Off the grid

Week 4 of my REU project consisted of more DNA extractions and learning how to prep DNA for PCR. After a full week of using my body weight in plastic (it isn't easy being green when you're a microbiologist), I got to go on a weekend camping trip and become one with nature.

Here is a map of where we ventured over the course of the weekend:

Thursday after work, we drove east to Mary's Peak (the highest point in the Coastal Range). We hiked to the top, where on a clear day one can see as far west as the ocean and as far north as Mt. Rainier, Washington (it wasn't clear for us).

I don't know much geology, but I was able to identify this as sandstone :)

Friday morning, we started driving east, stopping at a few nature trails and waterfalls along the way.

Around lunchtime, we stopped at Iron Mountain and hiked to the top, stopping along the way to admire the wildflowers.

   Check out the succulents!

 These mountains are known as the three sisters.

We had a bite for lunch, then drove on to the Andrews Experimental Forest, where we set up camp. I helped make dinner (burgers and hot dogs), then waited around at the headquarters with some students that didn't want to do another hike.

Saturday morning, we packed up and continued driving east, moving to the drier area of eastern Oregon. We drove through lava fields, and stopped at a lookout.

Driving farther east into the desert, we stopped at a rock outcrop known to contain fossils. (I found one that looked like a mollusk.)

We drove farther, through the town of Sisters, OR, where a quilt festival was being held.

Finally, we were in the desert. After dinner, we stopped at the Painted Hills to watch the sunset.

 This is probably the worst road conditions I've endured in OR--still better than any road in WV.

Sunday morning, we packed up and drove to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, where we did a nature hike and stopped at the visitor's center.

 

It's very interesting to me to see the wide variety of ecosystems present in Oregon, from temperate rainforests to deserts. I'm hoping to see a lot more of the state during the rest of my stay here.