The Big Picture
The Arc of an Expedition
Are you curious about what's going to happen this summer? We wish we could give you a day-by-day breakdown of the plan, but unfortunately field work scheduling is subject to constant change because of weather, glacier conditions, and equipment. Instead, below are both a big picture and a detailed picture of more or less how we expect the season to go. We talk about the schedule in two ways: weekly and daily. On a weekly scale (“The Big Picture”), you see the shape of the summer a bit more. On a daily scale (“The Plan of the Day”), you get a better feel for how each day looks. Both “The Big Picture” and “The Plan of the Day” are always posted on whiteboards in a common space in camp. In addition, we go over the Plan of the Day together every morning at breakfast.
The Big Picture
Here is a rough idea of the happenings for each week on the Icefield. Remember that this schedule will inevitably change. Flexibility is a hugely important part of a field work mindset. If you’d like to learn more about the Academic arc of the summer, check out the Block Schedule page.
"Orientation Week". Orientation in Atlin, introductory lectures, bus/ferry to Juneau, hike up to Camp 17.
Week 1
"Safety Week". Orientation to camp living, learning to ski, learning crevasse rescue systems, learning to live, travel, and work on the Icefield. Glaciology fundamentals and some faculty-chosen extras.
Week 2
Field work at Camp 17, transition to Camp 10. Academics will focus on more intermediate glaciology / Arctic systems science topics.
Week 3
Field work out of Camp 10. Academics will continue to focus on intermediate glaciology / Arctic systems science topics.
Week 4
Field work out of Camp 10, transition to Camp 18. Academics will include more faculty-selected advanced topics.
Week 5
Field work out of Camp 18. Student research project data collection and preliminary data analysis. Academics will include more faculty-selected advanced topics.
Week 6
Field work out of Camp 18, transition towards Camp 26. Finishing student project presentations. Focus on field-based academics due to traverse time.
Week 7
Limited field work out of Camp 26, transition to Atlin. Academic review and reflections. Student lightning presentation in Atlin.
Week 8
There is tremendous variation for individuals within this schedule. Weather and glacier conditions play a huge part in what we get done. Teaching Faculty specialties and equipment availability will determine which research activities get done and when. The above schedule is what we start with, and we adjust along the way! Every week or two in camp the Operations Lead and Academic Lead will go over a more specific Big Picture with everyone in the field.
The Plan of the Day
On a daily scale, the Plan of the Day governs how everything fits together hour-to-hour. Every morning, during Morning Announcements while everyone is finishing their breakfast, the Camp Manager will go over the Plan of the Day. Here is an example of a Plan of the Day while field work is in full swing.
A day in camp:
0730 Wake Up
0800 Breakfast
0845 Morning Announcements
0900 Work Detail: Everyone helps with camp maintenance chores.
1030 Academic Exercises: Work with faculty in camp.
1130 Rotating Seminars: Small groups move through faculty seminars
1300 Lunch
1430 Field trip: hike above camp, discuss geomorphologic features.
1730 Return to camp
1900 Dinner
2000 Lecture
2100 Free Time
2300 Lights Out
A day on the glacier:
0730 Wake Up
0800 Breakfast
0845 Morning Announcements
0900 Work Detail: Everyone helps with camp maintenance chores, packs lunch, and gets ready for the day.
1030 Ski to field site
1130 Begin field work
1300 Lunch in the field
1600 Finish field work, ski back to camp
1730 Return to camp
1900 Dinner
2000 Lecture
2100 Free Time
2300 Lights Out
All in all, there are a lot of moving pieces in the JIRP expedition. We go to great lengths to keep everyone on the same page! This information complements the more narrative Field Camps and Block Schedule pages. The staff will explain how all of this works during orientation week, but in the meantime feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
A Note on Time Management and Mental Health
Students, staff, and faculty sacrifice a great deal to come to JIRP. To make everyone’s summer as productive as possible, we schedule every hour of the day from 7:30 am to 11:00 pm, seven days a week, for eight weeks straight. In addition, we schedule multiple activities for most of those times. It is physically impossible to do everything on the schedule, and not good for anyone’s mental health to try to go to even one activity during every hour. Your schedule at JIRP is partly what you make it, and learning to manage your own time is part of growing as a student. With a few exceptions, you are allowed to skip any given activity and to take a half day or a full day off when you feel like you need it.
