Category: Lab Fun

Everyone! Today April 20, 2012 is national DNA day!

Read more about its history on Wikipedia.

See the cool activities held today to promote education.

Celebrate well (like, by making some themed jewelry or something)!

A group shot

Last weekend the Kopp Lab and friends took a snow-shoeing trip to the Sierras. We hiked around for seven hours, but still couldn’t locate our cabin. For fun I’m dishing out awards.

Most energetic

Winner David L.

For continuous trailbreaking all day long.

Runner up 🙂 Perot

Best prepared

Winner Artyom

For providing clutch assistance with knives and rope to help repair broken equipment. Also he carried fire-starting implements.

Runner up 😐 Perot

Most fun

Winner Janneke

For smiling and laughing the whole way up the mountain, down the mountain, back up the mountain, then back down the mountain.

Runner up 😕 Perot

Most patient

Winner Artyom

For driving both to and from the trailhead, and doling out encouragement to us slowpokes.

Runner up 🙁 Perot

Most stylish

Winner Gavin

No explanation needed.

Runner up 😥 Perot

We hope everyone will have the chance to come next year!

Castle Peak after the storm

An occasional low-adrenalin activity does not hurt.  This year we got together for a local seasonal food dinner and pumpkin-carving contest.

The Pumpkin Artists

Whitewater rafting on the mellow Class 3 South Fork American River feels great in the hot summer months.  Lots of quality splashing was accomplished.  A few people flew out of their boats on a couple of the rapids, but no casualties.

Before the first rapid - everyone still dry

Next time – how about Cherry Creek?  (Don’t do it until AFTER your paper is submitted!)

Good time was had by thirteen lab members and their friends on a three-day backpacking trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park last weekend. Cool weather, no mosquitoes yet, and a beautiful mountain lake completely to ourselves. Scrambling over Fantastic Lava Beds, climbing to the top of Cinder Cone, a short rappel down a snow slope – what’s not to like? Dave had to wrestle a bear (or so he claims) and Thad ought to be thoroughly sick of Power Bars, but everyone is back in one piece save for a few scrapes and bruises.

Here’s a quick reminder of an older lab trip to Freel Peak – at 10881 ft, the highest point in the Tahoe area.

Freel Peak summit

The ascent of Castle Peak from the west ridge was the centerpiece of this year’s snowshoe trip. The weather was windy but mostly fine.

Our annual snowshoeing trip in March 2011. The snow was 15 feet deep, but fortunately we remembered the showshoes this year!

Lab trip to the Vacaville ice ring.

As usual, the lab went to Salt Point State Park for the annual mushroom hunt. Several species of wild fungi were gathered and later consumed in a variety of gourmet dishes. The evening’s menu featured porcini soup, sauteed yellowfeet, hedgehog mushroom risotto, pasta with black trumpet sauce, and candy cap cookies.

We had great coastal weather on the lab hike to Tomales Point in the Point Reyes National Seashore.  Blewit mushroom picked along the way were delicious.

End of the road - no more land till Japan