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To The Zen Garden

March 8, 2008 by Chris | 3 comments

Our first night at Bonney, Toby took Cliff and I on a hike up above camp to the ventifact field, locally known as the Zen Garden. I took this video on the way to the Zen Garden, a part of the ventifact field where the rocks sit on or are covered by a layer of volcanic outwash. This particular video does a good job of describing what it was like to be in my head for that moment, and for how I am feeling on this sojourn to Bonney–a better job than all my typing could ever do. (Note: for all of these videos the sound is very important—I encourage you to use headphones or at least have the volume up.)

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March 9, 2008 at 1:50 am

Christine Taylor

AMAZING! Is Antarctica the only place where these ventifacts exsist? Love the music too - very moving!

March 16, 2008 at 2:47 am

Thomas J

Man those things are crazy beautiful. The hairball wants to visit some time.

March 21, 2008 at 8:37 am

care

Wow kannen. This is all really beyond any words I can come up with. I guess they aren’t needed. Mission accomplished:) I do have to tell you, though, that lil’ seal from the previous video (the birthday video - helluva bday wish:)- is burned on my brain. How did he get all the way up there? Again, beyond words.

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A sun dog (scientific name PARHELION, plural parhelia, i.e. “beside the sun”) is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.

PEMMICAN, from Algonquian (Cree) pimikan, from pimikew “he makes grease,” from pimiy “grease, fat.” Lean meat, dried, pounded and mixed with congealed fat and formed into cakes. If kept dry it will keep for an indefinite time, and is thus particularly serviceable in arctic or other explorations. Also used figuratively for “extremely condensed thought or matter.”

Drift ice consists of sea ice that floats on the surface of the water in cold regions, as opposed to fast ice, which is attached (”fastened”) to a shore. Usually drift ice is carried along by winds and sea currents, hence its name, “drift ice.” When the drift ice is driven together into a large single mass, it is called PACK ICE.

PANCAKE (ICE)–discs of young ice, formed when waves jostle them against one another, rounding their edges.

To The Zen Garden

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