting to living here, but I am enjoying myself more or less so far. If nothing else, the landscape is gorgeous, and I'm hoping to get the opportunity to explore it a little more. I meant to go adventuring this weekend, but it's nice to have a couple days off to twiddle my thumbs, read, play guitar, and veg out.
More soon.
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