A BLOG PERTAINING TO RACHEL'S RHOMBUS LIFESTYLES: To lick ice that's thousands of years old

Today has been quite the long day. At 7am this morning we arrived at Amalga Harbor to help this very nice man named Rich get creatures for the only aquarium in Juneau. Hannah and I went there (its called Dipac) the other day, but today we got to help provide wildlife to the exhibits that they have there. First we got in his skiff and motored over to a small island to dig up butter clams. First of all, clams live in the mud but here there are lots of big rocks on top of the mud that you have to get through first. Once we got the hang of getting down and removing all of the rocks we were able to collect two large buckets of fist (or bigger) sized clams. After we explored the tide pools for a bit, we hopped back into the boat and headed to another island where there were shrimp pots waiting for us. Hannah and I took turns pulling up the five pots that were way down in the water. Not only were there shirrmps, but there was also LOTS of sea snails, very colorful hermit crabs, and a couple of fish.

When Hannah and I got home we both needed showers and lunch. After, we packed up some things and headed out to the trail head for the west side of the Mendenhall Glacier. After walking a mile or two up the maintained trail that runs along the glacial lake we turned off and took a "unmaintained hazardous" trail. Hence, it was awesome! Lots of up hill climbing, jumping over, under, or on trees and boulders, leaping over streams, and even climbing up a rope. After a while of obstacle course-like bushwhacking we finally arrived at the glacier and the ice caves that we had come for.

I basically freaked out. I love glaciers. You have to understand that I was the girl in my physical geography class who read the entire chapter on glaciers as soon as I got my text book. This meant that I was reading it a good two and a half months before our class covered the subject. Anyways, today I couldn't help but yell with excitement! I took nearly 300 photos today... but i'm okay with that because it's not like I get to see ice caves everyday. IT WAS SO COOL! It was even cooler when big chunks of ice fell into the water and caused big waves. When the ice hit the water, all you could hear was a really loud, deep groan echoing throughout the glacier; like an angery walrus. It was super scary but also crazy intriguing. Don't worry mom, we were safe :)

After hopping around on the rocks and adventuring into the coldness, we climbed back up to the obstacle course in the woods and back home. I just have to say that today rocked! But now I need to calm myself down and go to sleep because we're getting up early again in the morning.

Even though I am in absolute bliss up here in the Northern regions, I am starting to get anxious to get back to Bellingham and to get settled into my new house. Bham is just such a fantastic city full of such fantastic people. Soon I will be back home to my wonderful Washington. Speaking of WA, my parents sent me a couple of photos of Moose and Georgia out at the coast when they went camping this last week. Take a peak :)