Roaming in Wyoming

The Cowboy state is everything you've probably imagined, and so much more. If you’re picturing chestnut-colored horses roaming in vast grassy fields with snowy mountains looming in the background, or pronghorn antelopes speeding through the plains, this is the place. Out here, it truly feels like the west – and it’s awesome to call this corner of the earth home for the summer. 

View from the road on the way out here - Custer State park, SD

I’m not just out here for the thrill of it though (as thrilling as it is...), I’m actually working for a Master’s Student at the University of Wyoming who is doing research on Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana luteiventris) in the Bighorn Mountains. When I told people that I was coming out here for the summer, almost everyone said something like “Oh, it’s gonna be beautiful out there!” They certainly weren’t wrong, but I’m not sure beautiful quite explains it. 

This is what my backyard looks like...

Picture-perfect postcard views are everywhere. The first day I was snapping pictures like crazy, and for those of you who have traveled with me and seen me take pictures… it is impossible to understate my desire to document the moments, large and small. But there’s something about out here that’s different – I’m disconnected from the world while here. In fact, I’m writing this blog on Word and I have no idea when I’ll actually be able to post it. (Well, now I know...) We have no cell service, and no internet in our housing – which isn’t surprising given that we are living in a cabin at an elevation of over 8,000 ft. So instead of worrying about trying to share everything online right away, or attempt to take a bazillion pictures, I’m taking the time to really enjoy it… and it’s AWESOME.

Waaaayyyy down there is the quaint little city of Sheridan, WY - our connection to the outside world

For me, being without phone or Internet is actually a blessing – it’s so revitalizing to disconnect from the world, breathe some fresh mountain air, and appreciate this gorgeous country. Too many people these days are connected to their phones as if their lives depend on it… I know I’m certainly guilty of obsessively checking e-mails or Facebook at times – but I think if everyone took a little time to shut off their phones/computers and go for a walk outside, this world might be a better place. Go ahead, try it.

"The [Bighorn] Mountains are calling... and I must go." - John Muir

OK enough soap-boxing – let me tell you a bit more about my job here and life in the Bighorns, then I gotta get back outside and enjoy this place. The Master’s project I’m helping with focuses on radio-tracking Columbia-spotted frogs, which involves attaching tiny transmitters to the frogs with stylish little belts made of very thin, flexible PVC tubing and copper wire. They are designed to be adjustable and not bother the frogs at all. Once the belts are on we use a big fancy antenna called a Yagi, attached to receiver to track down the frogs and note their location on a regular basis. 

A Columbia-spotted frog with radio transmitter attached

We follow the sounds of the beeps that our receivers make when they pick up the signal from the transmitter. The closer we are to the frog, the louder the beep. So essentially we are playing a very scientific game of “Hotter, Colder” and then recording a GPS point and habitat data once we locate the frogs. Right now, our goal is to track about 30-35 different frogs in at least 6 or 7 different locations, so about 5 frogs in each area. Currently we’ve got 15 frogs with transmitters, after 1 week of work (Update - we're now up to 26 after two weeks!). When we first catch the frogs – we also give them a mouth swab to collect DNA that can be used for a genetic component of the project. The frogs do not like this component very much…

Say "Ahhh"

Luckily for both the frog and us, the procedure is quick and painless. After we've collected all the data we need for the frogs (weight, length, sex, etc) – we put them back where we found them and then check up on their location in the next day or 2. Each time we check on them, we make sure the belts aren't causing them any discomfort or abrasions on their skin, and apply a little vitamin E to keep their skin in tip-top shape.  It’s lots of fun, and we’re very lucky to be doing this in such a beautiful and unique part of the world.

One of our study sites - Sibley Lake

 Frogs aren't the only animals we've found out in these woods – this area is one of the best in the country to see wild moose and elk, and after only a week – I've already become accustomed to seeing these huge herbivores on a regular basis. The ones you really hafta be careful around are the Momma moose (meese?) with calves, as they will not hesitate to charge you if they think you are posing a threat to their little one. Luckily I managed to snag a couple shots of these two from the safety of our truck. 

Say "Awww"

Since we are working outdoors with large metal antennas and cold-blooded animals, our work is very weather-dependent. We typically start our day around 8 am, to give the frogs a little time to warm up in the morning in the hopes of increasing our chances of finding them. We've had some interesting weather up here since we arrived, to say the least. I knew we would have our fair share of cool days, but I was quite surprised to wake up one morning to the sound of thunder, and then look out the window… only to see heavy snow falling in the middle of June. Not too long ago there was an accumulation of about 2 inches in some places. Not exactly ideal frog-catching weather, but still neat to be able to witness.

Winter ... err, Summer? Wonderland

The snows are generally short-lived, most of it melting away by the end of the day – but there are still snow packs in various places throughout the mountains. These surprise snows have become a “normal” occurrence here – just the other day it snowed twice in the evening for at least a couple hours, and then the clouds moved on, the sun reappeared, and melts it away. These late snows are not typical (supposedly) for the Big Horns though, and it’s very possible that they could be one of the reasons why we aren’t finding as many frogs in some of the area’s where Anička (pronounced A-neesh-ka), our supervisor, was very successful in finding them with her crew last year.

Anička with a freshly caught frog

Luckily I get along really well with the people I work with, which is always a blessing in jobs like these where you are almost constantly together. The “Frog crew” consists of only three of us – Anička, another field tech named Julia, and myself. When we aren’t working – we have gone on some fun adventures together, everything from hiking to enjoying a couple cold beers at the local bar, Bear Lodge, which is just up the hill.  Nothing like a pint of cold Moose Drool after a long day of work! J

The frog crew - laughing at ourselves on top of Twin Buttes after attempting a jumping pic

In addition to working with these two cool chicks, I am actually living in a large bunk house with 8 other dudes that seasonally work for the US Forest Service. Apparently the Forest Service has fairly strict rules about people of the opposite sex sharing a cabin, so they put me in with these guys instead. About half of them work seasonally as firefighters, and the other half are part of a summer trail crew that helps to maintain the many miles of trails in the Bighorn National Forest. These guys are pretty cool, and a lot of them were out here last year – so they know the area pretty well. In fact Charlie, one of the guys on the fire crew, was the one that led us to the top of the Twin Buttes – the impressive peaks in the backdrop right outside our cabin.

Following the leader...

Unlike most hikes, we weren't following a trail – we were just exploring the wild outdoors with no boundaries or set paths. It caused me imagine what it must have been like for the pioneers of the 1800s to discover this place, not to mention the Native Americans that called this place home long before then. It’s so stunning, rugged, and truly remote. Thankfully it retains a lot of that spirit, even in today’s overly connected world.

From the ground to the sky - natural beauty is all around us

I could go on and on about how breathtaking this place is (quite literally – lot less 02 up here!) but I hope you kinda get the idea. Since we aren’t always online or even around that many people, these guys have come up with other ways to enjoy living here. I’ve gone mountain biking a few times since being here which is always exhilarating, not to mention quite a workout, and the views never disappoint. Nothing like looking down from the top of a mountain to see a couple moose grazing in the field below you.

Mountain biking with Charlie

Since we all work pretty hard up here, it’s important to have fun ways to unwind as well. Sure we can always go grab a beer at Bear Lodge, and it’s pretty common for a campfire to be burning out back, but the weekends call for something special. This past weekend, I was introduced to a whole new level of relaxation… the “Hillbilly Hot Tub.” It’s basically an over-sized water trough, set up on some metal pallets… with a healthy fire burning underneath in order to heat the thing. I’m surprised they don’t sell the materials for this in Wal-Mart right next to the S’mores section.

This is the definition of classy

The trick was getting the fire hot enough to heat all of the water… but not too hot, otherwise we’d all be cooked. Turns out we got a bit zealous with making the fire, and even though there was snow falling that evening – for many hours the water was scorching hot. So we waited it out and had a few beers, played some games, and even made a late night trip to Bear Lodge.

The local watering hole

Eventually around 1:30 am after the flames had died down and the coals simmered for quite a while - we were able to enjoy the fruits of our labors… and for just being a water trough in the woods, it felt damn good. We sat on wooden boards in order to avoid burning our asses… be sure to remember that if you’re planning on trying this at home. After all, who doesn’t love spending all afternoon chopping wood and starting a fire in order get hot water?

Well, I gotta get back outside now… hope a few of you got a tiny bit of entertainment out of this little life update. If you need me, I’ll be out roaming in Wyoming. And don’t bother trying to call me – my phone’s roaming too J Until next time, Peace out!

America, the Beautiful

P.S. I may not have Internet all the time, but I can always get mail! If you feel like writing a letter (yes, some people still do that!) my address is ...

Brad Nissen

Bighorn National Forest

(Burgess Ranger Station)

2013 Eastside 2nd Street

Sheridan, WY 82801

Wat is happening...

Wat's up?! Today is our second full day in Bangkok and we've already done a bunch and seen some awesome Wats or temples. We're calling it an early night tonight thanks to a combo of exhaustion and waking up early tomorrow to head to Ayutthaya, the original capital of Thailand. This blog post is long over due... and I attempted to write one yesterday when we were taking a break to recharge our batteries (literally- camera battery died earlier because I was snapping pics like crazy) so I figured I'd post something about the day so far. I started the post then, and then ended up taking a much needed nap and never finished. So let me begin/resume by telling you all about our day yesterday! It began excellently, and early. We woke up around 7:30 and snagged our free complimentary breakfast from downstairs. It was awesome and hand prepared for us on the spot!

Starting the day deliciously!

After breakfast we got a map of the nearby area from the hostel employees and practiced saying "Thank you" in Thai. Then we started gearing up to head out and explore Bangkok! The plan was to hit up Grand Palace and Wat Pho, as well as possibly more depending on how the day played out. We wore zip off pants so that we could be comfortable in shorts while walking around, and then easily zip into pants before entering the temples... as this is a mandatory sign of respect.

Ready to go exploring!

But before we made it any of those cool places, we had to navigate our little neighborhood! The streets near us are small and windy, and you never know what you'll see around the corner... maybe a bike, a scooter, a car, a stray dog, or a food vendor... all can be found in the streets. The smells are a sensory overload as well... varying from very foul canal water filled with trash, to the overpowering scents of the various different types of meats and spices being cooked by the street vendors. Who nose what you'll smell next?

Who's up for a swim?

I let Mike take the map and lead the way, because I was constantly reaching for my camera and stopping to take pictures making me practically useless as a navigator. I probably could have snagged pictures of those little streets and alley ways for hours... it was all very different from anywhere else I've ever been.

Mike leads the way

After passing a series of different parked scooters, stray dogs, and walking across a small canal... we chanced upon a small park by the river that held an old fort and a small temple. Lots more pictures were taken!

Never a dull moment on the street

 We later discovered on our walk back home that the fort was built as a request from one of the many Ramas or kings of Thailand. Can't recall at this point whether it was ever actually used.

Fort near our hostel

Then we discovered the river! We knew it was nearby when we booked the hostel, but this was our first actual glimpse of it. It was pretty dirty too, but thanks to the fact that there was a lot more water and it was moving... it wasn't as trashy as that little canal. Kind of frightening that people just throw their trash into the rivers here.

Water, water, everywhere... 

Our first temple which was also in this same little area was small, but definitely still stunning. Something this magnificent in any other place would have visitors from all over... but in Thailand it is just one of many, and so it sits quietly alone watching the river flow by.

Wat by the river

We chose to walk along the river for a while, since that would lead us to the temples we wanted to explore, and it gave us a scenic view of one of the many ways to get around in Bangkok. The old longboats are used mostly for tours, and they also ferry people to certain hot spots such as markets and temples.

Colorful longboats

We took a short cut through one of the Universities near by, and then ended up in the heart of the Amulet Market... where many small tokens are sold, mostly to taxi cab drivers, monks, and people in dangerous professions. There was a huge variety of different little trinkets, with lots of different food vendors and tiny convenience stores wedged in at all angles. The walking space was narrow and there was tons to look at all at once. We walked through rather quickly, and I snagged as many pictures as I could.

Crocodile skulls at the Amulet market

I am posting the full album of pictures from this day and other days to Facebook, so you see even more pictures if you're interested. I'll also work on setting up a Flickr account once I get into the field.

Siamese Cats

On our way to the Grand Palace and after surfacing from the Amulet Market, we stopped at a museum and decided to take off our shoes and walk around since it was free and had AC... which is always welcome! It appeared to be a sort of history of Thailand museum, showcasing exhibits about different wars, leaders, etc. It was all in Thai of course so we couldn't quite say for sure what was going on... but it was elegantly done and quite large.

Door to the museum

After the museum we walked past a few more smaller temples that were very near to the Grand Palace. At this point we were beginning to encounter overly "helpful" Thai people who knew a bit of English and began to tell us places to go or things to see that may or may not have actually existed.

Wat that we entered

I read in the guidebook I have that a common scam is for Thai people to tell you that something is very special only for today, or that something is closed until a certain time... and then they'll try to redirect you to somewhere else where hopefully you'll spend some money and then they get a cut. That happened to us today more than yesterday, but we definitely had a lot of people coming up to us trying to point us places on the map because we clearly looked like clueless tourists.

Approaching the Grand Palace

Nonetheless, we managed to avoid throwing our Baht away to any of these people and finally made it to the Grand Palace. Grand is no understatement, this place is HUGE. There are tons of different temples within the boundaries, and it reminded me almost of a holy amusement park because there were so many tourists from all over the world coming to see it.

Greetings from the Grand Palace!

The entrance consisted of a few guards making sure that no one walked in with shorts or sleeveless shirts, and they were happy to direct you to the building adjacent to get a free sari or whatever necessary clothing you were lacking so that you could still enter.

Approaching the main entrance

We were thankful we brought our zip off pants so we didn't have to put on sweaty clothes worn by who knows how many different people. We bought our tickets at the window and then headed towards the main entrance. Thankfully it was very clear which line we were to be in.

That's us!

Once we got inside, I couldn't turn my camera off... there were just too many things to try to capture. Except when we actually went inside the temples, you weren't allowed to take pictures in there and guards were standing by to make sure you didn't try to pull a fast one.

OHM my goodness

We walked around inside for at least a half an hour... admission was 500 baht, or about $17... so we wanted to make sure we got our money's worth, not to mention there was a ton to see!

Always watching....

The most famous temple within the Grand Palace is the one containing the Emerald Buddha, which has quite an interesting story.

Can you see why they call it Grand?

The Emerald Buddha is very small, and it was originally covered in plaster when it was located in the Chang Rai providence in Northern Thailand. One day it was dropped by accident, and the plaster broke to reveal its gem interior. Covering Buddhas with plaster was a common occurrence back then to protect them from being stolen.

Hands off the Buddha, Brudda!

It's "coming out" happened back in the 15th century, and then in the 16th century... it was stolen by a Laotian army that invaded Northern Thailand. The Emerald Buddha remained in Laos for over 200 years until 1778 when King Taksin waged war against Laos and retrieved the image.

Very tall Wat

Originally the Buddha was taken back to Northern Thailand, but when the capital was moved to Bangkok, it moved also and became a resident of one of the largest Wat's within the Grand Palace. We took off our shoes and walked inside to check it out, and it was astonishing. The walls were entirely covered with murals telling stories of the history of Thailand... depicting wars, and scenes of villages and forests. Even the roof of the temple was completely covered in extremely detailed art.

Outside of the Emerald Buddha temple

 We walked around some more... took a lot more pictures, and then eventually attempted to exit.

Wat's up doc? 

I say attempted because there were many twists and turns, and it was easy to get turned around among all the different Wats that each looked different but also very similar.

Another awesome Wat

We did finally find our way out, and I of course continued to snap a bazillion pictures the entire time we were exiting. I even made Mike and some random German guy take a few pictures for me.

Gold Wat

On our way out we passed by a few armed guards, looking very official making sure that tourists didn't enter into certain parts of the Palace that they weren't allowed. No body seemed too concerned with trying to get past the guard, instead they would all rather just have their picture taken with him.

Peace.... 

Eventually we ventured out of the Palace, and wandered on to another Wat... Wat Pho. This is the home of the famous reclining Buddha. I will have to tell you about this adventure another day, because like the Reclining Buddha... it is time for me to lay down. Lots of more stories to come, and I promise to try not to get too far behind!

-Brewkeeper, Over and Out!