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Cameron Hummels

@chummels

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Computational Astrophysicist @ @caltechastro
Trail Runner, Mountaineer, & Lava Wrangler
Death Valley Crossing World Record 2022

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Hey team! So I ended up setting a new world record with the Death Valley Traverse trip I did last month, and it ended up getting written up in the LA Times! The article covers the lead up to this adventure and then has a sort of play by play of the hike itself culminating in a run to the finish and achieving my goal of setting the new fastest known time. The article used to be behind a paywall, but now you can read it for free (link in bio).

I’m still planning to assemble the various video clips I took out there into a short movie, but I haven’t had time. I’ve included a few clips here though.

Many thanks to all the wonderful people who made this crazy journey (and it’s failed attempt last year) possible: Coach @mr.jessev , PT @fitrightpt , advisors and friends laura_may_abracadabra , @jasonhardrath , @jde5g , adventurehiker , @trvrsoutdoors , and many others not on social media. Additionally, I very much appreciate our @nationalparkservice and specifically @deathvalleynps rangers for maintaining this pristine resource for all of us. Death Valley is an amazing place and I’m glad I got to experience it this way. Lastly, special thanks goes to @deathbecomesfur for writing a great article making my silly little project look epic and exciting! Thanks, team! taken in Death Valley National Park by @chummels

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5 years ago

I’ll take two buckets of fresh lava TO GO!

The lava coming out of the Fagradalsfjall volcano is primarily basalt, which is a dark black color when cool. But when it comes up from the interior of the earth, it’s glowing bright yellow, at about 1200C (2000F) degrees, and it flows sort of like honey. It’s nearly 25% the temperature of the surface of the Sun, so you need to be extremely careful when dealing with it. For this sampling, I was wearing welders gloves, safety goggles, heavy boots, and thick fabric covering every part of my body. Even so, you feel the heat like being right next to a bonfire, and I spent very little time in proximity to the lava, since I wanted to get out of there due to the heat and smoke.

Dropping lava directly into water rapidly cools it, but it still takes several minutes for the water to stop boiling and several more minutes until it is safe to touch. The resulting rock is both sharp and somewhat fragile. I inadvertently poked a hole in my jacket and got some cuts on my hands in casual handling of it.

Volcanologists use fresh samples of lava like these to figure out the details and dynamics of the eruption, what the chemical composition of the earth’s mantle is, and make predictions about the future of this volcano.

Lava is great and all, but airport security stopped me twice wanting to know why I had so many rocks in my carry on. Hahahah. While I am a scientist, I’m not a geologist so many thanks to Drs. @vermillionplanet , @mads.j.l , @aryaudry ,and @apollinarispatera for tips on igneous petrology and lava collection! You guys rock! by @chummels

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5 years ago

One of my videos of lava collection from the Fagradalsfjall Volcano in Iceland last month. When it comes out of the volcano, the lava is at about 1200 C degrees (2000 F), but it’s surface rapidly cools as it’s exposed to wind and water. Underneath the surface however, the lava continues to flow in “lava tubes” well insulated from the elements, and spreads outward over lava fields far from the volcano itself like this one in Meradalir Valley.

Even though I’ve covered myself in insulation and am wearing welding gloves, the heat can still be overwhelming at this proximity, so interactions with the lava need to be short. Here I collected a small amount of lava by dropping it into a bucket of water to rapidly cool it. Even so, the water still takes several minutes to stop boiling and several more until you can extract the fresh basalt chunks from the hot water. Lava is awesome! taken in Volcano In Iceland by @chummels

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5 years ago

I've been doing a bit of astronomy under dark skies lately! Last month I gave public talks on galaxies and black holes in Lassen Volcanic National Park and at Big Bear SkyFest. Both were a lot of fun, with great crowds and some beautiful nights for looking up!

This weekend I'm headed to Great Basin National Park to give a talk at their annual Astronomy Festival and spend a few more nights under the stars. taken in Lassen Volcanic National Park by @chummels

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22 days ago

There’s a new family in the neighborhood. by @chummels

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3 months ago

Interested in learning about the science of black holes? I'll be giving a free public lecture next Wednesday, March 18 at Ventura College on black holes. It will be followed by guided stargazing with telescopes. Free and open to all, so maybe I'll see you there! taken in Ventura College by @chummels

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7 months ago

Over the holidays, Kat and I spent some time in Patagonia, the southern region of Argentina and Chile comprising glaciers, rocky spires, rain forests, and fjords. Chilean Patagonia is mostly associated with Torres del Paine National Park, a beautiful unreal landscape of stone towers and lakes. We spent a few days visiting the park and exploring the sights, the range, the glaciers, and the famous towers.

The park focuses visitors on to a small number of trails that are pretty packed with people. There are two classic backpacking circuits, the "W" and the "O", which were a little too commercial for my tastes with campsites that cram everyone in like sardines. Instead, we chose to explore the route through a few extended trail runs, and covered the bulk of the "W" circuit in two days, which was more our style.

There were some really lovely views, but far too many people corralled on to a handful of trails, and very expensive to boot. For these reasons, I don't think we'll come back here, but we met some nice people and got to see an amazing corner of this Earth. I'll make a separate post on Argentinian Patagonia soon, which was more our style. taken in Torres Del Paine, Patagonia by @chummels

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7 months ago

Lenticular clouds form on the tops of mountains. This is what it looks like inside of one.

#cloud #lenticularclouds #cloudsofinstagram #volcánosorno #volcanosorno taken in Volcán Osorno by @chummels

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7 months ago

While attending an astrophysics conference in December, I got a chance to climb a local volcano. Volcan Osorno is a glaciated stratovolcano near the community of Puerto Varas in Southern Chile. It hasn't erupted in 150 years, although it was seen erupting in the distance by Charles Darwin on his expedition around South America. It's a super cool climb with beautiful views of its crevasses, seracs, and the surrounding landscape throughout. It even has a snow cave along the route, where you can shelter from the intense winds. taken in Volcán Osorno by @chummels

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8 months ago

Hello, friends! I'm going to be giving some public astronomy lectures at dark sky festivals in the next couple of months, and you all are invited! In two weeks, I'll be at the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival February 6-8, giving a public presentation on the formation of galaxies, doing some science demonstrations, and running some "Astronomy on Tap" events throughout the weekend. This festival is free after paying for entrance to the national park.

Then I'll be back for the Great Orion Dark Sky Festival in nearby Panamint Valley (just outside of Death Valley) on March 19-22, giving a lecture each night on different topics: black holes, galaxies, space exploration, and the formation of our solar system. While this festival costs money, it's smaller and more intimate and has bigger more powerful telescopes. I have a 30% discount code for friends and family (see below).

Both events are super fun with lots of activities. Each festival has great opportunities to learn about space and look through telescopes in some of the darkest skies in the country. Most people camp at these events, but it is possible to book lodging somewhat nearby if you're not into camping (but camping is half the fun!).

I've been helping organize these events for 5+ years, and I probably will continue, so there will likely be future opportunities to come join me. But I figured I'd put out the word this year. Maybe I'll see you out in the desert to talk about space!

Death Valley Dark Sky Festival (Feb 6-8):
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/darkskyfestival.htm

Great Orion Dark Sky Festival (Mar 19-22:
https://www.easternsierraobservatory.com/great-orion-dark-sky-festival
30% discount code: "starlove"

Photo credit: @the_real_uncle_moke_7 from last fall at Great Orion Dark Sky Festival taken in Death Valley National Park by @chummels

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8 months ago

Southern California got some winter storms last week, so Kat and I wanted to explore it a bit. This is up at 8500’ on the PCT with Mt Baldy in the background. Such glorious conditions! #pacificcresttrail #sangabrielmountains #angelesnationalforest taken in Angeles National Forest by @chummels

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10 months ago

Long Crossing of the Lofoten Islands, North Coastal Norway, August 2025. taken in Lofoten Islands, Norway by @chummels

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a year ago