Day 23

2004_0424Image0001.JPG Elk Mountain as seen from Medicine Bow 2004_0424Image0002.JPG pronghorn antelope 2004_0424Image0004.JPG 2004_0424Image0009.JPG moving around Elk Mountain 2004_0424Image0013.JPG Elk Mountain from the East 2004_0424Image0015.JPG The refinery in Sinclair

Day 23 - 4/24/04
Medicine Bow, WY to Rawlins, WY
59 miles

A grueling day with lots of hills and the wind in my face most of the way.   Saw bunches of the pronghorn antelope, managed to get a few pictures of them.

There seem to be a lot of conspiracy theory buffs up here, and the HAARP program has come up three times after I tell people I'm going to be working at the GI in Alaska:  The guy at the Pizza Hut in Eads, CO; the bartender, Riley, at the Virginian Hotel last night; and a guy here at the Key Motel in Rawlins, WY.  The main conspiracy claim seems to be that it will be used to control the weather.  HAARP stands for High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program.  Currently the program as I understand it, (see www.haarp.alaska.edu) is pure research: stimulating a small portion of the ionosphere and then studying the reaction.  I think one of the end goals is to use the stimulated ionosphere as a long-wavelength radio transmitter (ELF or extremely low-frequency waves).  The program is completely unclassified and their web site answers a lot of the questions I've been getting.  It is an unusual program, though, so I can see how rumours developed about it.

I've met a few people who have worked up in Alaska, and they've given a lot of encouragement.  The manager (owner?) of the hotel here is a pretty interesting guy.  He's got two sons working in Brazil; he has a Ham licencse and uses a Ham radio to communicate with them.

The hills should increase as I move towards Yellowstone, but hopefully the wind will start to die down.