Today, part of the team went hiking to another part of the ice cap, while I stayed at Base Camp 2 and completed some work. SOLITUDE... for the first time, I am completely alone in this vast landscape. One would expect the silence to be deafening, however there is constant white noise of melting water rushing down the cliffs. Moving water has always been a soothing sound to me, however, here in Greenland I find it to be unsettling; creating an urgency within to make a difference.

    Base Camp 2 -- beautiful glacial blue water
    Base Camp 2 -- beautiful glacial blue water

    While here, I have been reading two books simultaneously, both by Gretel Ehrlich. The first, The Solace of Open Spaces is about the author's time spent in Wyoming and the solace she finds in the borderless prairie. The second, This Cold Heaven, is about the time that Ms. Ehrlich spends exploring Greenland as well as historical accounts of Knud Rasmussen. I could not have chosen better selections to read while in Greenland.

    Tina Ciarametaro
    Me trying to read outside with the tundra gnats

    Greenland is a land of extremes: sharp cliffs, rolling moraines, continent sized ice sheet, etched ice caps, disappearing glaciers, deep valleys, glacial blue lakes, sky high waterfalls and lush vegetation wherever roots can take hold.

    Mud at edge of lake
    This is quite common to see near the edges of lakes. The mud is firm and has a lava flow appearance.

    Arctic harebells
    Arctic harebells -- these flowers will sprout wherever there is a bit of soil.

    Date
    Location
    Base Camp 2 - Lil' Nug
    Weather Summary
    Cool, foggy, and misty
    Temperature
    45 degrees F

    Comments

    IMSAlinaK

    Hi Mrs. Ciarametaro.I was wandering what Base Camp 2 was like? How big is it? Also, do you have fear of anything when you are alone?

    IMSJillianH

    Is global warming effecting all parts of Greenland or just the part your in? What a beautiful picture of the blue water. It looks amazing there.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    IMSSydneyD,what an amazing question regarding positive/negative outcomes.Truly that is a human perspective…whatever changes happen on the planet, the natural world will adapt. Some species will thrive in a different environment and others will not. The question is are we increasing the rate of these changes and can humans adapt?
    On

    Tina Ciarametaro

    I have seen Arctic Harebells, Arctic Cotton Grass, moss, lichen, moss campion and I have eaten mountain sorrel and Greenland blueberries…YUM!On

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear IMSTrevorD,We do not have anything to burn here-trees do not exist where we are camping.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear IMSJoannaM,I have not once experienced emptiness here. A sense of awe, wonder and gratitude for the chance that I have been given to experience this part of the world.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    It is pretty hard to describe how "big" our camping area was - if you check the journal entry for August 17th (which will be posted later tonight) you can see an aerial shot of Base Camp 2. I did not have any fears when I was alone. However, I had with me a survivor pack and a satellite phone in the event that I needed help. I also attended Arctic Training camp this spring and felt confident assessing the situations and risks.

    IMSKatarinaL

    Hi Mrs. Ciarametaro,I was so surprised to see a few different types of flowers appear in your journal entries. I had no idea small plants and flowers could adapt to such a harsh climate. You mentioned the gnats in a few of your entries and I am wondering how they survive all year round since there are few people visiting Greenland. Do they eat anything other than us? Also, is all the water in Greenland that turquoise color? It is so beautiful, nothing like the water here! I hope you're enjoying your trip!

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Interesting thing about the gnats -they never bit us!!! Thank goodness. We actually are not sure what they feed on… but I can tell you I now sympathize with horses and cows that have to swish their tails all day long because of flies. The plants that live on the tundra have adapted to little soil, drastic temperatures and blossom like crazy when it is nice out. The color of the water is breathtaking. Glacial lakes appear so because of the sediment that is suspended within the water column and the size of the sediment. Only glaciers create a silt that specific size to reflect the turquoise colors you see in the image.

    On

    IMSSamuelP

    How did you use the moss and quartz samples to collect data?

    IMSSamuelP

    I spelled "Samples" wrong. Oops.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    The researchers will take the dead moss and quartz back to the lab and analyze different isotopes.

    IMSMaeveD

    Hi Mrs. Ciarametaro! Hope you are having a great time on your trip! I was just wondering, how could would you estimate the water is in the galcial blue lakes?

    IMSCameronM

    Hi Mrs Ciaramentaro my second question is was it dangerous hiking through the rough terrain and in the rough weather

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear IMSMaeveD,could you re-state your question. I am not sure what you are asking me about glacial lakes. Looking forward to your question.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear IMSCameronM,there is a level of danger and on each hike I assess the risks and whether or not I am prepared. Being caught in the weather up on the glacier was a bit concerning and if we felt that we could not descend safely, we had materials in our day pack that would have allowed us to wait out the storm. However, I am glad that we did not make that choice; just as soon as we arrived back in camp the wind picked up to a gale force and blew for 10 hours.

    Sammi Gallant

    What are Tundra Gnats and why do you have to wear a face mask around them

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Tundra Gnats are a little flies that hover around your body. Thankfully it does not bite. If the weather was nice and there was little breeze, there would be hundreds of them around us. I wore I mask because they would sit on my face, crawl into my nose and if you talked, you would eat at least a dozen of them.

    imsSammiS

    The Blue glacier water is beautiful! Where do you get food and water? Did you bring it or do you have to find it?

    Tina Ciarametaro

    We get water from the lakes and streams here in Greenland. No need to filter water! I wish I could bottle it and bring it home. We did bring food for the trip - 3 duffel bags of food (oatmeal, dried fruit, 15 pounds of cheese, chocolate, nuts, trail mix, crackers, rice, popcorn, prepackaged dinner foods, mac and cheese, dehydrated peas and corn, burrito stuff, etc.)

    Zachary Forni

    After all the work you have been doing, it must be nice to finally have some time to yourself and relax. As for my questions, why did you choose to stay at Base Camp 2? Did you volunteer? Also, what else did you do on your free time at the camp? Did you observe the surrounding area?

    IMSNicoleS

    During your stay have you seen any animals? Or is there no animal population?

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear Zachary,it was nice to have some time to myself, but not to relax; there is always work to be done at a field camp. The only down time we have is at dinner. We typically get up in the morning, have a bite to eat, chat about the day's objectives and get under way. By the time I go to bed, I am so tired that I do not have time to reflect on the day. I have been getting up a little bit earlier in the mornings to take in the solitude of the area. Base Camp 2 was chosen because of where it was located in relationship to the surrounding glaciers and moraines. We use our camp locations to access the most samples possible in such a small amount of time.

    Tina Ciarametaro

    Dear IMSNicoleS,I have seen caribou on almost every day that we have hiked. I saw a huge 16 point buck and on two separate occasions, I have seen a mother-calf pair. Just yesterday, I was coming out of the tent early in the morning and this young juvenile caribou walked right up to me. I think he was trying to figure out what I was! I have also seen siberian wolf spiders, a million tundra gnats (at least they don't bite), snow buntings, wheatears, loons and ravens.

    IMSOliviaS

    During your stay in Greenland, what type of flowers have you seen? I noticed the picture of the Arctic harebells and I wondered if there were any more.

    IMSOliviaS

    During your stay in Greenland, what type of flowers have you seen? I noticed the picture of the Arctic harebells and I wondered if there were any more.

    IMSJoannaM

    When you are alone does the area feel more empty or is it easier to take in your surroundings?

    IMSSydneyD

    Hi Mrs.C, Since you lost some time due to the bad weather, I was wondering are you getting all of your data collections that you wanted? I now the icecaps melting is a negative outcome, but are you noticing any positive outcomes, such as the fish population growing because of more water, and increase of vegetation growth, due to soil exposure?

    IMSTrevorD

    Hi Mrs. C, Why can't you make camp fires? Will they effect the environment too much? Is it also do to lack of material to burn?