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Li0nh3eart Profile
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Registered: 01-2008
Posts: 7732
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America and a busy Summer


Hello all, sorry again for my prolonged abscence. However I can't promise to be back for a while due to reasons that will soon become clear.

I am now at an end of my second year, hence I'm expected to do field work on my dissertation. This is a 5 week minimum geological mapping course, for me in the Buttermere area of the Lake District. I have already competed 2 weeks of it in early June, but I still have 3 weeks to go starting from this Sunday. Fortunately the weather forecast is very good for the week ahead.

However, the most exciting element to this Summer has been a separate field trip to the USA to improve our geological skills that ran from the 19th of June to the 1st of July and now that I'm fully recovered from horrible jetlag I feel up to telling all. emoticon

The trip was, to put it simple awesome, it involved me visiting five states and seeing spectacular scenery including Arches National Park and the Hoover Dam on top of the hard work that had to be done. I think the lecturers know that despite it being a course for working most students like it for the scenery and the chance to sample the States, which was for many a first, including myself. It was the first time that I've flown too, which was enjoyable despite the below par food.

For the first half of the trip we were in the Utah region exploring the Paradox Basin, though we did spend a night in Grand Junction, Colorado early on. When we landed we spent a night in Salt Lake City, before heading to Grand Junction, after which we stayed at Moab for four days. We then had a day's travelling from Moab to Beatty in Nevada via a flight from Salt Lake to Las Vegas for a two night stop before our final two nights in Boulder City, just north of Vegas.

All in all it was a decent trip with chances to go to the before-mentioned Hoover Dam and Arches National Park where I saw Delicate Arch, but alongside that there was Dead Horse Point, which I'm ensured is far more spectacular than the Grand Canyon as it's far more vast, Canyonlands National Park (The Needles to be more specific), Lake Mead and Death Valley, which really wasn't a highlight unfortunately due to the extreme heat. As I'm sure you all know that area is in a heatwave with temperatures reaching 55 Celsius roughly in Death Valley; before the trip I'd not experienced anything above 33 Celsius, now I know that's nothing at all after suffering that, it was so unbearable I can't describe how I was truly feeling other than that I was feeling weak and dizzy despite drinking 2 litres of water in an hour. The Colorado River featured at many localities too.

To top it off the people were a definite highlight. In Britain there is an unfortunate negative image of Americans held by many, I don't know why, the vast majority of those I met were exceptionally friendly and talkative, in the UK most people that use transport will scowl at you if you look like you'll start a conversation, the Americans I met were all willing to speak, I had a good conversation with a lady from Virginia as she was travelling to Salt Lake from Washington Dulles to see her daughter. It wasn't just her, every shopkeeper, waiter, waitress and general members of the public all were intrigued by us being geologists, and British and were all hoping that we enjoyed our stay. Many couldn't believe that we'd come all the way to the Western US from the UK, one Texan in Beatty (which by the way was the strangest place imaginable, it was one massive trailer park with a diner owned by a lady with not many teeth) was laughing as I said that I was off to Death Valley the next day and was like "oh man, that's going to be so different to what you're used to over in England. Take plenty of water!" There were funny moments including the slightly odd lady who lived in an outpost near Canyonlands who gave someone a super soaker to wet everyone and had an obsession with stroking people's hair, to a waitress in Grand Junction that went red in the face after saying the word !@#$ before saying that she meant shoot. Unfortunately she didn't realise that none of us Brits would have cared, then there was the guy in Boulder city who had a reclinable armchair that he was driving along a path with a beer keg connected to the back. I have not and I doubt that I'll ever see a sight like that over here.

The scariest moment was when we met the Ku Klux Klan in Moab. After being told that Moab isn't like any other town in Utah I wasn't expecting to see the most extreme right-wing group America has to offer. At first I thought they were gun wielding Republicans, they all had revolvers that they were glad to show us and they said that they loved Wyoming as it is the cowboy state and they can get their guns out pretty much anywhere, they all owned Harley Davidsons and spoke of their great love for the USA. Then the main speaker asked us, out of nowhere, "are you guys Klan?" We all said no tentatively, before he said "well, look at this," before showing us his KKK tattoo while his mates said that they're part of the Colorado division or something like that. It turns out that the speaker, who was drunk, was also banned from the Hell's Angels, he must be one bad guy! Fortunately, two girls of Asian origin weren't with us at the time, otherwise I'm sure they wouldn't have been so welcoming towards us. Though they did have a racist joke about me, saying that my freckles are evidence of me sinning against Jesus and if I don't change I'll turn into a "negro." It was an experience that lasted 30 minutes, eventually we broke free in a way that didn't piss them off, but I am thankful that we didn't bump into them again afterwards.

So, all in all it was a great trip and I can now say that I've been to Utah, Nevada, Colorado, California and Arizona.

Last edited by Li0nh3eart, Jul/5/2013, 14:47
Jul/5/2013, 14:29 Link to this post Send PM to Li0nh3eart
 
Morwen Oronor Profile
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Chief of Staff

Registered: 01-2008
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Well done Leo! Isn't that amazing. I'm so pleased you were able to have the trip and that it was so positive for you.
Jul/5/2013, 15:29 Link to this post Send PM to Morwen Oronor
 
Kaunisto Profile
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The Big Boss

Registered: 01-2008
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Re: America and a busy Summer


That's quite a trip.

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Jul/5/2013, 15:54 Link to this post Send PM to Kaunisto
 
Li0nh3eart Profile
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Registered: 01-2008
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Thanks guys, it was a pleasure to experience it, I have some photos of it, if you wish I'll put them up here, but I probably won't have time until I get back from the Lakes again, so it won't be until late July at the earliest. emoticon
Jul/5/2013, 15:57 Link to this post Send PM to Li0nh3eart
 
Justbec Profile
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Registered: 06-2006
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Wow well done Leo! That sounds like an awesome trip. :)

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Paradise Lost, we're moving to Facebook!

Jul/5/2013, 18:55 Link to this post Send PM to Justbec
 
sokolkeep Profile
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Registered: 09-2007
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Re: America and a busy Summer


Well I'm sorry you had to deal with the KKK while you were here Leo. That surely isn't the normal folk you'd be normally dealing with. Surely not from us east coast folks. Well here's some sweet Ramones song about that. Sorry I couldn't help it.



---
lux
shestni
samosud
Jul/11/2013, 1:57 Link to this post Send PM to sokolkeep
 
Barbara12 Profile
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Registered: 05-2006
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Re:


You certainly met some of more "colorful" people Leo. Glad to hear you did enjoy yourself.
Jul/11/2013, 16:21 Link to this post Send PM to Barbara12
 


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