Antarctic Wildlife: Whales and Seals

For most people thoughts of Antarctica first bring to mind penguins.  Not surprising since they are found exclusively in the southern latitudes.  Yet, Antarctica is also rich with marine mammals: seals, dolphins, and whales. Our trip last January gave us opportunities to observe all of these up close.  Perhaps, in some cases, too close.

On South Georgia Island the high density of seals made walking difficult in some places.  Fur seals, of which we saw thousands, can be very aggressive and have a nasty, bacteria-laden bite so we were particularly wary near them and carried ski poles to fend off ones that were nipping at our legs.

Steve and fur seals, South Georgia Island

Still, the pups are adorable, especially the rare white ones.

White fur seal pup, South Georgia Island

Elephant seals like to lie close to each other, like so many sausages in a too-small pan, and have remarkably expressive faces and mannerisms.

Elephant seals, South Georgia Island

Weddell seals' enormous eyes give them sweet-looking faces.

Weddell Seal, Neko Harbor

Leopard seals are the the most aggressive and scariest-looking of all.  We were definitely too close to this one!

Leopard seal, Port Charcot, Booth Island

Interesting as the seals are, whales seemed to be the real favorites among passengers, perhaps because they are more rarely sighted, because of their sheer size, because fleeting glimpses of a back or a tail make them so mysterious, or maybe even because of how they conjure images of Moby Dick, Ishmael and Captain Ahab.  The announcement of a whale-sighting was always the quickest way to get passengers scurrying out of their cabins onto the decks or up to the bridge for a better view, binoculars and cameras in hand.  Even better were the Zodiac cruises where we could maneuver for close-up views and photos.

Humpback Whale,  Neko Harbor

Tail-throwing humpback whale

Zipping around Antarctic waters in a Zodiac can be very cold, so proper clothing is key to staying comfortable.  I wore as many layers as would fit under my rain jacket and pants and then added gloves, hat and neck warmer.  The latter was one I had made on the journey from home to the Falklands Islands where we met our ship.  Unfortunately, I chose a pattern for a rather floppy garment that didn't stay snug around my neck and didn't add much to my comfort.

Since then I have made another one with a ribbed neck which I think will keep me much warmer.  It is basically the neck portion of a turtleneck sweater, but with a nice leaf design.  I knit it, with a silk and merino blend that is comfortable against bare skin, using a pattern purchased at Northampton Wools.  So, now I am all set for another Antarctic trip...

Lace Edge Neck Warmer

On a sad note, fifty years after the end of Antarctic whaling there are still many visible remains of that industry. There is, of course, simply the small number of whales, whose populations still have not bounced back to pre-whaling levels.  Then there are the whale bones, some of which have been gathered together and formed into facsimiles of whole whales.

Re-assembled whale skeleton near Brazil's Ferraz Station, Admiralty Bay, King George Island

Finally, there are the piles of whale bones and remains of old whale boats, as at Deception Island, 

Whalebones and "water boat" at Whaler's Bay, Deception Island

and entire whaling stations, such as at Stromness and Grytviken on South Georgia Island, which show the industrial scale on which whaling was conducted.

Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Geology Fieldwork in the Scottish Highlands

As a child my favorite issues of National Geographic (like so many families, we had a shelf full of every issue since my parents began a subscription) were the ones that showed the inexorable movement of Earth's crust in the form of flowing Hawaiian volcanoes and the enormous 1964 Easter earthquake in Alaska.  As a college student geology appealed to me because it was like putting together a puzzle with a bunch of the pieces missing and because geologists get to go to some of the most fascinating and beautiful places on the planet.  Although I am no longer working as a geoscientist, I have been able to help organize and participate in some cool trips, most recently to the northwest highlands of Scotland, which even after centuries of study by hundreds of geologists, offer opportunities for new geologic discoveries.

Steve has been studying fractures in the Torridonian, mostly in an area referred to as "The Great Wilderness," for about a decade and this trip was made to confirm several items for a paper he is working on.  I went along as field assistant and photographer.  I was prepared with a field notebook for which I made a cover out of some scraps of leather - not waterproof, but water resistant.

Comparator (on top of notebook) from Ortega, et al, 2006* is for measuring fracture widths

Aside from having extensive and well-exposed outcrops, The Great Wilderness is home to big peaks, including An Teallach and Slioch, and countless inland lochs, of which the largest is Loch Maree.  As the name implies, however, there are no paved roads so sturdy waterproof boots and gaiters are required to navigate through the mostly open, but boggy countryside.

Torridonian sandstone and Eriboll quartzite

Slioch, on the north eastern shore of Loch Maree, offers views of Ben Eighe to the southwest and of Skye and the Hebrides to the west.

Ben Eighe

Ben Eighe and Loch Maree

Atop Slioch

Along the ridge of Slioch

Past Gairloch and Melvaig, where the road becomes a winding single track, you will find the Rua Reidh Lighthouse.  We were greeted with an array of rainbows along the way.

As well as abandoned but scenic old houses.

Once at the lighthouse you may see seals, whales, sea otters, and a variety of sea birds.  You can wander around on the Torridonian sandstone adjacent to the lighthouse.  Notable features include cross-beds, ripple marks, multiple fracture sets, and filled fractures.  You can also walk for miles along the top of the cliff and even make your way down to a protected beach.  In addition to its function as a navigation aid, the lighthouse now operates as a guest house. 

Rua Reidh Lighthouse

Torridonian crossbeds

Small scale ripple marks superimposed on large scale ripple marks

The scenery seems to change as quickly as the weather in Scotland.  With every bend in the road there is something new to delight the eye.

Gruinard Bay

We spent the latter part of our trip farther north, in Rhiconich, at the head of Loch Inchard.  Here is the view to which we awoke the day we planned to hike to the top of Foinaven.

As we prepared to step out of the hotel it became a bit more promising.

It continued to be promising as we hiked towards the base of the mountain.

But no luck.  The closer we got to the mountain, the harder the rain fell and the stronger the winds blew.  My rain jacket, which seemed to work so well in Antarctica, was no match for Scotland.  Cold, soaked to the skin and unable to use my hands and arms, we turned back.  It was a hard decision to make since we had heard that by 2:30 it was supposed to be clear.  Well, the forecast was not quite right.  It didn't clear until 2:40!  By about 3:30 this is what it looked like.

Foinaven and Arkle

With all this hiking I didn't have time for needlework, but the trip reminded me of shawls I knit using yarn purchased years ago from a lady near Loch Torridon.  Funny that I hadn't previously realized that the green is the color of gorse and the purple is the color of heather.

Muir Woods shawl pattern by Rosemary Hill;  highland wool

Shetland Triangle pattern by Evelyn A. Clark**; angora 

*Ortega, O. J., Marrett, R., and Laubach, S. E., 2006, A scale-independent approach to fracture intensity and average fracture spacing: AAPG Bulletin, v. 90, no. 2 (Feb. 2006), 193-208

*In Allen, P. and Budd, A., 2005, Wrap Style, Interweave Press

Relaxing on Galway Lake

I was lucky enough to be able to spend a weekend this summer with part of my family at their cabin on Galway Lake, near Saratoga, NY.  It was such a pleasure to while away the afternoons catching up on family doings, kayaking and swimming, reading and knitting.

I'm still on the bear kick I began when we went to Wyoming earlier in the summer.  Knit bears are highly portable, use up bits and pieces of my yarn stash and offer instant gratification.  Plus, they are really cute. This little guy stayed behind in Galway to skipper a model sailboat on the porch.

Vintage Jackson Hole

I have completed my vintage quilt top from the pieces I acquired years ago at a Jackson Hole garage sale.  

Quilt top ready for basting

The original pieces date from at least the 1930s and, based on the fabric designs and level of wear, I am guessing they were made largely from clothing scraps.  Within each larger block are smaller four patch designs, perhaps leftover from another project.  All of the designs and scraps were eventually foundation pieced onto flannel or other scrap backing.  Definitely a case of making do with what was available!  The older pieces were stitched by hand while some of the later pieces were stitched by machine.  I have completed it using both vintage fabrics and new reproduction fabrics, sewing both by hand and machine.  Old and new all jumbled together.  All of these quirks and the history hidden within give it tremendous character and charm.  

Jackson Hole is a lot like this quilt top:  a blend of old and new and richer in character because of it. From very early days it was recognized for its great scenic beauty and value as a destination for recreation, hence the proliferation of dude ranches. There are fewer operating dude ranches today but Jackson Hole remains a wonderful place to explore on horseback. We took a half-day ride from Moose Creek Ranch, just over the pass road to Idaho, so not actually in Jackson Hole, but a great choice nonetheless:  beautiful scenery and not a single other person.

Horses continue to be used for more than recreation. We saw this pack train carrying supplies up Cascade Canyon for trail maintenance.

Pack train in Cascade Canyon

For local flavor of the musical kind head to Dornan’s in Moose for the Hootenanny, or “The Hoot,” a weekly event in which locals and even some brave visitors share their music and songs with all who care to listen. There is some great talent in the valley so it is quite popular. Come early to secure your seat and order a meal.  It is held Monday evenings at 6:00, outdoors during the summer and indoors during the colder months.

At "The Hoot"

Downtown Jackson also is a mix of old and new.  It seems that many of the art galleries are in new buildings in the modern style, but you can still enjoy a meal in an old log cabin, such as Sweetwater’s or Café Genevieve.

Or a drink at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Lots of Bears and Grand Views

Prior to departing for Jackson Hole several weeks ago I heard reports of significant amounts of bear activity in Grand Teton National Park.  This, along with having seen a post by Lucy of Quilting With the Past in which she showed off her knit bear, gave me the idea to knit one of my own.  I rummaged around online for a pattern and in my stash for suitable yarn and knit in odd moments here and there.   And here he is.

"Grand"

To give you an idea of his size, note that the squares on his quilt are one half inch on a side. I have named him "Grand" for the magnificent peak which dominates so many views in Jackson Hole.  He was fun to make, though sewing up the thirteen tiny pieces was a little tricky, especially because the hand spun yarn I used is so fuzzy that it was hard to see what I was doing. Next time I'll choose a yarn with better stitch definition.

Knitting a bear was indeed an appropriate choice for this trip. Altogether we spotted six bears, more than we have ever seen in a single season; in fact, more than we used to see over many summers combined.

The most entertaining encounter was in Upper Paintbrush Canyon, just above Holly Lake, where we spotted a mother and her two cubs.  In no time the cubs scurried forty or fifty feet up a tree, found themselves some comfy branches, and went to sleep. The mother stayed at the base of tree foraging for food and posing for photos, or so it seemed. In my excitement I made rookie photographer errors so unfortunately she is not as clear as she should be.

Black Bear cubs

Black Bear (Note that not all Black Bears are black)

Grand Teton National Park is of course named after its tallest and most famous peak, which is usually called, with equal measures of affection and awe, "The Grand." From every direction it looms up to capture your attention.  Its character seems to change depending on the vantage point, the time of day, the season, and the weather.

Since our overnight back country trip took us to the upper part of North Cascade Canyon in the evening we were able to take sunset photos of The Grand across the smooth waters of Lake Solitude.  For anyone wanting to make a similar trip, keep in mind that the area around Solitude is closed to camping so you will need to secure a permit (at the information center in Moose or the ranger station at Jenny Lake) for the North Fork Camping Zone located below the lake.  Violations can result in a citation and fine of $120.  Yes, the rangers do check.

Mount Owen and The Grand Teton across Lake Solitude

One morning we got up before dawn to take sunrise photos at Schwabacher's Landing, a location which offers stunning reflections in calm waters and a straight on view of a line of jagged peaks such as a child might draw. It turned out to be a great morning for photos with a sky full small puffy clouds.  If you want to go to Schwabacher's Landing note that the road has been closed to vehicles due to sequestration-induced budget cuts and is now being treated as a hiking trail.  We parked on the shoulder of the highway and walked down the road in about twenty minutes.

Sunrise at Schwabacher's Landing

The clouds hung around all day and made a dramatic sunset.

Sunset over the high peaks

From high up across the valley the peaks seem bigger.

Near Jackson Peak

From the south The Grand seems bigger yet.

Hiking down Taylor Mountain

In South Leigh Canyon on the western side of the range the top of The Grand sticks up like a shark fin.

In South Leigh Canyon

And from the upper slopes of Mount Saint John it feels as though you can reach out and touch it.

Climbing Mount Saint John with The Grand and Mount Owen (the darker peak with snowfields) as backdrop

Anyone wanting to see these mountains from a perspective other than the highway turnouts or Jenny Lake would do well to pick up one or more of Rebecca Woods' excellent hiking guides.  They are available at the Valley Bookstore in town, at the visitors' centers in town and in Moose, and online at The Jackson Hole Bookstore.  She describes hikes of varying lengths suiting a variety of abilities and interests so you are sure to find something that will appeal to you and your group.