First things in the morning, we visit city mayor’s office. Viraco has problems like similar many of Andes communities. Their water resources is belong on glacier. but also Glacier is big risky object usually located at the top of the active volcanos. It will easy to distroy by the lahar like Nevado del Ruiz did 1985. A lahar (English pronunciation: /ˈlɑːhɑr/) is a type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and water (Wiki).  We talk about important to understand hydrology and permafrost distribution.

Then we left town to drive up to Altiplano. We still some water sampling, the destination is Mauca Llacta!

Mauca Llacta is located north side of Coropuna about 4400m altitude. People live such high mountain without electric, water, gas… but now, they got telephone service!!

Village has first electric structure, solar panel do here only for the village’s one phone!

Yes, it connected, the member of rest of the world!

Jose brought gift from Spain, they love these!

Kids and parents  in front of Coropuna.

After visiting village,  we are driving up little more high (5000m) to set camp.

 

Dead Yareta (Azorella compacta) is great resources for fire

Early team are just back to Viraco, when we are in. They are downloading temperature logger south facing Coropuna by using horse! It looks very nice and hope next time.

Viraco is about 3400m high. I have to stay around before serious climbing. We also did sampling spring water to understand source of water. This is volcano! of corse spring means hot spring!!!

Our Viraco base camp is great location, we can prepare on the pool table.

First spring site is good but already somebody in!!

…

2nd site, little far away from village. oh, yes.

It was not very hot, but great sampling time.

We have be very careful for this pretty orange flower!! full of needles around it.

third hot spring is really hot 50 degree C. it’s hard to  in the water. but this is important work!!

 

 

2 days of airplane ride, I  finally arrived in Arequpa, Southern Peru.

Chachani (about 6000m) is back of the airport where we need to download data. But not now, Pavlo (Peruvian Geological Survey) pick me up and Kidnap me straight to bus station to another 7 hours bus ride for Viraco. He is fun guy working with. And my body clock change to Andes time. But I missed to eat yummy chevichi at Arequipa.

Targeted mountain “Coropuna” is far away in the sky!

Going high up by local bus

Coropuna (about 6400m) can see now where we climb.

Finally, we are at Viraco!! This is center of inca town during colonial time. Good things is almost no car in the town.

These gunny pigs are not pet!

We ate  this!

Local people like to pick up ear bone of Gunny’s to drink for wishing

next morning, Viraco is beautiful weather as usual and nice cutting plant against Coropuna

Miami Airport has little different atmosphere than any other US airport. Many airplanes in and out from South/Central America including Havana, Cuba. If I live here, it will be fun to go many place!

I had a 9 hours layover. It was great time to explorer airport foods. I forgot name but this Caribbean stake with grilled banana was excellent. Crab soup was good too. This is near D-gate around D2-D4 area!

Finally airplane flew over Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean. I miss these tropical clouds.

After the teachers conference, I catch plane to Seattle. Beautiful evening downtown Seattle flying over…this would be limit exposure for my Olympus GF1.

Then going to Miami for catching another plane to Lima, Peru

It’s rainy Saturday we had a field Trip for Alaska Math and Science teachers conference. Originally we plan to visit Fox Tunnel but shuting down of the tunnel making us to the Plan B.

We visit polygonal ground, Pearl Creek Elem. permafrost station and a pingo.

I did quick Anderson trip today. Anderson is located outwash plane and feel not great to drill (so many hard rocks). I did use percussion (more like hammer down 30lb weight). It is tough!! I don’t know how many times lift up. But I did little more than 3m (10′) frost tube. this is 2nd deepest one in state. deepest one is at Joy elem. 5.4m deep.

Moose did not move on the Parks Highway!

All dane!

I  was sitting down in front of computer all day. I should work speed up my last 6 years village summary. here are some example of the pages.

 

Graph are not ready! just space holder now. I have to work hard during airplane to peru!

 

I was at North Pole Elementary 5th grade class today.

North Pole is town next of the Fairbanks! just in case you might think about “other” NorthPole.

Students are very helpful!

We installed same location two times! This is 3rd time. It is difficult to survive frost tube during summer months.

Everybody did great work!! some of the students were working with me when they were 2nd grade (3 years ago)!!

I will go back to Peruvian Andes this Saturday until October 4th.

Main purpose is downloading last years borehole temperature. However, we will go Carpuna and Chachani. That will be bit hard oxygen situation. Both mountains are about as high as Denali (McKinley) over 20,000′.