Changes in the Weather

The second day in the caldera and the goal is to hike to the 1931 explosion pit which is on the other side of the caldera. The caldera is six miles across. We gathered up our packs for the day and started hiking. We went up hill and down until we came to a long flat area void of all life. No plants or animals just volcanic ash and rock. Aniakchak is known for its constantly changing weather. As we were crossing the caldera the wind began to pick up.

We stopped and watched as the wind picked up layers of ash. The ash rose and swirled and moved across the caldera. It was a very wierd scene. It reminded me of a scene from the third Lord of th Rings movie where the ghost king and soldiers appeared out of the mist and rode into the kingdom.

We continued on and as we walked the wind blew harder and harder. Walking in it felt like you were one of those weather people trying to give you the latest hurricane information from the beachfront being attacked. It got to the point that the only way for me to gain progress in moving forward was to lean way into the wind. But evenutally I finally gave up and stopped. The wind however was trying to forse me backwards. Ash and rock flew at your face. The crew decided that it was no longer worth going out as it was too windy to film. So we turned around and headed back to camp.

As we walked back to camp the clouds began to pour over the rim of the caldera but unlike the cloudfalls of the days before these clouds did not disapate and the caldera began to fill with clouds that were blown across the caldera. It is a very strange feeling to be walking in the winds and the clouds. By the time we finally reached the camp the winds had died down and the clouds were lifting. The storm came upon very fast and left just as fast.