Another great trip into the vast spread of exploration blocks 4 and 5. Found great exposures of oil shale and even did a cool field test of their viability over the camp stove :) We made an attempt at the summit of Baga Bogd Uul (under the guise of sampling for a fission track profile; only geologists could legitimize baggin' a peak as science:)) we gained ~5000 vertical feet but got cliffed-out merely 200' from the top, gerrr. Finished the last hour on the way down in the dark - yikes! This trip was unseasonably cold and we even got some fresh snow in the high-country; I suppose its not all that different than back in CO...
Back in UB a little earlier than expected, but we heard the call of duty to rally on the current operation block - seeing as it's paying the bills and all. Hopefully get a few more field sessions this season before the winter weather really sets in.
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| Drill trucks making holes for seismic explosives :)) |
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| Getting water for the day, Bogd Zuun style... |
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| Healing mineral water, magic spring style... |
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| Baga Bogd Uul approach. |
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The ascent, and a tired pooch sleepin sitting upright at about 3,400m elev.
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| Urango...the intern. |
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| Kurt sneakin through a passage in this weird moonscape of mudstone. |
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| Brando on the moonscape. |
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Zaya holding an example of why this has been called the
"Cannonball Sandstone" |
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| Apparently, this is also known as comfortable...in the dog world. |
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A game of bones, simulating a horse race (line on right); you advance
by rolling a horse rather than the goats, sheep and camel that I rolled (left). |
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Dashka doing a traditional milk tossing ritual. Interestingly, Mongolia has a
similar name as we do for the big dipper constellation; essentially big spoon.
Notice that a ladle is typically used for this milk toss; later in the trip we made
the connection, while staring at the beautiful night sky and meteor shower,
that the milky way is just a giant celestial milk offering :)) |
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The best way to find a route across the Gobi is not by GPS,
it's by asking those who live there. |
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The Session 3 Crew: Me, Tarro, Dashka, Odto, Moggi, Kurt, Zaya
(Urango Photo) |
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| Look at those oil shales :))) (Dark on the hillside) |
Burnin oil shale!!!
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The Gobi is dry, but the water table is shallow and often great for drinking.
A good find for a thirsty hound. |
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| Not a bad scene to wake up to the morning you're heading back to civilization. |
Each time I return to this part of the country I gain more understanding of one natural example of "less is more"; the scenery, logistical realities, great distances, people and climate all weave themselves into a tapestry that is only beginning to reveal itself.
Complex, colorful, delicate, balanced, resilient, timeless, and beautiful.
