Awesome hats, bears, zzz

Dear Steph and Val!

Here's a picture of the hat I got!! I think it's super cool! And there's wire in the brim so I can bend it any which way I want!

Tonight we're camping outside of west Yellowstone! I'm in my hammock, and I think I'll be quite warm tonight! Woo!!!! Today I saw SIX BEARS. Three grizzlies and three black bears! And two foxes! And an eagle!!!! I love Yellowstone. As we've been driving through some of the national parks I've been thinking about how great they are. What a fantastic idea, what incredible places. It's true that they get kind of crowded, but I can't help but admire the fact that they draw so many people. I love it.

Am super super pooper tired. <3

Nooreen

Tetons!

Merf!

We're in Teton national park right now, getting ready to do a quaternary exercise. That means we're looking at really recent glacial deposits, and this area is perfect for it! There are glaciers comin off the Tetons, and a huge terminal moraine (pile of rocks at the end of a glacier) from an older glacier that came down through the valley here. I'll see if I can get a good perspective photo so you can see what I'm talking about. Students were pretty grumpy yesterday - not going to lie, it made me pretty grumpy too. It's a new day though, and the Tetons are beautiful! Hopefully no one drops a boulder on their mapping partner's hand this year. Eek.

Hope you're having a lovely post-graduation summer!!!

Love, Nooreen 

Farewell Red Lodge...

Dear Farah,

Today was my last full day in Red Lodge, Montana. It might be my most favorite place we stay during field camp, second possibly only to wildhorse (which I'll have to write about later). We graded while the students got a day off, and this year managed to finish in what I think is record time!! Downtown Red Lodge is fun, it's where I got one of my super cool hats! Today I went into a metal working shop - Greg would like it I think! Tomorrow we drive to Jackson, Wyoming so I should get some sleep. I hope the end of the school year is going well! Should be done soon, right? Talk to you later!

Love, Nooreen 

Bandaged feet!

Went to the doctor today to have my feet looked at - pleased to announce they are clean and happy, and I've got the right stuff now to keep things moving along! I can even go in the field tomorrow! WOOO! It's weird/amazing how strongly we can remember scents - all of these smells I have smelled before but not in a few years and I remember them so clearly. Well, I guess that's in part flashbulb memories for you! 

We finished grading exercise one today - whew!!! I am super excited to go to sleep. Tomorrow: Elk Basin!!!!!!

YBRA! 6/8

Dear Steph!

Today we arrived at the Yellowstone bighorn research association (YBRA) after driving for nea let 12 hours. I am so tired! I just lay down in my bunk and am so incredibly pleased to be horizontal.  Skinned the tops of my feet the other day being absurd :( so they're sticking out the bottom. Think I'll go have them checked out tomorrow so I can get on with field stuff instead of being lame and mapping from the car! Tomorrow is day one of elk basin, which I think I told you very excitedly that I flew over in January - I love that about being a geologist! You can see a feature and if you've studied it, you know where you are. Love it at YBRA. The view is spectacular, the air is crisp, and we stay in adorable cabins.

Eyes are so tired! Real letter soon.

Love Nooreen!

Dubious view

Hey Brendo,

Stuck at YBRA today while everyone else is out in the field thanks to my stupid rug burn. Can't say I'm too displeased with the view - it's mostly my feet that make me sad. Think I'll try painting it later,  without the tree in the way. Mountain bluebirds live in the birdhouse there! I helped in the kitchen all morning to feel like a useful human being, soon off to the doctor to get this taken care of. Sigh! Talk to you later!

Nooreen

On the road again

Check out the sunrise as we drive from Utah to Montana! About halfway there now!

Exercise one: complete!

Dear Rebecca!

We finished up exercise one yesterday, and spend the whoooole day grading. Rudy treated is to dinner at Groggs, which you can see was SPECTACULAR. This is apparently the geology bar of the area, and anyone who does field work out here goes. We were hoping to run into Ellen and Sheila, but they're someplace wth snowy mountains right now - CO I think! Tomorrow we leave at 4am to get to Montana! Talk to you soon!

Love, Nooreen 

The Book Cliffs

Dear friends,

We've been out here about a week - started measuring section on Monday, and did our last bit today. It's a total of about 350m of section, ranging from the distal ancient ocean to near shore. The rocks out here are the best! Heading to the Helper mining museum now to show the students what life was like here not that long ago. More later!

Love, Nooreen