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Field Photos

The real dirt

The illustrations tell the story. These photos are the evidence: boulder-choked channels, sculpted bedrock, streamside notebooks, and the beach days that come after a long field season.

Portrait of Abigail Axness smiling, with long green-tinted hair
Abigail AxnessGeologist behind the lens

The pack

Field partners, in order of appearance

Every one of them put in real field time long before Dante ever applied for the job.

  1. Lead Scout and Boulder Assessment

    Jessie

    Breed
    Blue heeler
    Specialty
    Summiting boulders before the geologist got there
    Known for
    Always ten-plus steps ahead
    Signature move
    Waiting at the top, wondering what took you so long

    Retired with full field honors

  2. Chief Strategist and Service Dog

    Marsala “Wolverine”

    Breed
    Lancashire heeler
    Specialty
    Outsmarting everyone, the geologist included
    Known for
    Small dog, big brain, fierce nickname
    Signature move
    Figuring out the plan before you did

    Retired with full field honors

  3. Head of Site Security

    Guinness

    Breed
    German shepherd
    Specialty
    Perimeter checks, around the clock
    Known for
    Always on guard, somehow always in trouble
    Signature move
    Guarding camp while plotting the next caper

    Retired with full field honors

  4. Quality Control and Treat Inspector

    Moya

    Breed
    Orange husky
    Specialty
    Reviewing every offer before approval
    Known for
    Opinions, and plenty of them
    Signature move
    Asking first, then politely declining

    Retired with full field honors

  5. Senior Gravel Bar Inspector

    Dante

    Breed
    Professional goofball
    Specialty
    Silliness at every outcrop
    Known for
    Applying for the job and getting it
    Signature move
    Turning field days into play dates

    Currently on duty

Forever field partners. Thank you for every trail, every outcrop, and every snack you supervised.

White bedrock, clear water, and the mountains that feed it
Getting up close and personal with a channel boulder
Standing on the river’s sculpture work
Boulder-choked channel, human for scale
Jessie · Lead ScoutThe original trailblazer. She scaled boulders like they were stairs and was always ten steps ahead of me.
Marsala “Wolverine” · Chief StrategistSmall dog, big brain. The smartest one in the crew, and the service dog who kept me grounded on every trail, outcrop, and long field day.
Guinness · Head of Site SecurityHead of security. Always on guard, and somehow always in the middle of the mischief. Pack on, ready for fieldwork.
Moya · Treat InspectorMy field partner in crime. Opinionated to the core. She would ask first, then decide whether your treat was worth accepting.
Moya and Guinness · Off dutySnack break with the pack, way above the valley
Granite in the foreground, glacial handiwork in the background
The streamside office: field notes in progress
Field kit, tropical edition (fungi not included)
Riffles, cobbles, and canopy
Post-fieldwork recharge
Where the river’s sediment ends up. Field verified.

More photos coming as the field seasons pile up. Sediment moved, lessons learned.