By Thomas A. Herbert, Ph.D., P.G.

The Story:

This is a area science story of learning to work with a small staff of individuals on projects that have benefit and influence. This story is instructed looking again via the telescope after forty nine years of different professional experiences with the intent of stressing the worth of that first summer season in 1965.

Background:

I'm a geologist and was destined to be a geologist. My father, grandfather, and great grandfather had been mining engineers so my submit natal schooling began with discussions on rocks, oil fields, ores, and coal mines from my first recollections. I was born and grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, residing on the Rock River so in retrospect I could have picked a geology profession track in any subcategory from petrology to geomorphology.

I was fortunate to be supplied a full scholarship for monitor at Michigan State University (MSU) in 1962 and went off to throw the discus and shot. We received a number of Big Ten championships when I used to be an undergraduate. The coaches all needed me to take the jock programs to keep my grades up to present me time to prepare. My first quarter in 1962 had me in a really dumb jock course so I started to look for programs that can be interesting. I landed in Physical Geology 201 in the winter quarter of 1963 and did effectively. Spring quarter of 1964 had me in Geomorphology 303 with Dr. Maynard M. Miller. I used to be hooked on the science and on Dr. Miller’s engaging academic type and stories of doing science on Mount Everest. I declared a serious in geology and began assembling data in an organized vogue.

In March 1964 the great Friday Earthquake hit Alaska and Dr. Miller packed his a number of Nikon F cameras, his crimson Eddie Bauer parka, Lowa boots and headed to the action for an expedition to judge damage and modifications to the coastal glaciers. By fall quarter he was again in East Lansing with many slide trays depicting coastal glaciers laden with land slide debris and discussing incipient kinematic waves. I was enrolled in his Glacial Geology 412 class and it was all motion science with new data from Alaska.

My big day was when Dr. Miller asked if I wished to go for the 1965 area season on the Juneau Ice Field as a National Science Foundation undergraduate analysis participant. There was no question that I wished to go and my father jumped in along with his checkbook to cover all the purchases from Eddie Bauer and REI. An interesting facet be aware is that my REI number in 1965 was solely 5 digits long that means I used to be shopping for gear from the beginning of that significantly successful recreational tools company.

Field camp is required for geology college students between junior and senior yr in most applications. I petitioned the MSU Geology Department to accept the Summer JIRP work for my subject camp requirement and was authorised with the caveat that I would want to write a number of papers as directed unbiased research (DIS) for the 12 credits I'd take. I was encouraged by the division chairman to engage in as many various tasks as attainable to provide me a broad discipline expertise (Duh, how might that not happen on the Ice Field?). In retrospect it was sort of like a "self-directed" discipline camp. Dad got me as much as Alaska early in June by airplane and i stayed late that summer season since MSU didn’t begin fall quarter until the third week of September. Several of the MSU JIRP team drove the Alaska Highway within the 1963 VW bus that was early JIRP transportation. I obtained to Juneau early, stayed late, and was in a position to do some additional tasks.

Before the science adventure started the MSU Track Team gained the massive Ten championship on May 26 and that i did properly within the discus setting the MSU file. I discovered later from Barry Prather that Dr. Miller really wished me for my lifting and toting abilities to schlep tools. Barry had worked in a toting function for Dr. Miller on both the Everest (1963) and Mount Kennedy (1965) Expeditions and I believe the muscular athlete roll worked effectively for Dr. Miller’s plans. Barry was a Dartmouth footballer who later was my workplace mate in grad faculty at MSU. I used to be awed by his file of climbing to 28,000’+ on Everest staging gear for the ascent staff.

The Gear:

I admit to being a gear nut. My household and colleagues know that I stand ready to offer a full discourse on the merits of discipline tools. This character flaw has its root within the preparation for JIRP in 1965. There have been many enhancements in clothing, foot gear, packs and rainwear. But the most important and symbolic gear item is the hat (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Gurka hat in place ready for the journey to begin

Hat choice - I picked a Gurka bush hat with wide brim to keep off the solar at altitude and the occasional rain. In my professional geology career the bush hat has been retired to the sector gear box and replaced by several Tilley hats. My pick for the Alaska summer season season can be a narrow brim Tilley.

Camera - I went off with a 35 mm Minolta rangefinder and about 30 rolls of movie and mailers to ship the exposed rolls off for processing. I bought additional rolls and shot about 1600 slides of which about 600 have been scanned at this writing. As a facet note greater than 500 almost an identical photos of the Taku Towers have been tossed.

At Dr. Miller’s suggestion and later in 1966, I bought a Nikon F and a couple lenses. That camera continues to be within the case along with a Nikon F3, 8008, underwater Nikon and presently about 5 Nikon digital cameras. My pick for a summer area season would be a small pocket digital with 20 megapixels and a cheaper backup camera with batteries. Small is good for field cameras and backups are helpful. Digital video is an efficient backup too. Also, you can file subject observations on the audio track of the video… just in case you overlook your discipline notebook. As Dr. Miller told me early on, a durable and high finish digital camera is your finest alternative for field work. I definitely concur. All these cameras have been used for my work recording tens of 1000's of frames. What we do as geologists is observe and file and clarify what we now have seen to others.

Foot gear - I had two pairs of Danner leather boots that I coated in layers of Snow Seal. Bad choice on boots, because after I stepped off the Hiller 12E at Camp 10 on June 21 into deep, wet snow I had wet feet for the rest of the summer time. See Figure 1 for un-soaked boots. I screwed up on socks too with cotton. Every night time was a strategy of socks drying within the foot of the Bauer bag. Every boot company now has sealed and water proof boots and wicking socks of fantastic fibers in order that won’t be a problem for future JIPRers.

Pack - I acquired the largest oversized Kelty body, frame extension and bag that was made then. I had six further side pockets and two large back pockets sewn on. That pack worked for soft good and loose gear and the body took a Blazo field of two 5 gallon gasoline tins for a lot of trips as much as Camp 10. We lugged full-sized wet cell car batteries round on the body for the photogrammetry work too. Apart from having battery acid eat up my pants, I by no means had an issue with the pack body or bag. There are many designs at this time and most will work but huge volume is healthier. After I finished my Ph.D. in 1973 at MSU I gave Dr. Miller the Kelty for his gear and I do know he used it for years.

Parka - I had the Everest down Eddie Bauer Karakorum in purple, the standard field jacket of the day. That sort of down jacket is great in case you are standing around watching drilling rigs in the winter at -5 which I did later in northern Michigan. For the Icefield, nevertheless, layers of Polartec or equivalent can be higher for the reason that temperature vary is huge and within the summer season 35 levels is about as low because it went. You possibly can regulate heat/chilly better with Polartec type materials and it performs when wet. Dr. Miller was the recipient of the parka and in measurement XL he had plenty of room for layers.

Sleeping gear - I had the extra-long extra-large Karakorum bag that worked great particularly at Camp 8. I had a closed cell foam, three quarter size pad and a rubber sheet. We were sleeping on snow for the ten days on the Ice Fall and the pad labored nice till I rolled off. Dr. Miller also obtained the mummy bag when i moved to Florida in 1973. Joan chided me on that gifting because the bag had never been cleaned from 1965-1973 so it nonetheless had some Icefield grunge on it.

Ice axe - Bought from REI and gifted to Bill Isherwood for his trip to the South Pole in 1966. I have a picture of the ice axe (residing vicariously through an ice axe!!!!) on the pole.

Crampons - 12 level deluxe fashions from REI and also went to the South Pole with Isherwood.

Binoculars - I bought a 7x35 pair simply in case I would need them. They were bulky and took up pack house but they have been invaluable within the surveying work choosing up management stations and flagging across the ice. Dr. Adam Chrzanowski took over the binoculars for his survey spotting. They now reside in my gear bag for the shooting range.

Dr. Adam Chrzanowski at Mendenhall management point … observe my binocular case around his neck.

Knife - I had a Swiss Army knife with a bunch of blades, tooth decide and tweezers. The knife remains to be in my area package however the can opener is worn out. Swiss knives are always a good selection.

Pants - I had cotton rip stop navy surplus cargo pants in 1965. Now I put on Tactical 911 rip cease synthetic fabric cargo pants and they are your best option. I might wear them in AK.

Shirts - I wore MSU cotton athletic tees till they had been totally grubby. I recommend Under Armor of a number of weights to layer up if wanted. The fabric wicks and packs small.

GPS - No such luck in 1965 however at present one is helpful with extra batteries. A budget ones seem to be as accurate for area work because the costly survey quality gear. Don’t depart house without one.

Summer Activities Schedule 1965:

Scoping the Project Area:

I arrived in Juneau on June 12, 1965, and soon met up with Chris Egan (then a MSU doctoral scholar with two ice area summers under his belt) and we started restricted exploring of Juneau and the Mendenhall terminus on foot. We used the UAK Marine Lab as a base and short-term bunk room. We chartered a Cessna from Kenny Loken at Channel Flying Service (Dad got here by way of with some further money for the flight) and did a flying recon of the whole area in a Cessna 185 float aircraft before we went in the sector. This flight was an amazing synoptic view of the venture area. Now we have Google Earth and other imagery to give us scientists the big picture but then it was topo maps and 9x9 B&W aerials. We flew south over Taku Lodge and up the Taku Glacier to C10 and C8 and over in direction of Atlin and then again over the Vaughn Lewis Icefall, down the Gilkey following the medial moraines down glacier back to tidewater and back to Juneau. I shot about 10 of my 30 rolls of movie on that flight.

Chris Egan exploring Mendenhall terminus June 16, 1965

Preparing Camp 10:

We reported to Livingston Helicopters early on June 21 and loaded our gear on the floats of a Hiller 12E (Figure 1). Nancy Livingston was the pilot for this my first helicopter flight. Nancy was about 45 years outdated then, tall and actually sturdy. Her flight expertise made me feel very secure. Not solely did she have 1000's of hours in helicopters however Nancy had been a ferry pilot in WWII flying P-47s and P51s and about 50 different aircraft round England.

Dick Shaw, Chris Egan and that i flew into Camp 10 to find about 8-10 toes of wet snow overlaying the rocks with the cook shack, generator shack and the teaching building pretty much buried. We had to dig right down to get into the doorways. There was a snowmobile storage that had been built late in 1964 that was unfinished and not structurally sound for snow masses. We had to dig out the snow machines from a collapsed construction then get every little thing working.

Arriving Camp 10 June 22, 1965

The weather for the subsequent 12 days was sunshine and scorching and the snow was melting at a charge of toes per day. By the time the full group arrived on July 3 the nunatak was snow free across the camp. We started recording met knowledge beginning on the twentieth and recorded some glorious days.

Chris Egan on the met shelter, 10 PM, June 26, 1965

On July 3, the Alaska Air Guard C-123J landed a mile or so out on the Taku snow pack on ski wheels. Personnel and gear was off loaded. I used to be the lone passenger for the flight again to Juneau that day and it was an "interesting flight." The C-123J was about four miles above the neve line and General William Elmore, USAF (pilot and commanding general of the AK Air Guard) determined to take off down glacier (and downwind with katabatic tail wind at about 10-15 mph). The wet snow landing and taxiing had packed the ski wheels with further weight. The 2 radial engines have been run up as we started down glacier; the two jet engines on the wing suggestions have been began for additional energy. We ran for several miles and couldn't get takeoff velocity to carry off, icefield juego all the time we were bumping and slewing over the solar cupped surface. I was belting in next to the crew chief within the cargo bay. After a couple minutes when I’m sure General Elmore and his copilot Col. McKee, USAF, may see the crevasses in the space he alerted the crew chief to the next transfer. The chief, T/Sgt. Wm. Christy USAF, yelled at me over the din something like … "son, tighten up you seat belt and hang on for a ride". General Elmore engaged the JATO unit that rocket launched us as much as several hundred toes above the snow. Now we were in the air in an empty plane with plenty of energy to fly. The subsequent drawback was that the ski wheels wouldn't retract because the three miles of takeoff run had packed the wheel wells with more snow. We flew to Juneau airport with the ski wheels down with the general cycling the gear to dislodge the snow. We circled Juneau for about an hour while the final continued to clear the ski wheels. He was in a position to get the wheels partially deployed however the huge skis (I estimate at 5’ by 18’ aluminum panels) wouldn't fully retract so the skis and wheels have been both down for the touchdown and everything was full of snow. I bet this type of touchdown was not in the C-123J operating guide before this incident. Again the crew chief instructed me to hold on and we landed with some minor sounds of metal scraping. The loading ramp was dropped and that i kissed the bottom and marched off to a brand new activity. We had landed with the crash trucks deployed; scraping the aluminum skis but all went properly.

Alaska Air Guard C-123J on the Taku Plateau; July 3, 1965

Loading for Juneau return: Left to Right: Dick Shaw, Barry Prather, Scott Hulse, Dennis Cowals and Bonito Colqui (orange hat)

Terrestrial Photogrammetry:

My next journey job was to be the chief gear schlepper and toter for three professors from the University of new Brunswick (UNB) Surveying Engineering Department. I had taken Dr. Miller’s photogrammetry and geology course and was very fascinated by that matter. I had about 14 days of intense and very "hands on" work with these fellows. I've used that data practically every day for the past 48 years of my geology profession.

The UNB staff included Dr. Godfried Konecny, Professor Gerhardt Gloss, and Dr. Adam Chrzanowski. Their mission was to acquire terrestrial picture photographs for plotting of the ice floor close to the terminus of the Mendenhall, Taku and Norris glaciers. To perform this we had to determine geospatial positions for identified factors on the peaks overlooking each terminus and floor management points. This was "back in the day" after we had distance and angles to ascertain management points and image stations.

The pictures were stereo pairs on glass photographic plates from a base line established on the mountain facet. The bottom line was several hundred meters long with a picture at every finish. The plates were uncovered and later taken again to UNB for stereo plotting of the contours. The scientific carry ahead is that the 1965 JIRP ice quantity studies were the start line precisely tracking ice quantity changes in the system as early documented data for local weather studies.

The Mendenhall work began with a arrange over the geodetic monument on the Juneau Airport which had a clear view direct line to the highest of Mt. McGinnis. We set up a Tellurometer Micro Distancer M/RA1 (made in South Africa) which we used to measure distance. The instrument had been on the marketplace for about two years so we have been "cutting edge." The instrument used phase shifts within the modulation of micro waves. This was a brand new science toy in 1965 that Dr. Konecny was eager to make use of. We measured the space to a monument on Mt. McGinnis that I constructed with a clear view right down to the ice. I drove a steel pin and later constructed a rock cairn over it. We used a Wild T-2 to measure angles from the airport and swung to the other end of the stereo baseline. Then a Wild P-30 photograph theodolite was arrange on the mountain side at every finish of the base centered over the control points to take the photographs. The logistics for this work was the 12E with Arlo Livingston flying. We also had a second vantage level from the cirque bowl (ski bowl) on the south side and established a second base line and took photos. All of the points have been established with steel pins I drove within the rock after which constructed about 4-foot high cairns over them. We had great weather and this Mendenhall work took about five days.

Dr. Konecny and myself (within the hat) utilizing the Tellurometer to tie again to the Juneau Airport geodetic monument

The Taku and Norris work was performed from a base camp at Taku Lodge the place we stayed for a number of days. There was a geodetic monument close to the lodge that we set up on with the Tellurometer and the T-2 and took management as much as the peaks south of the channel and taking a look at both ice fronts. Arlo flew in to assist with some ground control work on the outwash in entrance of the ice where we had different monuments and good pictures back to the peaks to the south. These have been some lengthy legs in the survey net where we had distance photographs of 5-10 miles.

Dr. Konecny set up on peak above Taku Lodge to cover Taku/Norris terminus

There have been two notable experiences in Juneau for the few days we had been billeting there for the photogrammetry work. First off was a be aware to me later in 1965 from Joan after the bills were paid for the summer season. We had been consuming at a restaurant across the corner from the Red Dog every morning and sometimes within the night. Joan famous that I ate some costly meals. I used to be only a rising boy on expense account!

The second expertise came at a quiet little bar throughout the road from the Red Dog. I had turned 21 a number of months before so I went in for a beer one evening. I was nursing my one beer on the bar when two fellows in more formal costume than my discipline gear came in and sat down subsequent to me and struck up a dialog. Being the naïve youngster I asked the gentlemen next to me "and what do you do?" He replied, I’m the governor and this is my assistant and we come right here for a drink after work. It was William Egan who was a pal of Dr. Miller who had requested Mal’s help on the harm assessments following the 1964 quake. Governor Egan later was a big political participant in nationwide politics and was a key participant in getting the Alaska North Slope oil resources developed.

Seismographic Studies Below Camp 10:

I finished the work with the UNB crew on July 16, 1965, and flew with Arlo in the 12E from Taku Lodge to Camp 10 simply skimming the crevasses on the flight. The altitude change is about 5,000 feet over that distance and Arlo was climbing all the way. At one level he turned to me and requested how much I weighed because the Lycoming engine was starting to heat up. I told him about 260. He figured with all the supplies and my gear and weight we were probably a bit overloaded for the flight.

Upon arrival I was assigned to packing duties toting fuel cans and lumber up the hill to the camp. I learned that toting heavy masses at even 5,500 toes may be hard. I got here in a distant third to Scott Hulse and Richard Carlson. I used to be the bulky robust body sort and they each were lean, mean and great climbers.

I used to be assigned to assist Dr. Tom Poulter, Director Emeritus of Stanford Research Institute, in conducting seismic traverses of the world of the Taku near Camp 10. We had been using the Poulter Method of taking pictures that he had developed for reflection capturing in the Antarctic within the thirties and 1940s. The energy sources have been small parts of stick dynamite on a stainless steel pole detonated to create an air burst. Poulter would lower the sticks of dynamite along with his pocket knife and affix with cap with early duct tape to the pole. The twelve or so recording geophones were placed in a line and detonated. Poulter lectured on explosives, safety, dealing with and the speculation of seismic wave propagation. Once we ran low on explosives Kenny Loken airdropped several instances of dynamite and one other of detonating caps. This was an air drop the place the packages were pushed to the door to free fall to the snow.

Dr. Tom Poulter (proper) checking the seismic report on the Taku plateau; Barry Prather in sunglasses is also reading the printout; Poulter seismic taking pictures pole next to him

I had a number of life experiences with Dr. Poulter that I can relate. He was a large man at about 6’4" and 240 pounds and he was 68 on the time he was very match. I use him as my model for health today since I am 71 now myself. One evening sitting at Camp 10 near the met station I had an hour one-on-one discussion with him in his mentoring role. I requested the naïve query of him … "what did you do throughout WWII?" He responded that his function had been categorised work at Los Alamos and that he had designed the form prices of typical explosive to detonate the first atomic bomb. The task was to create the spherical cost to pressure the important mass together. He defined that the timing via the electrical circuit was the secret to success. His solution was very practical … trial and error reducing the silver not copper wire with electrician’s pliers until it labored.

I've assisted oil corporations with seismic tasks for the previous 40 years. The Poulter Method is still utilized in varied situations all over the world where shot hole drilling is difficult. I even had an oil company geophysicist ask me if I knew something about "Pouter Shooting" whereby I proudly reported that I had discovered seismic prospecting from the man himself on the Ice Field.

Camp 8:

I finished seismic work in late July and one evening headed to Camp 8. We arrived after midnight and crossed the bergschrund on the snow bridge and on to the bedrock. The following morning our trail had collapsed into the "schrund."

My Camp eight keep was for about a week and i made some lasting pals. Dick Shaw from MSU was there and he later was an workplace mate in grad college. Dick spent decades with Exxon and now is a guide in Denver. We crossed paths about a yr in the past in knowledgeable capability on oil discipline improvement. Bill Patzert was at Purdue and headed for University of Hawaii; he later became a guru on ocean dynamics at Scripps and is now with JPL. Bill Isherwood of Antarctic fame was there together with Dennis Cowles, Chris Egan and Scott Hulse. Ty Kittridge went again in the Army Special Forces in Vietnam the place he was a true silver star hero.

My most notable feat at Camp 8 was eating a case of 24 chocolate Mountain bars in two days. Then we moved to the Ice Fall for a number of days.

Camp eight July 25, 1965; the staff lounging embrace Scott Hulse and Bill Patzert (sunbathing on the roof), Bill Isherwood (again to digital camera with pack), Chris Egan (red shirt seated behind solarimeter) Ty Kittridge (seated on rock along with his Bull Mastiff "Siggy") and Dennis Cowels (red socks)

Vaughn Lewis Ice Fall:

We traveled to the Ice Fall late one evening and stayed within the army squad tent on the outcrop at the highest of the Ice Fall. The group included Bill Isherwood, Bill Patzert, Ty Kittridge and his canine Siggy and myself. We climbed down the snow and rock and camped on one of the wave ogives. We spent three days conducting masters thesis analysis on motion charges for Ty. We did loads of walking and climbing. Siggy the Bull Mastiff at 160 pounds was consuming more canned stew and hash than the whole human group so we needed to climb out to resupply.

Camping on the wave ogives on the Gilkey Glacier July 29, 1965; Bill Patzert checking the tent, Siggy searching for meals, Bill Isherwood checking seismic geophones, and Ty Kittridge smoking his final Picayune cigarette.

Back to Civilization:

Once again to the ice plateau we motored back to Camp 10 the place several of us had the duty of securing the buildings for winter and heavy snow. We drained gasoline from the snowmobiles and generator and picked up free gear and trash. We burned the trash with the aid of some extra generator gasoline. As I recall, in 1965 the primary physique of the summer season crew marched down the Taku to tidewater and in later years I think the staff marches down to Atlin. I had neither choice since I had been on the cleanup crew. We flew out with Arlo Livingston again to Douglas Island and his aerodrome.

Back to school August 15, 1965

Then ‘til Now ... the subsequent 50 Years:

There shouldn't be a single day that I do not think in regards to the Ice Field and the guys I used to be with that summer season. There were no females again in the day. I finished BS in report time before my sports eligibility was completed so I used to be a scholar-athlete in 1966. I worked for five years drilling holes for the Michigan Highway Department and sorting/identifying rocks for concrete aggregate and went to highschool full time. The MS was completed in 1968 and i switched to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1969 for a PhD in Resource Development that was completed in 1973. The doctoral work centered on law, public policy and geologic processes. Dr. Miller was on my committee and tremendously assisted in protection and modifying in his typical giving manner. I moved to Florida and worked five years for the Florida Legislature on natural resource points as a employees director and science adviser where I discovered how scientists and politicians work together. During that point Dr. Miller moved to Idaho and was involved as the State Geologist in phosphate mining there. I had simply helped cross complete mine reclamation laws in 1975, for Florida’s phosphate industry and I used to be in a position to assist Mal with background data. Since 1978, my spouse, Dr. Linda Lampl, and I have been within the consulting enterprise masking a bunch of topics in the sciences. See extra at www.lampl-herbert.com. For more than 25 years I've helped the Florida State University geology program in an adjunct professor role. If anyone needs an attention-grabbing graduate program the newly assembled Department of Earth, Oceans and Atmospheric Sciences is an excellent place to learn about the planet.