Last summer I had my share of adventure; Harrison and I traveled all over the southern portion of the United States trying to find ourselves. We wanted to be a mix of Jack Kerouac, Christopher McCandless (too soon?) and Hunter S. Thompson. We failed to reach those lofty expectations (mostly because we are about as exciting as a wrapped loaf of Wunder Bread), but we did have a lof of fun. Ever since last summer, I have been thirsting for a new adventure, and I think I found one for this summer. It's exciting, weird and different, just like the trip from last summer, but in wildly different ways.
My close friend Timothy Messen and I will be living up at Dartmouth's Second College Grant, where we will be conducting research into the presence of Large Woody Debris (LWD) in the Dead Diamond River System. We will be up there for six weeks, before I leave to go back to Hanover for my freshman trip leader assignment (proudly leading Hiking 2).
I think that this wil be an exciting opportunity to live away from the hustle and bustle of Hanover. I think that this will allow me to find myse… whoops already did that. Anyways, I am excited to engage in some backcountry living. When we aren't canoeing down the Dead Diamond we hope to be hiking all around the Grant.
This research expands upon our advisor F.J. Magilligan's research in Maine on LWD. Specifically, We will be looking at the relation between logging and LWD presence. Tim and I will be exploring a pristine and very little used river system by canoe. This research is being graciously funded by the Office of Woodland Operations.
Large woody debris a technical term (yes, really) for any wood present in a river that has a diameter greater than 20cm. For more information check out Prof. Magilligan's website for a better description of LWD's importance.
We will be living in the nicely equipped "Town Office" cabin, which was built only three years ago. It is equipped with solar power, satellite internet and a propane stove. We are even privileged to be using a newly installed solar toilet. Maybe all these amenities mean we are not as burly as you thought.