Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP)

Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) was organized in 1946 and continues today as a preeminent field research experience for Earth science students.

The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) was organized in 1946 and continues today as a preeminent field-research experience for students of earth system science.

We're excited to share that JIRP student presentations are this Sunday, August 9th at 4pm Pacific time. If you're in Atl...
08/08/2026

We're excited to share that JIRP student presentations are this Sunday, August 9th at 4pm Pacific time. If you're in Atlin, please join us at the old hospital (Glacier Institute)-- there will be snacks, drinks, and photos to enjoy together! If you're elsewhere, stay tuned for a link to the YouTube livestream. Hope to see you there!

We're excited to share that JIRP student research presentations are this Sunday, August 9th at 4pm Pacific time. If you'...
08/08/2026

We're excited to share that JIRP student research presentations are this Sunday, August 9th at 4pm Pacific time. If you're in Atlin, please join us at the old hospital (Glacier Institute). If you're elsewhere, stay tuned for a link to a YouTube livestream! We hope to see you there!

The JIRP Undergrad Course Block 1 has officially wrapped, with students and faculty completing the two-day traverse from...
07/11/2026

The JIRP Undergrad Course Block 1 has officially wrapped, with students and faculty completing the two-day traverse from Camp 17 to Camp 10. At Camp 17, the program's focus was primarily on safety training, which was often conducted in the rain, clouds, and even snow-- Camp 17 is famous for bad weather.

However, Block 1 was not entirely self-arrest and crevasse rescue practice: First-time and experienced skiers alike got plenty of time to ski laps on the Lemon Creek and Ptarmigan Glaciers, and the summer's first mass balance pit was dug on Lemon Creek Glacier. Block 1 faculty also led lectures and workshops in and outside of camp, including radar, writing, snow science, and the climate system. Stay tuned for updates from Block 2!

1. The summer's first mass balance pit, which ended up being 5.25 meters deep!
2. Radar-ing the Lemon Creek Glacier
3. Groups headed out for a "micro-traverse" to prepare for the big traverse to Camp 10
4. Ski practice on the Lemon Creek Glacier
5. Sunset laps on a rare sunny day
6. In-camp writing workshop
7. Variable weather coming over the ridgeline

Our undergrad course students, field staff, and Block 1 faculty hiked up to the Icefield last week! In six intrepid trai...
06/28/2026

Our undergrad course students, field staff, and Block 1 faculty hiked up to the Icefield last week! In six intrepid trail parties, they each spent a very long day ascending Blackerby Ridge to reach Camp 17. They've been spending their first few days on the Icefield between the Ptarmigan and Lemon Creek Glaciers, learning how to safely move through glaciated terrain. Everyone is getting plenty of experience with Juneau's incredible precipitation rates, too!

As I finish my takeover here at JIRP, I wanted to include a few more favorite photos that didn’t quite fit in with the o...
06/01/2026

As I finish my takeover here at JIRP, I wanted to include a few more favorite photos that didn’t quite fit in with the other categories posted. I also want to add a few last pieces of advice as the 2026 JIRP season starts.

Always approach the day with a good attitude. Sometimes JIRP can be hard and days can be stressful, but how you face the day really changes how you feel.

Appreciate every nice day you have up there. JIRP can be very wet and rainy at times, but that makes the sunny days that much better. Take advantage of them as they come, even if it’s just to relax around camp.

Make new friends and get to know the people you’re spending the summer with. Everyone is incredibly kind and they want to get to know you too. You’ll meet some of the most amazing people up there.

Say yes to as many adventures as you can. Go swimming in Atlin Lake or any other body of water even if it’s cold. Go in some ice caves. Go hike up a mountain or ski down one.

At the same time, don’t burn yourself out. If you need to take a break or a rest day in order to feel like yourself, do that.

Most importantly, learn as much as you can and HAVE FUN. JIRP is the most incredible experience and I’m sure you’ll have the time of your life.

Portable Liz, out

Photo 1: Skiing near Camp 18
Photo 2: Masha relaxing in the sun
Photo 3: Trail party close to Norris Cache
Photo 4: Camp 26
Photo 5: Wiwi in an ice cave
Photo 6: Swimming near Camp 26 (pic by Cam)
Photo 7: Group hangout on the Atlin dock
Photo 8: Kelby and Sarah’s fancy outfits
Photo 9: Dinner prep
Photo 10: Last night in Atlin

Not only does JIRP allow for the “typical” forms of art to seen and expressed, but two months isolated on the icefield a...
05/31/2026

Not only does JIRP allow for the “typical” forms of art to seen and expressed, but two months isolated on the icefield allows for creativity to grow and many other ways.

Without access to the internet and a completely judgement free zone, people tried new styles and were free to be themselves. There were countless icefield haircuts. Want to try out a bowl cut, bangs, or bob? How about new styles of facial hair or slitted eyebrows? This is the place to do it!

Even with our limited amount of clothes, we were still able to dress up and be fashionable, especially for our themed fancy dinner and JIRPstice. We got styled up in fun items that lived in camps, trash bags, duct tape, tin foil, and our ropes and carabiners. Pink zinc and glitter is also always a plus!

Food also became quite creative up there. With limited ingredients people did their best to make fun and delicious meals. We had bread, homemade pasta, and a few birthday cakes and cheesecakes.

At the end of each day, the camp assistant will give the run down of the day, and each activity or project that went out will also give a summary, and they are never boring! They came in the form of songs, poetry, comedy sketches, creative writing, finger puppets, and acting scenes. People work very hard to make them both educational and exciting!

Photo 1-2: Ingrid’s haircut
Photo 3-4: Space disco dinner outfits
Photo 5: Mass balance pit day summary
Photo 6: Kelby’s camp assistant presentation
Photo 7: Hazel playing guitar
Photo 8: Stine’s birthday pancakes
Photo 9: Fun dinner menu

Art on the icefield was quite common and comes in many forms. I was lucky to meet Hannah () during my summer and attend ...
05/29/2026

Art on the icefield was quite common and comes in many forms. I was lucky to meet Hannah () during my summer and attend a few workshops with her where she taught us some new forms of art and helped us learn more about the connection between art and science.

She led a landscape/nature sketch trip where we hiked a little bit above camp to a small rock outcrop and spent some time drawing the things we saw around us. Seeing the landscape in front of me and putting it down paper allowed me to connect with that area more. I was appreciating everything little part of it. I noticed more and more why the mountain and snow was carved as it was. I looked at each crack in the mountain and how it almost became one with the snow where water flowed from one to the next and how the environment carved the rock and ice.

Another workshop led by Hannah was with cyanotypes. We did this with fabric pieces that had a UV reactive chemical added to them. As the sun hits it it reacts and changes color. Any objects blocking the sun will create a shadow effect where the sunlight is unable to hit the chemicals. We were encouraged to use what we found around us and to let our creativity grow. I put a few plants and rocks over mine and sprinkled some snow across.

These two workshops were very helpful later when it came to our larger projects and presentations when we had to have a section that included art-science collaboration. My group made some illustrations to help visualize the process of glacial isostatic adjustment. Another group used cyanotypes and another way to measure the albedo of the ice. Having these disciplines connected makes for a better understanding of both.

Photo 1: Hannah as she sketches the landscape
Photo 2: All of the cyanotypes drying in the sun
Photo 3: Wiwi washing out her cyanotype
Photo 4: Close up of my finish cyanotype
Photo 5: Cyanotypes and photos from the energy balance project
Photo 6: Illustrations from the GIA project

Thanks for letting me take over your feed for the week! I’ve saved my best picture for last: a Polaroid taken by of me ...
05/17/2026

Thanks for letting me take over your feed for the week! I’ve saved my best picture for last: a Polaroid taken by of me gremlin-hunched over my pb&j tortilla wrap at the base of Shoehorn on the Taku. It’s astounding how good any combination of food tastes in the field

What I hope you take away from this is a more nuanced understanding of what disability can be. I don’t look disabled. In fact, I work really hard to mask my struggles from the outside world. You might see me doing crazy adventures outside. What you don’t see is the days I have to spend in bed afterwards recovering. Again, I’m not an inspiration. I’m just a regular person learning how to work within a world that is not designed for me to succeed. Rather than focusing on inspiration, we should instead focus on changing the world so that completing every day tasks does not necessitate Herculean effort from marginalized groups

All disabilities are unique and require individual consideration on whether or not JIRP is the right fit. Students must be cleared by the JIRP medical team before the field season. Please reach out to JIRP directly if you have any specific questions about medical concerns, they’re more than willing to have an open conversation!

A few cool things I’ll leave you with:
-Check out The North Face’s new universal line! Who here hasn’t struggled with the sleeping bag zipper getting stuck every 2 inches or trying to open a backpack with one hand occupied by snacks? Universal design and accessibility benefit everyone
-Watch para sports! A few of my personal favorites: paranordic and parabiathlon, sled hockey, wheelchair rugby, and paraclimbing which is making its Paralympic debut in LA28!
-Disability is not a bogeyman or a taboo topic. We’re human and we just want to be treated as such
-Seek out new perspectives online, educate yourself, and advocate for the spaces you’re in to become more accessible. A few excellent content creators to follow: (and the Right to Risk film premiering at this year’s Telluride film fest), and many many others!

JIRP as a disabled scientist taught me several very important lessons:Communication is key. You aren’t alone and you don...
05/16/2026

JIRP as a disabled scientist taught me several very important lessons:

Communication is key. You aren’t alone and you don’t have to face these things alone. You deserve the help that you need. Other people can’t help lessen your burden if they don’t know it exists.

Advocacy. I learned at JIRP how to say “this is what I need to succeed.” This included telling my team what my brain was doing, even if I didn’t have the full knowledge to properly explain it at the time, and requesting I set the pace. The disability community is the only marginalized group that anyone can join at any time. It takes a lot of work to break down the internal barriers to ask for help. Post-JIRP, I have learned to stop being so stubborn about asking for accommodations. Just because I can tough it out, doesn’t mean I don’t regret it the next day. It’s super easy to request a stool for your poster at AGU

Adaptation. We already use tools to make the traverse easier for us. Trekking poles are a mobility aid. I have found many creative ways to adapt my gear and surroundings to my benefit. It is not shameful to need extra tools (hello internalized ableism). The only thing that matters is that it makes life easier for you.

Self-awareness. I have become very in tune with the needs of my brain and body, and have learned how to communicate especially with my brain. While doing physical activities, the largest source of struggle is always my brain, and I have to keep it on a tight leash. This inner awareness of the workings of my own brain has been fascinating to experience. Rather than battling against my brain like I had to on JIRP, I now work with it while maintaining some firm boundaries. Also, Lizard Brain is very easy to bribe with Nerds Gummy Clusters.

If I could tell my prior self anything before going up on the icefield, it would be this: We all have unique strengths that we bring to the table. Find your niche, it definitely exists. And stop comparing yourself to others *readies spray bottle*

P1: giant moulin
P2-3: resilient icefield plants
P4: burn camp ride north
P5: adapting to keys locked inside our van
P6: cloud shadows over the Taku
P7: stop comparing yourself to others

I like to call this picture “moments before disaster”This picture was taken the morning of our traverse from C10 to C18....
05/16/2026

I like to call this picture “moments before disaster”

This picture was taken the morning of our traverse from C10 to C18. When I woke up that morning, Lenny the Lizard was already bouncing off the walls inside my head. Another fun fact I learned at JIRP is that meds like SSRIs start metabolizing much faster when you’re doing so much intense activity. I was starting each day at a much higher baseline anxiety than I was used to, which only compounded my fight with Lenny. I think you can see from my “smile” how I was really feeling lol

Part of my crash out on this traverse was a result of my own stubbornness. We were going at a pace that was unsustainable for me, and I gritted my teeth and tried to keep up because I was too stubborn to be the one slowing down the group. I learned my lesson after this traverse and insisted on being the one setting the pace for the group because I knew I would be the slowest person so any pace I set would be comfortable for everyone

Keeping up the unsustainable pace meant that my heart rate was really going up, and Lenny kept pressing the PANIC button. The large pit of anxiety in my chest swelled. The only words I could think of in my head were of a coach telling me when I left a team that I was “not cut out to be an athlete.” Some words, as the kids would say, live rent free in your head, even 8 years later

The main thing I learned during this traverse was how important communication and self advocacy are. The only reason I made it was because my team was there for me every step of the way, and my team only knew that I needed their help because I asked for it. And one of the reasons my anxiety reached a critical state in the first place was because I did not communicate that the pace was unsustainable for me

One of my most distinct memories from that traverse was when we reached C18. As I sat exhausted on the floor, and came running in and hugged me, celebrating with me over how hard I fought to get through the traverse. I was the slowest person up there, and still was worthy of celebration. It shifted my perspective from comparing myself to everyone to appreciating just how hard I could fight

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