Dustin Tsai

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"The Volcano Nobody Knows About" by Prof. Dustin Tsai, PhD (Geography) Before the pandemic, my partner and I had a long-awaited backpacking trip to Patagonia lined up. We had bought all the gear for braving the southern Chilean wilderness -- until everything came to a screeching halt. I teach physical geography and had never fully explored all the fascinating local geological features I teach my students about each semester. I have traveled all over the world but had never really ventured so far as beyond the Sierras here in the valley. So, we got in our car and drove. Drove far away from all the cities and people and did our social distancing deep in the Redwoods and up in the forests. Among our discoveries was a cinder cone volcano one can climb into only four hours north of Stockton (pictured here) where we found ourselves completely alone. These quarantine retreats have taught me to appreciate just how beautiful California is -- with waterfalls, volcanoes, and alpine forests right at our doorstep. If there ever was a silver lining, it's the perspective I gained in feeling so lucky to be “stuck” in this beautiful state and all its natural wonders. PHOTO COURTESY DUSTIN TSAI
“The Volcano Nobody Knows About” by Prof. Dustin Tsai, PhD (Geography) Before the pandemic, my partner and I had a long-awaited backpacking trip to Patagonia lined up. We had bought all the gear for braving the southern Chilean wilderness — until everything came to a screeching halt. I teach physical geography and had never fully explored all the fascinating local geological features I teach my students about each semester. I have traveled all over the world but had never really ventured so far as beyond the Sierras here in the valley. So, we got in our car and drove. Drove far away from all the cities and people and did our social distancing deep in the Redwoods and up in the forests. Among our discoveries was a cinder cone volcano one can climb into only four hours north of Stockton (pictured here) where we found ourselves completely alone. These quarantine retreats have taught me to appreciate just how beautiful California is — with waterfalls, volcanoes, and alpine forests right at our doorstep. If there ever was a silver lining, it’s the perspective I gained in feeling so lucky to be “stuck” in this beautiful state and all its natural wonders. PHOTO COURTESY DUSTIN TSAI