Hello Ice Sheet

While in Greenland, I touched the side of the ice sheet, I flew over the ice sheet, I stood across a crumbled ice ramp from the ice sheet but on my last day in Kangerlussuaq, I finally got to walk on it. We drove that bumpy dirt road all the way to the end. The road ends at the side of the ice. We hiked up a well traveled path with other scientists from KISS onto the ice. Normally this time of year the ice sheet would be a thin layer of dirt and gravel over ice cut with small flowing streams. But recent snow left the ice sheet blanketed in a winter wonderland.

Aerial view of the Ice Sheet

A top the ice sheet

Small glacial lake

A great view from the base of the ice sheet

Panoramic

Large glacial lake and the ice sheet

Not ten minutes after we walked onto that vast white landscape, a whole group of 20 tourists started up onto the ice sheet. It is really interesting to see how many people come to Greenland to vacation. We also ran into another group of scientist who warned about where to walk in the frozen snow covered sheet because just the day before one of their people fell into a frozen lake. Having walked on the ice sheet we left to go on another hike.

This time we walked to the edge of Russell glacier. From the road to the glacier is maybe 2 miles if that but it is up and down some of the steepest hills we climbed while in Greenland. The hills are covered in beautiful red and yellow foliage. The red is birch, birch trees in the US grow to be 20 feet or more but here in the frozen tundra they grow about 3 inches. The yellow is willow.

Arctic Willow and Birch

There are also tiny rhododendrons.  

Beautiful fall colors of the Tundra

Russell Glacier

Another view of Russell Glacier

Cracks in the edge of the ice sheet

We stood out by the glacier for a while. Even though we were finished with the important samples, one of the PIs still wanted to collect some water. The ice creaked and groaned and some of it carved. I tried to take a video of the carving glacier but it really is hard to predict exactly when and where the ice will sheer. 

It was the perfect day for hiking, the warmest we had while in Greenland, about 55F. After our hike to the glacier we got back in the truck and drove to the harbor. The PIs with me plan to spend a week walking 100 miles from the coast to Kangerlussuaq. They needed a GPS waypoint for the end of the trail. On our way out we passed the small unusual town of Kellyville. 

Best town sign ever

Suddenly that first sign makes more sense but... what is incoherent scatter radar?

Panoramic of the Harbor

Greenland is a beautiful and pristine part of the world. I don't think I ever would have traveled there on my own but I am very grateful for the opportunity to explore this vast wilderness. I feel like I am leaving with a whole new appreciation and interest in geology. I have new questions and a thirst for discovery. I have a list of outdoorsy gear I am eager to buy and I see a lot more hiking science and recreational in my future. I never really saw myself as a field scientist, I always loved just being in the lab but that might have changed. 

I hope you enjoyed my adventures from Greenland. After two harrowing weeks, I still have not seen a polar bear but I am excited to post next about Copenhagen. Copenhagen is such an awesome city and I hope by the end of my posts you are all ready to grab your passport.