Musings of a
Mediocre Scientist
Dr. Chris Pierce, glacier research scientist and mountain guide, looks for the ordinary in places that insist on being extraordinary.
Kimchi, Ice, and International Science
Back in 2019, I abandoned a moderately successful but financially viable career in project management and consulting to pursue a passion project in snow science at Montana State University. Fueled by an interest in mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and an enduring suspicion that corporate America was not my calling, I managed to finish a PhD and found myself eating kimchi on a Korean icebreaker in the middle of the Southern Ocean – twice.
Structured Wandering: On the Clock, Off the Grid
When I’m not busy crunching numbers or collecting data from the frozen ends of the earth, I work as an outdoor guide in the mountains near my home in southwestern Montana. We spend our days skiing snow-covered peaks and wandering through the world’s first national park, generally trying to avoid unpleasant surprises from the local bears. Whether on two planks or on foot, I like to believe most people become slightly better humans when they’re reminded how small they are in this very large world.
Hello, I’m Chris
I study the seedy, dark underbelly of Arctic and Antarctic ice. I’ve spent several field seasons managing logistics, helicopters, instruments, and the occasional questionable plan. I also occasionally publish science, wrangle data, and pretend I understand complex equations. Along the way I’ve worked in everything from technical leadership to Search and Rescue and backcountry guiding. Despite all that, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.