Season edit 2012 – 2013

Even though the season’s not quite done yet I figured I’d get a head start and make a video for the 12-13 winter. It was a good one that took me from my home at Mt. Baker to Japan, to the Coast Range of British Columbia and finally, North Cascades National Park.

Big thanks to John Trousdale for his DSLR footage and Rene Crawshaw for his followcam POV.

The song is “Sleaze Porch” by my band Metalmücil. That’s me on lead guitar and vocals. The whole album is available via digital download: links on facebook.com/metalmucil.

Field Report – Marianas 2012

Our summer Guam/CNMI field season was pretty successful and our team has created the first photo-ID catalogs for the region. 

Here’s the report – check it out!

PIFSC_2013_Marianas_Report-DR-13-001.pdf

Japanuary 2013

Instead of a long-winded megapost with all sorts of blah blah blah and pictures like I’ve done in the past, I figured for the third Japanuary I’d make a video.

I’m sure I’ll post some photos at some point but for now this will have to do.

https://vimeo.com/58350529

More information on white harbor porpoises

Ahh yes, as I sit here in Myoko fighting jetlag while watching giant snowflakes fall from the sky my thoughts drift back to… grad school and seabird surveys in the San Juans? Well, kind of, because I just got this paper from Arda Tonay and colleagues from Turkey. They compiled all the anomalously white harbor porpoise sightings across the planet, one of which (from August 2007) just happens to be the first record from the Pacific Ocean. It’s pretty cool to see my thesis and Keener et al. 2011 cited in this paper recently published in Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy.

tonay et al 2012.pdf

Metalmücil – “Go Home”

Well folks, here it is.  “Go Home” is the first album from Metalmücil, the loudest band in eastern Whatcom county!

Recorded over two days in April 2012 at Rogue Island Studios in Seattle and mixed/mastered by Eric Janko, this album represents my finest accomplishment to date.  Sure, there are a few little hiccups here and there but it represents the raw and rugged (and low-budget) sound that we were going for.  No Phil Spector overproduction, no indulgent string orchestration, just four guys (now three guys and one gal) with day jobs doing our best to be equal opportunity offenders. 

We’ll be playing a few shows in NW Washington from late Jan through mid-April, so don’t be afraid to check us out!  If you like what you hear or just want to support local music feel free to buy a song or 11. 

Metalmücil is:

guitar/vocals: Greg Bernier and Adam Ü

drums/vocals: Thomas Taylor

bass/vocals: Emily Hewitt (but Scott Peterson played on the album)

http://metalmucil.bandcamp.com/

PUFFIN!

On December 21st 2012, Metalmücil played a show at Graham’s in Glacier to end the world.  Here’s our arrangement of the Tom Bloxton classic “Puffin” – written about a pretty-yet-mean species of seabird. 

In case you missed it you can catch us again at the Cabin Tavern in Bellingham on New Years!

Any given weekend around Glacier, WA

Somehow I managed to miss all the crappy weather that everyone was whining about earlier this summer. I’ve been home for about four weeks since early July and it’s rained approximately 10 minutes during that time. I’m guessing that daytime temps for Glacier have averaged in the mid 70s and peaked in the low 90s since I’ve been home. It’s been a perfect time to weed-whack the yard, build a fire pit, go for exploratory hikes and bikes, and drink beer in the sun. I’m kind of sad that I have to leave for AK in just over a day because the weather is showing no signs of being anything less than awesome anytime soon. Here are a few photos from the last few days from some of the recreation near my home.

The Yellow Aster trailhead is about 20 minutes from my house. Keep going up the road and you hit Twin Lakes. Some people are happy with peace, love, and trees. Others rock with Flying V guitars and Marshall full-stacks.

It’s wildflower season in the alpine.

Mt. Shuksan is not quite as snowy as she is in the wintertime but she’s pretty nonetheless. The ski area is on the right of the frame.

Crossing the last bit of snow before the final steps to the summit of Yellow Aster Butte.

On the summit of Yellow Aster Butte w/ Baker in the background. This was the first time I’ve repeated the first hike I did when I moved to Bellingham in Sept. 99. I’m wearing a Fu Manchu shirt because technical hiking outerwear has nothing on a cotton T representing one of the greatest bands in the world.

My friend Mike turned 40 this weekend and brought a keg of Rainier to the bottom of the DH bike trails to celebrate. The locals came out, shuttled DH trails, and partied. Notice all four of the vehicles in this part of the lot are sporting Metalmücil “Go Home” stickers. 542 pride.

My friend Dean dragged me away from yardwork this afternoon to go for a quick hike up Heliotrope Ridge on Mt. Baker. 20 minutes from my house and one hour from the car and we’re at the Coleman glacier. Not bad.

And that’s about it for this weekend. Hikes, bikes, and summits = check. Yardwork = check. Epic ragers = check.