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Much of INSTAAR’s research depends on scientists hauling gear through tough terrain to reach remote locations. And, sometimes the challenge isn’t just weather or altitude — its wildlife. At least, that was the case for Juliana Ruef, who had to improvise after a curious pika chewed through a critical instrument cable on Imogene Pass this summer.

Ruef’s field season—split between Alaska’s Juneau Icefield and Colorado’s San Juan Mountains—was made possible by the Sarah Crump Graduate Fellowship. Crump, a beloved INSTAAR alum, passed away in 2022 after a hard-fought battle with an aggressive form of cancer. Before she died, she designed a fellowship for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø graduate students studying earth or environmental science in high-latitude or high-altitude regions.Ìý

With the fellowship’s support, Ruef collected data that will provide insights into glacial evolution in Alaska and rock glacier dynamics in Colorado. As glaciers around the world undergo rapid change, her work expands our understanding of the processes driving those transformations.

Now back on campus, Ruef is diving into analysis during her first semester as a PhD student — and also somehow finding time to train for an ultramarathon. INSTAAR caught up with her to hear more about her summer field work.

What did the scholarship enable you to work on this summer?

ÌýI split my time between the Juneau Icefield in Alaska and the Imogene rock glacier in Ouray, Colorado. The fellowship gave me the chance to collect some really neat sets of field data. The rock glacier work provides a solid quantitative backbone for the research I started in my masters program, while the icefield experiments have opened up a whole new set of questions I’m eager to chase into my PhD.

Are there any early insights that you can share?

I came back with a ton of data from both projects. At Imogene, one major finding came from our GPS data, which showed the rock glacier creeping downhill at about a half-meter per-year.

In Alaska, I measured the balance of energy from the sun, air and snow at the glacier’s surface, drilled firn cores to study the chemical fingerprints of water molecules within and tracked subtle electrical signals in the snowpack. Once the data is processed, it should reveal not just how much melt is happening at the surface, but also how water moves and refreezes inside the snow and firn. If the signal is clear, we might even be able to link those chemical signatures to how the glacier is changing.

That’s a lot to tackle in one season of field work. Were there any snags?Ìý

Gosh, fieldwork is full of curveballs. Our drill broke while we were coring firn in Alaska, we had stretches of bad weather, and in Ouray a pika chewed straight through the wire to my radiometer (and almost to a GPS antenna cable too). We worked through it with a lot ofÌý improvisation, electrical tape, duck tape, titanium forks and plenty of teamwork. A lot of laughs too.

What was your proudest moment from last summer?Ìý

It wasn’t one single moment, it was the whole thing. I felt real ownership over these projects, which I’d spent a ton of time learning, prepping, and organizing for beforehand. Seeing everything come together in the field was amazing.

Looking back, I feel exceptionally lucky that I had so much support from the INSTAAR community. I got help from undergraduate field technicians, borrowed equipment from faculty members and leaned on others’ experience and advice to pull it all together.

What’s next?

Right now, I’m deep into processing this summer’s data. There are plenty of questions still left to chase, and I’m building a few fun models to help.

Outside of research, I’ve been spending time with friends and family. I’m also running a lot in preparation for a big race: the Dead Horse 50k in Moab, Utah.

More photos from the field

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If you have questions about this story, or would like to reach out to INSTAAR for further comment, you can contact Senior Communications Specialist Gabe Allen atÌýgabriel.allen@colorado.edu.

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