So I am out in the field yet again, this time to the frozen swamp that is Bethel. Bethel is the largest village in western Alaska, over 5,000 souls live here, but more importantly this is the major hub for all of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
I don't care for Bethel. It has almost nothing working in its favor as far as surveying work goes. Most of the town was surveyed by a person with very little in the way of professional ethics who was one of only 2 surveyors in the history of Alaska to have his stamp revoked. It is not at all uncommon to find one of his property corners dozens of feet from where it should be when you can find one of his corners at all.
Regardless, I am out here again with Ralph and the Pjonjar. The pjonjar is our gas powered jackhammer that we use to bust through the frozen roadbed and fill while searching for corners. This is one of the nastiest inventions ever. It belches oily exhaust while pounding away making a tremendous racket. Frost settles in very thickly in compacted fill though you have to use the pjon to get down through the fill.
Well, I'm running late getting out the door, so I'll drop a couple more pictures and write more later.
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