The heat and humidity of the summer has me wistfully longing on occasion for a relatively wind free and sunny December Antarctic day. We humans are never really quite happy, are we? “It’s too hot.” It’s too cold.” “It’s too windy.” “I wish there was a breeze.” You know the routine! Regardless, I do long for the continent and the magnificent, mesmerizing expanse that awaits anyone who has been blessed enough to experience it and just some of what she has to offer.
While I’m eternally grateful to have been given the opportunity to see real scientists and engineers working, troubleshooting and problem solving in one of the world’s most pristine yet extreme environments, my experience has left me with mixed feelings and struggling with this reflection.
Last summer while attending the Sixth...
What A Week!
Tonight's rainout of our tennis match allows me to share a bit about the wonderful experience I had last week up in Fairbanks, Alaska! As a 2009 PolarTREC alumni, I was invited to participate in their 2010 Orientation and ShareFair. (Yes!! They are grant funded for another four years!)
What a jam packed, fun-filled, inspiring time and hands down the best professional development that I've ever had the privilege of attending! If all professional developments were of this quality…OK…if MOST were of this caliber…well...the thought of what that would do to teachers across this country makes me almost delirious with excitement!
Lesley Urasky and I don the required headwear before going into the permafrost tunnel outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Because I...
Meet Bernie the Ungulate
We spent the better part of almost two hours at The Large Animal Research Station In Fairbanks, Alaska to observe and learn about some Arctic ungulates. You're probably wondering what I'm doing in Fairbanks, Alaska touching ungulates, huh? Well, PolarTREC brought me up here to meet and share my PolarTREC experience--and infinite wisdom--with the 2010 TREC'ers. I'm an OAE don't ya know!
But, if you're wondering if I'll tell you what an ungulate is, I'm not.
See if you can figure out which Arctic ungulate is show in the video on the right.
Now…what is an ungulate??
Hey everyone...this is just to let you know that I'm home...exhausted but home. And, because I had confirmed reservations, I had no problems with flights on the east coast...except our flight from Philly was delayed because we didn't have a flight crew...and then it took them over 45 minutes to find the co-pilot.(I'm not sure how you "lose" a pilot for that long, but...)
Many on both my Charlotte flight and Philly flight had been stuck in the airport since Friday. Even US Air flight crews had been stuck and likewise had no clue as to what was happening. Apparently, US Air's employee care is about as good as their customer care--non-existent as you can't get a hold of anyone when you need to. So all in all, I'm pretty fortunate to even be home.
As I stated earlier, I will continue to...
I happened to look at the date yesterday and realized that we are half way through December and on the cusp of a new year. And, we are officially done here. I was able to snag a hike up Observation Hill and then a tour of Discovery Hut Sunday afternoon.
After a steep climb...finally the cross which was constructed as a memorial to Scott and his men. They perished during the ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the Pole.
"To strive, to seek, so find and not to yield." These are the words etched upon this cross. Whose words are they, and why do you think these words were chosen?
Me being a tourist outside of Discovery Hut.
This shot was taken after our huge snow storm a month ago...look at the difference! Same view...different month!
Discovery Hut was built from pre-fabricated...
Last spring, I began having my seniors and science students make dream flags that I intended on bringing with me to fly down here in Antarctica. This year's science students did the same. (My good friend Marie donated her time to hem each flag. Thanks Marie!)
Each thought carefully, and a couple chose to do prayer flags. The dreams were varied, but here are they are: own a vet clinic, own a restaurant, go to Ireland, to love, laugh, dance, sing, act, design, to graduate high school and go on to college, become a massage therapist...a tattoo artist, an anime voice actor, to play for the Giants (I guess that's better than playing for the Bills...sorry, I'm a Dolphins fan!), to get married and have pets and children, to have a cleaner, safer world for her family....a reminder that even...
As I stated in my last journal entry, Friday was SCINI’s last dive of the season and took place near the sea ice edge. We actually had to travel further along the edge as the pack ice had moved in at our original destination, and the plan was to be able to put SCINI in off of the sea ice edge to look for krill and to see if we could see bottom.
There was no pack ice even in sight 12 hours ago, and now it stretches as far as the eye can see.
Matt and Paul return from the sea ice edge after checking both the currents and the ice thickness.
If you’ve read journal accounts of the early explorers, you know how pack ice was the bane of their existence...well, one of many anyways. They would have nothing but open ice as far as the eye could see, and in just a matter of a few short hours,...
This will be short as my day started at 5:30 am before heading to the sea ice edge around 8:30 am. We finally arrived back at the lab after 9 pm, and it's almost 10 pm now....and I still have to eat dinner!! I'm hungry!!!
But, it finally happened!!! PENGUINS!!!!! Up close and personal!!! Here's just a taste.
Two emperor penguins check us out as we drive by.
A little penguin party on the pack ice
This adelie is headed my way!!!
This emperor stayed nearby all day just hanging with us.
Stay tuned for more about this day, but know that while I was ecstatic about having penguins around, I was likewise sad as it was SCINI's last dive of the season.
Just be patient as tomorrow we start cleaning and packing everything, so I'll be BUSY!!!!
This week will be a crazy, long week filled with what I affectionately call the "cram and jam." Today the divers will be diving out at Turtle Rock, just south of Cape Evans...as the skua flies anyways. Tuesday we're back out to Bratina to put SCINI down the seal hole we found weeks ago and to do a little specimen collection-more about that later! Wednesday is a diving day at Little Razorback, just north of Turtle Rock. Thursday will be spent at Granite Harbor, and because it's so far away, we'll be helo'ed out to the continent. And lastly, Friday, our last day of field work, finds us out at Cape Royds!! Cape Royds is a huge penguin colony that is just bustling with activity. And, if all goes well, we'll deploy SCINI right off the sea ice edge. We were fortunate enough to behold the sea...
I came back from the Cinder Cones at noon today via snowmobile so that I could try to get unburied with my online journaling. Yes...I'm sure you're still waiting with baited breath to hear all about our time in the field. But, I still ask that you be patient. We're still doing day long-very long-day work with SCINI at a variety of locations around McMurdo. Just to give you an idea of how long the days are, here's my day so far. I was up before 5 am to do laundry and to get caught up on school stuff and answer questions posted on my PolarTREC website and to get caught up on e-mails as well.
I hit breakfast around 6:55 am which is late for me as I'm usually in the lab by that time. I wolfed down a quick breakfast and was at the lab by 7:15 am. We're required to be here by 7:30 am, but I'm...
I've had many questions posed about seeing seals and penguins, and disappointingly, I've not yet seen penguins up close. But, I did get to see a couple of seals yesterday out at the dive hole near Cape Evans Wall. The dive hut had been removed on Friday as the ice cracks in the area are continuing to thin in anticipation of the arrival of open water. So, with our "apple" in tow, and dive gear, ECW and survival bags stuffed among us, we headed out to Cape Evans.
When we arrived, we spotted a rather large seal on the ice near the hole, but the surprise was yet to come. Even with only two days exposure to the air, the dive hole was quite thick with slush and ice...when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a nose attached to a very young seal! (I LOVE the shape of the nostrils. What...
I didn't think we'd ever get her out of there!
Because I've had SOOOOOO many questions about Thanksgiving, I'm going to jump ahead to this rather than finish journaling about our time in the field....for now anyways. (As an aside, if you haven't signed up for next Tuesday's webinar, it's not too late. It's scheduled for 2 pm EST and a large part will be devoted to our time out at Becker Point.)We were actually working on the McMurdo Ice Shelf on Thanksgiving Day, but it was our last day of work in the field before our Friday morning helo pick up.
So, while Stacy prepared a kickin' salmon meal that night, we celebrated Thanksgiving in traditional style on Saturday with all of McMurdo. Isabelle and Francois decided to go for a pre-meal dive, so I headed out to the Jetty with them to...
If you don't mind, I'm going to split these next few journal entries up into categories, so be patient with me-so much to share and a time crunch to boot as I also get ready for our next webinar to be held on Dec. 8th at 2 pm EST. Be sure to sign up and join us live!!! (David and Bob will be joining us this time, so I'm pretty excited about that!)Yesterday we returned from our 10 day all-inclusive, weight loss spa "vacation" in the field. If you were able to check out my audio entries then you know that we were inserted via helo on Becker Point, Antarctica on Wednesday, November 18th and then proceeded to work out on the McMurdo Ice Shelf near the Koattletz Glacier...."near" in Antarctic terms anyways. I must admit that I love being helo'd to "work", so I can...
Our helo flight has been delayed, so I took the time to make a short movie for you. I watched Observation Hill split a cloud this morning against a beautiful blue backdrop. What follows is video footage and photos. The closing photo is one of Vince's Cross taken over Hut Point on Monday while heading back from Bratina. Enjoy! More to follow from the field!
Monday was a VERY long day and found us out at Bratina Island area for almost 12 hours. I had my doubts upon leaving as it was very windy here at McMurdo and was concerned that we'd freeze to death out there! LOL!! OK...exaggerating, but I knew winds like we were having would make for a very cold, long day outside. But, I was thrilled to be going out in a helo and seeing the area from above and was more thrilled that it was relatively calm out there.
Our view form the helo
The area around Bratina was quite an odd landscape to say the least. I felt like I was on the moon without going to the moon. If I didn't know that we were on the sea ice-and didn't pay attention to the gorgeous surroundings-I'd swear that we were in a stone/dirt quarry back home with frozen ponds tucked between the...
While out at "Beaker Point", David helped me film a tour of our home away from home...away from home! Because I've had a bit of time in, I've split the tour into segments, intended for you to watch at your leisure. I hope you'll sit back with a good cup of hot chocolate and enjoy! Just a warning though, we get pretty cranky or pretty silly when very tired. This was a silly day, so be thankful!
Welcome to Camp Beaker
Food
Mini Homes
The...
Working out on the McMurdo Ice Shelf is just that—WORK!! All of our equipment had to be man hauled on sledges—a banana sled and a Siglin—to locations of over 2 miles from our camp…one way. And, while the Siglin can haul hundreds of pounds because it’s longer (well over 6 feet) and wider, it cannot go over steep ice hummocks very well as it is flexible, and the heavy weight folds it in the middle when you’re trying to pull it up steep ice. Because the banana sled is sturdier—made out of a fiberglass material—it can be man hauled up over the hummocks but needs someone behind it to make sure it has a bit of help up and over. Unfortunately, it is shorter and narrower, so we can’t fit as much in it. (But, I fit!! Stacy and David "hauled” me back to the helo drop site when we were out at...
I woke up at 4 am this morning to find out that we'd gone to Condition 2 sometime last evening. The winds created incredibly deep snow drifts all over the place, and I ended up in one outside of Crary Lab that put me in snow to almost mid thigh! Where are snow shoes when you need them??
Snow drifts are deeper than they appear...trust me!
Visibility was quite poor to say the least-under ¼ mile. That's why we're in Condition 2.
Observation Hill is partially obscured by the storm
I know there's a runway out there somewhere.
And, because we're being pounded by this massive and strong low pressure system, we are grounded today. No helo flights; although, I don't really see why not.
I don't understand why we can't fly today.
Condition Two means that we are not flying today.
Even Koru...
Today gave me a bit of a taste of the wicked winds that can blow down here. Fortunately, it was above zero and snowy so the wind chill was above zero. I must say that when we get sustained winds down here, those winds drive little ice crystals through the air that seem to slice into your eyes and skin. The volcanic dirt doesn't help either.
We are currently experiencing Condition Three weather conditions which means that our winds are less than 55 mph, wind chills are warmer than -75 F and visibility is greater than ¼ mile. Not sure how much we are above ¼ mile, but it can't be much! Condition Two is defined by one or more of the following conditions: 1) wind speeds between 55-63 mph, 2) wind chills of -75 F to -100 F (yes, those are below zero temps), 3) visibility of less than ¼ mile....
As always, Mt. Erebus watches over us. I truly am mesmerized by this volcano, and I don't think it's because it's the first one I've ever seen...could be, but I don't think so. Aspley Cherry-Garrard of the doomed Scott Expedition to the Pole described Erebus as follows in his book The Worst Journey in the World."I have seen Fiji, the most dainty and graceful of all mountains; and also Kinchinjunga: only Michael Angelo among men could have conceived such grandeur. But give me Erebus for a friend. Whoever made Erebus knew all the charm of the horizontal lines, and the lines of Erebus are for the most part nearer the horizontal than the vertical. And so he is the most restful mountain in the world, and I was glad when I knew that our hut would lie at his feet. And always there floated...
Monday found a small group of us out for Sea Ice Training. The purpose of the course was to teach us how to assess the thickness of the sea ice around Ross Island. If you remember, McMurdo is on an island and not actually on the continent of Antarctica. So, in order to head up along the coast or anywhere within "driving" distance, you'll find yourself on ice, and the ice can be upwards of over 3 feet thick--usually 2-3 meters--but not in every location. Sea ice thickness varies and therefore can create a hazard when traveling...as can napping Weddell seals.
A seal naps out on McMurdo Sound...oln his back
We all piled into a Hagglund...I snagged a nap on the way back!
Abigail slathers on sunscreen before leaving Mactown
We actually crossed over from the multiyear ice to the...
A sculpture left by a previous group--too much time on their hands or trying to stay warm?? What say you??
Welcome to Happy Camp!! This 2 day training was designed to provide us with the tools we would need to survive if stuck out away from McMurdo either because of rapidly changing weather conditions or because of some accident—God forbid. Bottom line…if we leave base, we must know how to survive in extreme weather conditions even though that NEVER happens here—yeah right!
I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous about this venture as it quickly became apparent that I had the least experience of anyone in our group of 20, but there’s no time like the present to learn. Our instructors, Brian and Paul, were wonderful and had some nice cooperative tag teaching going on. I found them to be...
