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Equipment Failure, Freezing Temps and Bitter Wind are Just Some of the Problems Alpine Researchers Face

Mark Williams Photo Credit: Joanna Nasar

INSTAAR scientist, professor and backcountry guru Mark Williams studies alpine environments.  Research in the alpine means collecting data in freezing temperatures, facing avalanche danger (for the record Williams has survived two), forgoing the comforts of a lab and adapting equipment to withstand the extremes.

“Most people when they ski five miles are like ‘Wheres the wine?  Wheres the cheese?’ But at that point you have just gotten to work, and you have to be comfortable doing that,” Williams said of research in difficult to reach high-elevation systems.

Over the years Williams has braved the conditions and pioneered new research techniques. “When I started people didn’t care about snow covered areas, but now we care for lots of different reasons,” he said.

Before becoming a scientist he owned and operated a backcountry ski lodge in Alaska and said, “I’ve had about every job, or most jobs you can to support yourself in the mountains.”

Williams rich life experience combined with his knowhow in the mountains has lead him to conduct interesting snow, nitrogen and water quality research in alpine environments.