Robot Rock

Some people are good with athletics and compete through sports. But these guys Rock with Robots! It was a tough battle collecting and tossing balls into various goals. Sometimes there were issues and repairs had to be made quickly before the start. The officials and announcers were amazing, providing hilarious commentary. The teams did an amazing job at controlling their bots. All of this effort has put their minds and skills to the test, but they have conquered this sport and will continue to do so as they work with more robots in the future.

Just another day in paradise

Yep, you heard me, paradise. I don't need sandy beaches or palm trees, just clear and cold winter air.

February and March are by far some on my favorite months in Fairbanks. Its cold sure, but the worst is generally behind us. The sun is coming back at something like 7 minutes more sunlight a day or over 45 minutes a week! Goggle tans are in by the way. But seriously, this is the time to be outside! Get out there!

As further motivation, you now get to hear about my stellar weekend. Excited? I'm sure you are. Friday rolled around with the usual excitement (it is Friday after all!) but because lab was canceled, today consisted of trekking down to Healy for some ice climbing. Needless to say, the weather was gorgeous, the ice was fat and everyone had a great time. What more could one want?

The answer of course is more. More ice. More cold mountain air. More awesome.

Saturday morning finds us once again on the side of the highway in Healy, blue sky and sun lighting up the mountains in fantastic ways. Today's agenda is bigger, taller ice. As we rope up and begin to climb, workers from the Alaska Railroad pull up across the river on the tracks and sit and watch us work the face. I can't decide what they want to see more... us making it to the top or Jason whipping down onto his last ice screw. He builds his anchor and comes down, the railroad workers drive off; clearly they wanted the latter.

Saturday turns into Sunday and Moose Mountain beckons. It's time for some downhill skiing! The trails are great and the hill was surprisingly quiet. Fast runs and good times with friends. Many many runs later, cup of coffee in hand I can sit back and reflect on my weekend. What more can one say?

Just another day in paradise.

UAF in the Winter

Arctic Greetings~

Recently I have been asked about living in Alaska, especially during the winter time.

I just want to say that even though I love Alaskan summers, the winters here offer unique opportunities and beauty that is rare in other places.

When I am not studying or working, getting out in the winter time offers a variety of recreation. For example some of my favorite past times include ice climbing, going to glaciers, hiking, dog sledding, and just enjoying all the beautiful places. There are a variety of places to go within a days trip from campus. If you are new to winter time recreationOutdoor Adventures UAF offers guided trips through Outdoor Adventures. They have everything from camping, skiing,snowshoeing and much more throughout the year.

If you are really interested in winter time out door recreation, UAF even offers a variety of classes in outdoor recreation and leadership certification.

Probably, the place that my dogs and I visit most is Ester Dome, which offers a panoramic view of the Golden Heart city and the surrounding valley.

I understand being a busy college student, but it is important to take a break from the books. So if you don't have the time for a day trip UAF offers a variety of hiking and ski trails that take you through the beautiful boreal forest right here on campus.

Please remember when going out in the cold dress for the weather, carry enough water, and wear proper foot gear.

a reason I love UAF

Hey all,

After traveling over break coming back to Fairbanks was ... interesting. I was exited for my classes, I'm taking fun ones this semester, but the cold and dark was hard adjusting back to.

But today was one of those perfect Fairbanks days. It was warm enough to enjoy the outdoors and sunny enough to give you your daily dose of vitamin D. This actually made it kind of difficult to attend class.. but I was still really exited.

Tomorrow the office I work for on campus, LIVE, is having its first leadership lunch of the semester. It's going to be pretty interesting, our speaker is an expert on permafrost and will be talking about a recent trip to Antarctica!

Hopefully tomorrow will be this beautiful too!