The Peppermint Mine

good morning from custer national forest

while we were car camping, waking up in the morning reminded me of the month long geology field camp i took through the University of Arizona. This picture is taken looking northeast towards Black Pyramid Mountain. It was a pleasure to open up my tent to this in the morning.

sixth short story

2009-07-14T16:00:00.003-06:00

camping in the custer national forest

after finishing our drive over Beartooth Pass, we found a nice wide open 2-3 acres to camp in approximately 6 miles into the Custer National Forest. With Lost Picket Creek flowing into Rock Creek northeast of camp, the requirement for relaxing, natural white noise was met. A campsite that I would return to if I had the chance. The ride in was a little bumpy, but the mighty mighty crv and its fantastic clearance gave it just enough room to clear a couple emergent rocks.

Mineral Poaching in Brazil

2009-07-10T00:11:00.003-06:00

A dear friend, Mark Trees, whom I spent an amazing month of geosciences field camp in Utah and Nevada has run into some legal issues in Brazil.

via USAToday

Three U.S. graduate students arrested last month for suspected poaching and visa violations could be stranded in a remote corner of Brazil for months as their case goes through the courts, their lawyer says.

University of Arizona geoscientists Michael McGlue, 31, and Mark Trees, 48, and University of Minnesota-Duluth student Kelly Wendt, 26, were arrested by federal police June 16 while working on a climate change project with the University of the State of Sao Paulo. The Americans spent eight nights in jail before being released on bail June 26. Police confiscated their passports as well as computers, research equipment, cellphones and cash.

Roberto Lins, the men's Brazilian lawyer, says the students may not go before a judge for six months and could face up to five years in prison if convicted of illegally prospecting for minerals.

The researchers "had permission, but everything was very informal," Lins said. They did not have "written permission" to do research in the Pantanal region, one of the world's largest freshwater wetlands.

Foreign poachers have long stolen minerals, plants and wildlife from Brazil's Pantanal region, says Larry Birns of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. At a time of heightened nationalism, "trafficking commodities is a very sensitive matter," he said.

The men entered the country on tourist visas. Researchers are required to obtain scientific visas.

In a phone interview from their hotel room in Corumba, the remote southwest city where they are staying, the men said they were preparing their defense, which includes letters of support from Brazilian scientific groups. The University of Arizona is paying their expenses.

continued

you can help

a bike trip for the ages

2009-07-09T23:59:00.003-06:00

my friend, laura, has commenced her 500 to 800 mile bike (and now apparently bus) ride of the pacific coast highway. follow her journey as she heads south through oregon and into california. while they have already run into some tire issues, it seems as though it should be quite an experience.

Heartless

2009-07-07T22:20:00.002-06:00

I am interrupting my series of short stories from my trip to Yellowstone to put my 1 to 4 followers on notice about Melanie Fiona. Watch and listen as she teams up with musical genius Questlove from the Roots to cover Kanye West's "Heartless"

fifth short story

2009-07-01T12:55:00.003-06:00

Darwin's view of Beartooth Pass

Indeed, Laura's young Plott Hound made our trip that much cuter. Here she is looking over beartooth pass wondering where she can dig her next hole.

fourth short story/anecdote

2009-07-01T12:48:00.003-06:00

the real moose drool

Our second moose encounter took place in the beginning of our drive up Beartooth Pass. I figured it would be fitting for me to pay homage to some of Missoula's finest brew by posing with this lady moose.

third YNP short story/anecdote - moose

2009-07-01T00:46:00.003-06:00

mama moose

young moose

Towards the end of our eastward trek through the northern portion of YNP, we encountered a mama moose and her "mooslet" foraging through the brush. I have seen a female moose in passing in the Sleeping Child Creek drainage, but not this close and for this long. We kept our distance and close proximity to the vehicle as we snapped pictures, as an angry moose would not be the most enjoyable of experiences.

second YNP short story/anecdote - bears

2009-07-01T00:33:00.001-06:00

Continuing our drive across the northern portion of YNP from Gardiner, MT to Cooke City, MT, we came across a major "bear jam". So early in our trip, I certainly did not expect much - a coyote, pronghorn, bison, or mule deer. All exciting species to see, but, no bear. However, I was surprised to see the park ranger's corralling the masses into safe viewing areas. This means it can be only one of two things: bears or wolves. Indeed, we were greeted by a mama black bear and two of her cubs. My first bears since coming out to Montana (no need for any bear defense techniques).

yellowstone/beartooth pass short stories

2009-06-30T23:04:00.005-06:00

Welcome back, readers. This is the first in a series of pictures and accompanying short stories from my recent camping trip in Yellowstone NP, Beartooth Pass, and the Custer National Forest (near Red Lodge, MT). Each post will reflect

first short story/anecdote

After driving four hours from Missoula to the northwest entrance of YNP in Gardiner, MT, the first notable wildlife we encountered was this extremely healthy coyote. At first glance, this coyote appeared to be sizable enough to be confused with a wolf. But, based on it's location and relative proximity to the road, our excitement was quickly tempered a little bit. However, this is still a very large coyote. Nothing like the smaller, gaunt coyote I saw in Yellowstone this past winter.

national bison range

2009-06-09T10:29:00.002-06:00

ATTN: Fluvial Geomorphologists and River Runners

2009-06-09T10:01:00.002-06:00

To me, as a young river scientist, the LA River represents the most engineered, least natural, poorest functioning river system in the United States. There may be other fluvial degenerates which possess more devastating concentrations of pollutants, but the channelized, cement flume that is the Los Angeles River is the worst. Only a small stretch of the river flows over natural substrate, however, even this portion is hemmed in by concrete banks. There has been talk of "restoring" the LA River for ecologic health, water quality, and aesthetic reasons, however, with California's recent economic woes and the degree of work that would be required, the chances of any reasonable restoration occurring is slim to none. Anyways, enjoy Conan's scenic float of the LA River. It looks like a fantastic wilderness experience.

A Delicious Dish

2009-06-09T09:50:00.003-06:00

via BBC

Ah yes, an often overlooked delicious dish from Croatia - deep fried worms? I certainly do not remember this option on any of the menus during my familia's trip to the land of the croats.

As a side note, when watching the linked video, please turn the volume in the media player all the way up to...eleven. I would like to think that the BBC is taking a cue from Nigel.

musical reminders of my childhood

2009-06-03T11:37:00.003-06:00

Every once and a while I am reminded of specific albums/artists/songs from my childhood (many thanks to pater). While watching the "Freestyling with the Roots" segment of the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, I was brought back to the bouncing to the eclectic rhythms of Paul Simon's Graceland in the living room of my parents humble abode. (See the third song)

Dancing like Johnny Clegg and Savuka, father and son would release a torrent of energy out on the wood floor. Graceland, rich with lively horn sections, still forces this listener to move with songs like "You Can Call Me Al", "I Know What I Know", "The Boy in the Bubble", and "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes".

By the way, on last night's show, Paul Simon performed "Late in the Evening" with The Roots. Check it out.

flathead lake - view from beach at west shore state park

2009-06-02T12:13:00.000-06:00

practicing probable unsuccessful bear defense technique: take one

2009-06-02T00:06:00.005-06:00

- the hatchet throw. (take time to admire the lefty form)

As a transplanted Delaware native, I did not grow up with the potential for many an encounter with bear. so, in preparation for that day when I do encounter a bear, I have been honing my useless bear defense techniques (all of which do not include actual bear defense techniques like encounter prevention, bear spray, gun...etc). I give you the hatchet throw - useless bear defense technique number one.

camping at west shore state park - flathead lake

2009-05-31T23:43:00.004-06:00

while some of our camping plans fell through this weekend, in montana, outdoor opportunities abound. check out these pictures from my overnight trip to west shore state park on the flathead.

Glacier National Park

2009-05-27T16:43:00.005-06:00

Enjoy these pictures from my recent trip to Glacier National Park - including a 3 mile hike up to Avalanche Lake. Several pictures courtesy of Laura Verhaeghe. For more pictures from her travels, check out her website (currently under construction).

After a little bit of a break,

2009-03-04T20:43:00.003-07:00

the peppermint mine is back. In the past month, the demands of school and the apparent temporary failure of my hard drive have prevented a more regular posting schedule. Honestly, while my hard drive issues have apparently been resolved, the responsibility of school still calls. As such, I leave with this amusing video with Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Enjoy...

The Greatest Story Ever Told...

2009-02-01T09:55:00.003-07:00

When the Phillies won the World Series on October 29, 2008, I was approximately 2,000 miles west-northwest of the City of Brotherly Love. Celebrating remotely, I yearned to be back in the Delaware Valley with celebrating with friends and family of the same ilk. It was a glorious and beautiful day. A day I will remember for the rest of my life. However, nothing I could have done out here rivals what one lucky fan managed to do....

From ESPN

Life of Reilly
By Rick Reilly
ESPN The Magazine

Approximately 2.6 million Americans lost their jobs last year. One of them couldn't have been happier about it.

His name is Lionel Rodia, of suburban Philadelphia, and if they ever build a national Fan Hall of Fame, what he did in Game 5 of last year's World Series should get his face on the logo.

When Lionel's staffing company was sold and he was pink-slipped, it knocked him flatter than forgotten beer. And it's not easy to flatten Lionel, who is as pessimistic as a rainbow and twice as colorful. His real name is Mike, but they call him Lionel because, like the train, he can't be stopped.

So Lionel, 42, did what any true Philly fan would do: He started begging, borrowing and stealing his way into every Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers game he could. And nobody nudges better than Lionel. "I've never been to a Springsteen concert with him where he didn't say, 'Follow me,' and we didn't end up in the front row," says Lionel's best friend, Tom (Tush) Millison.

When the Phils played in the soggy World Series Game 5—up three games to one—Lionel sat along the leftfield foul pole in a seat he'd gotten for free. With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth, rain checks were issued for the rest of Game 5, to be played two nights later. That is when Lionel somehow sneaked into the swanky Diamond Club section behind the plate, where Tush has season tickets.

Ten minutes in, Tush is in his seat—five rows up, just off home plate—when his cell buzzes. It's Lionel. "Look to your right," Lionel says. And there he is, sitting TWO rows back, DEAD CENTER behind home plate, grinning like Phil Mickelson.

Now, the Phillies have just won, 4-3, when Lionel notices a 6'8" guy in a suit begin to walk down the aisle. Lionel figures the guy's important, so he slinks in behind him, through a gate and toward the Tampa dugout. Who's in there but Bud Selig, some suits and the World Series trophy, all of which are on the field a minute later for the presentation of hardware to Phillies boss David Montgomery. Which is weird, because the way Lionel is strutting around, you'd think he were the boss.

That's when a bat boy starts throwing championship T-shirts to everyone, including you-know-who. Now comes a Hawaiian woman handing out leis. And because Lionel has all kinds of time to read every word about his beloved Phils, he knows it's Shane Victorino's mom. He says, "Hey, Mrs. Victorino!" And she puts one around his neck and kisses him and cries some more.

Tush's cell rings again. It's Lionel. "Look on the mound." And there he is, arms raised in victory.

"Jesus H. Christ!" says Tush.

Lionel goes 5'8", 240, and he's got the same shirt and lei as the players, so he looks like a player, which is maybe why he's suddenly in the middle of every hug. And that's about when Chase Utley says to Jimmy Rollins: "Let's go celebrate!" And Lionel says exactly what you'd think he'd say, which is, "I'm with you guys!"

So now Lionel is in the madhouse clubhouse, where he sees tubs of champagne and beer. Naturally, he chugs a beer. He has become a human Bud Light commercial.

And it hits him. "The last time Philly won anything was in 1983, the Sixers over the Lakers," Lionel says. "And I watched Dr. J get the trophy in the locker room and thought, Wow, I'd like to be there."

Bucket list? Check.

Now Lionel starts going lotto-champagne crazy, squirting multimillionaire athletes up the nose, in the eyes and down the shorts. He pours an entire bottle over the head of slugger Ryan Howard. Matt Stairs gives him a head butt. He kisses pitcher Jamie Moyer on the cheek and yells, "Thank you for everything!" And Moyer yells, "No, thank you!"

Now Tush's cell rings again. But it's not Lionel. It's a buddy going, "I swear I just saw Lionel on TV celebrating in the clubhouse! But that can't be, can it?"

Oh yes. Yes, it can.

Finally, Lionel comes out with a bottle under his coat, and they all end up at their favorite canteen, Barnaby's, where Lionel pours out the bubbly and his story to anyone who will drink it in, which is everybody.

Greatest fan day ever.

"I'm just so glad it happened to Lionel," Tush says. "He's been through a really rough time with the job stuff. But this kind of eased the sting."

And now I see the Flyers playing well. And my only thought is: Wonder how Lionel will spend his day with the Cup?

Well done sir, well done.

Does God Have a Favorite Color?

2009-01-31T22:38:00.005-07:00

With the BIG game coming up tomorrow, the best football analysts have predictisized and bullshitaguessed about the ultimate result of the Super Bowl. Hogwarts....I mean hogwash, I say. As we should all know by now, the result of sporting events has nothing to do with physical ability, x's and o's, schemes, coaching, luck (I am looking at you Sh-Eli), and the like. Those things have no impact on the final score. Indeed like 43, the big G-O-D is the decider. Will Warner and the Cards of a reddish hue prove worthy in the eyes of the beholder or will the black and yellow team from the Steel City deserve his glory? Only time...and God with tell.

Yukon Enjoys...

2009-01-25T11:24:00.004-07:00

this comic strip from Moderately Confused

More Fighting at the Open

2009-01-23T10:43:00.004-07:00

From Deadspin

Bosnian and Serbian spectators attacked each other with lawn chairs after the third-round Australian Open match between Serbian Novak Djokovic and Bosnian-born Amer Delic. Police arrested two men and kicked 30 people off the grounds for fighting.

Apparently, these type of outbreaks have been commonplace at the Australian Open since 2007 and police even added to security measures this year in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the violence to a minimum.

The poor woman who took the chair to the face probably wishes they did more.

Who knew tennis would inspire such cultural tension?

Serbs and Croats Fighting

2009-01-22T18:03:00.004-07:00

...at the Australian Open. From Fanhouse via Deadspin

The tennis might have been pretty at the Australian Open Tuesday, but the action after play was over turned pretty ugly.

Croatian Marin Cilic defeated Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in four sets during round two, but the bigger story came when fans from both sides got so violent towards each other that cops had to be brought into Court Two and the brawl ended up spilling out into the Garden Square.

The two groups faced off, hurling chants and shouting abuse. The situation only was defused when police, who had been discreetly positioned around the arena, moved them on.

Punches later were thrown in a scuffle near a packed bar. Both groups, wearing national colors, then continued to march around Melbourne Park in large packs. A repeat of the out-of-control brawl in 2007 did not eventuate.

As scary as this one was, one player is worried it could get worse. Bosnian-born player Amer Delic is facing off against third-ranked Novak Djokovic and is pleading with his fans to just be chill and not bring all the political tension to the tennis arena.

"I'm just hoping in the next match with Novak that it doesn't turn in to World War III," he said. "I am going to try and tell my fans that we don't need to be embarrassing ourselves in the eyes of the world."

Sometimes, as an American, I forget how intense things can get when these nations meet in anything, be it tennis or cricket or just hanging out at a bar. While Steelers fans might hate the Ravens, it isn't like they're marching around with political chips on their shoulders, actually hating the people that support a squad from Baltimore.

This stuff appears to be too serious for the sports world, and we can only hope that they avoid making it bigger than the game itself.

As an aside, if you search deadspin for croatia, the first result leads you to this amusing story that details a British opera singer's amusing attempt to sing Croatia's national anthem, as well as the subtleties of the "old Croat style".

2009 - The Year of Change

2009-01-21T11:07:00.004-07:00

I, like many, spent yesterday glued to the TV watching the inauguration ceremonies from DC. I, like many, had trouble keeping my emotions in check. There were many profound moments throughout the festivities, including the impressive sweeping shots showing the overwhelming mass of humanity in attendance, the president as he walked alone prior to his introduction around 11:30 am EST, the traditional get-out and walk with the people down Pennsylvania Avenue in route to his new home, etc., etc. Save the actual physical act of swearing in, the moment that stood out the most for me, was Aretha's rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee." While her hat, by all accounts, was bow-arific and looked like a Christmas present had been perched upon her head, Aretha proved she still had her legendary vocals in the opening seconds of the song. Admittedly, certain sections of the song proved to be out of The Queen of Soul's range, but considering the venue, the timing, and the emotion of the occasion, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" never sounded more beautiful.

To put this performance over the top, one must take into account that Aretha sung the same song at Martin Luther King's funeral.

Crowning the College Football Champion Through the Transitive Property

2009-01-18T23:29:00.003-07:00

For those of you who lack the faith required to crown a national champion under the reign of the BCS, I offer you....math. I came across this interesting website that utilizes the transitive property (if a=b and b=c, then a=c) to crown 116 of the 120 NCAA Division I teams champions of 2009. For example, let us take the lowly Michigan Wolverines, who finished a pitiful 3-9 this past season. Michigan beat Minnesota - Minnesota beat Illinois - Illinois beat Iowa - Iowa beat South Carolina - South Carolina beat Mississippi - Mississippi beat Florida - Florida was the 2009 AP National Champion - so, by the transitive property, Michigan was the best Division 1-A school of 2009.

Enjoy.

Weekend Trip To Yellowstone

2009-01-12T22:01:00.007-07:00

I took a weekend trip with a couple of friends down to Yellowstone. While access to the park is limited to the northern road between Gardiner, MT and Cooke City, WY, there is still plenty to do in the nation's first national park. On Saturday, we braved the snowy conditions and completed the entire 110-mile loop on US-212. Beyond the physical beauty encountered in Yellowstone, we were able to see a wide variety of wildlife, including elk, bison, pronghorns, mule deer, big horn sheep, coyotes, and wolves. We stopped by Mammoth Hot Springs and went cross-country skiing. I must say, cross-country skiing was certainly an exhausting experience. However, I was surprised how easily I was able to pick up the skill. I think I have to credit my father's old NordicTrak. Here is a selection of our travels:

From The Peppermint Mine

Frolicking in the Snow

2009-01-06T22:07:00.002-07:00

Rattlesnake Creek - northeast of Missoula, MT

From The Peppermint Mine

Making Beats with Yukon

2009-01-05T22:44:00.005-07:00

Another snowy day in Missoula and as I suggested in my previous post, I have been considering uploading a "making a beat" video. Here it is...The Peppermint Mine theme song with verbal insertions by Yukon Cornelius.

The Peppermint Mine - Beat Making with Yukon from Ivan Orsic on Vimeo.

Exile on the MPC

2009-01-02T12:40:00.004-07:00

From time to time, I fool around with audio production. I have acquired a PadKontrol MIDI Controller for my continued musical amusement and I use a variety of programs to produce hip-hop instrumentals. Youtube and other video sites contain a slew of self-produced videos of people making digital music on a variety of set-ups. These videos often produce feelings of musical superiority, amazement, respect, inspiration, and jealousy. Recently, okayplayer posted a series of three videos from Exile, half of the hip-hop duo Blu & Exile (check out their solid album - Below the Heavens), playing some of his material from his new album Radio. The album is composed completely of material sampled from the L.A. radio waves. Here is a performance of Bounce on the MPC (via okayplayer.com)

Exile - Bounce from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

End note: If i get the hutzbah, I may post a similar video of my musical mashups in the future.

Reasons for the Peppermint Mine

2009-01-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

Me pater checked out the blog this morning and liked what he saw. Honestly, I think he was just pleased to see my "penmanship" back in the blogosphere, after my well chronicled struggles with Delawhere. But, he posed an interesting and important question...what's in the name and why the use of the quirky and rubicund (thank you thesaurus.com) prospector, Yukon Cornelius. As I mentioned before, I am originally from Wilmington, Delaware and I have moved my way out west, in search of natural beauty and elevation.

Factoid Break - the hike up to the M on Mount Sentinel is a mere 620 feet of elevation gain. Considered to be a recreational hike for many in Missoula, the M trail surpasses the total elevation change represented by the difference in Delaware's highest (the Ebright Azimuth - 447.85 feet above sea level) and lowest (sea level - 0 feet above...sea level) points.

My westward movement has coincided with my growing academic and personal interest in the geosciences. My academic research focuses on rivers and the movement of contaminated sediment in river systems. This growing interest in the outdoors and the processes that shape the landscape has contributed to, among other things, the growth of an amazingly patchy and poorly maintained beard. (Insert weak transition to the Christmas season here). This past month, the holiday season brought it's seasonal cheer, brisk winter weather, holiday music and classic movies. As a yute in the DE, there were many classic holiday movies in my family's rotation, including classics like A Christmas Story, White Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Black Adder's Christmas Carol, Mr. Bean's Christmas, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas Vacation, and Diner (a timeless Christmas movie in my dad's proverbial book). Missing from this rotation of holiday cinema is the original Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I am sure that I saw it a couple times during my childhood, but it never was an annual yuletide standard. Fast forward several years to Christmas 2008 in Missoula, my girlfriend put Rudolph on her Netflix queue. As we cozied up on the couch to watch the awkward teenage year's of Santa's guiding light, I was smacked in the face by the glory of Yukon Cornelius and his search for gold and silver. Impressed by his full, fiery beard and powerful voice, I latched onto Yukon Cornelius, the greatest prospector in the North.

The name is Yukon Cornelius, the greatest prospector in the North. This is my land and you know, it's rich with GOLD. Gold and Silver. Silver and Gold.

As a responsible geoscientist and amateur geographer, I found Yukon's introduction intriguing. Beyond the holiday warmth displayed by Mr. Cornelius in the remainder of the movie, at some level, Yukon's character represents the idea of ownership and subsequent exploitation of natural "resources" that has played such a significant role in the American West and has been a driving economic force in states like Montana (Side Note: good read - Wounding the West by David Stiller). In many ways, a lack of connection to the outdoors, a lack of understanding of nature's inter connectivity, and the idea that natural resources were created to be wholly exploited and taxed continues to plague our society. Combine these social elements with my graduate research addressing the downstream transport of formerly impounded sediment, contaminated with heavy metals from historic upstream mining activities, in the Clark Fork River following the removal of Milltown Dam. (See map below)

View Larger Map

As such, I felt like Yukon Cornelius and The Peppermint Mine was an appropriately sarcastic vehicle for my return to the blogosphere.

Microbrew Tour of Missoula from NewWest.com

2009-01-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

From NewWest.com

An enjoyable year-long journey across Montana visiting the state's many microbreweries. I have some work to do. I have shared just three of these Montana beer experiences: Big Sky, Kettlehouse, and Bayern. Each a positive one.

Snow in Missoula

2009-01-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

A little video from my time in Missoula just before Christmas '08.

Missoula in the Snow from Ivan Orsic on Vimeo.

Starting Fresh with Yukon Cornelius

2009-01-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

I have failed to maintain my first (and certainly most prolific) blog DeLaWho? DeLaWhat? DeLaWhere?. Created about 4 years ago for a communications class at Denison University, I have had troubles maintaining a constant blogging presence. In the search of new colors and blog title, I have decided to give blogging a fresh start. However, the content of this blog will not veer too sharply from the content of my former blog. Hence, Yukon Cornelius' The Peppermint Mine. I have continued my westward migration from Wilmington, Delaware out to Missoula, Montana. I am currently attending the University of Montana for graduate studies in the geosciences. There it is. The intro. Let the posting begin.