tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16349255200546427492024-02-20T08:02:47.575+13:00Emma Travels To... AntarcticaA Blog from the Dry Valleys, AntarcticaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-44625529105840172522013-11-20T04:08:00.001+13:002013-11-20T04:10:44.466+13:00Taylor Glacier and the trip into the UNKNOWN<br />
The next breakthrough mission the bot had was to sonar map and photograph the glacier face, aka front, of Taylor Glacier. Taylor Glacier comes crashing into Lake Bonney in its slow trudge out to sea. No one had ever explored what was under the glacier. There could be a whole other lobe of Lake Bonney under there, or (and we were secretly hoping for this) a Kraken! It was an exploration into the unknown!<br />
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This journey required a logistically complex procedure of lowering the bot down its main ice-hole and over to another ice-hole (amazingly well-melted and hand-crafted by Peter Doran). The movement of the robot from his usual hole over to and up through another hole closer to the face of the glacier was an amazing sight to watch. After the bot rose up out of his second hole, we re-ballasted with over 200lbs of weight. This means we added weights onto him so he could sink down into the salty water at 20m below the surface and get views of the depths of the contact with Taylor Glacier. He could not do this under the power of his own thrusters because the change in fresh water to salty water in the lake is hard to get through and he just doesn't have enough power to push down. This was a phenomenal day to be around for. It was extremely exciting... the unknown. We all basically held our breath as we watched the images come in. The area below the glacier is filled with a small v-shaped cave. The bottom of the lake and the glacier meet up 15-30m back behind the entrance to this cave. Endurance went up to the entrance and spent the whole day sending out beams of sonar to get a good idea of just how far back the cave goes. No Kraken or sea-monster or third lake…. bummer. It was a long day for everyone, but very very exciting as well!<br />
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Me in front of Taylor Glacier</div>
<br />Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-82008231980910053482009-12-02T18:46:00.011+13:002010-04-20T14:41:44.767+12:00End-of-Season Recap<div>Anyone still listening?<br /><br />So as we neared the end of our season, we only got busier and busier and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Internet</span> only got less and less reliable. This was not a good combination for me to get my blog out to all of you! So here is a the long-awaited conclusion to our field season. I will put it out in a few posts, hoping to get in some pictures as well. Then I'll take you along on my trip through New Zealand and back home! If everyone is still willing to listen that is.<br /><br /><br /><br />End-of-Season Science Review:<br /><br />I left off on our day off after a very busy week where camp filled to the brim with 16 people from 3 science groups.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">B(Bravo)-211 </span>ENDURANCE, my group had 7<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">B-426 </span>- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LTER</span>, represented with a solid 4<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">B-422</span> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Priscu's</span> group rounded out our Dry Valleys party with 5 of their own<br /><br />This week was stressful for all the scientists and students at camp. It also brought Lake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bonney</span> to a capacity it had not seen before. We all had to do a little adjusting in order to live together and work together in a crowded Antarctic field camp. For me this change meant 16 at dinner instead of 7 and additional tents to set-up in an already crowded Camp Facilities Zone (area allowed to be disturbed by tents) and Environmental people already pushing me to move my too-close-to-the-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">helo</span>-pad tent!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh088v85PYONw1_kNK1OFiSLRRz4u2_l-wXPdNumFHymXWZu0dUv0FZMHEWwytYYCo-gK5M4juRjui13IEK96EAiHi3i5V6Q15UH1BYVj5JBD3NVOQrmApzaN6nGxKRB9-bFpeMRthACDiv/s1600/PB200906.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 357px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh088v85PYONw1_kNK1OFiSLRRz4u2_l-wXPdNumFHymXWZu0dUv0FZMHEWwytYYCo-gK5M4juRjui13IEK96EAiHi3i5V6Q15UH1BYVj5JBD3NVOQrmApzaN6nGxKRB9-bFpeMRthACDiv/s320/PB200906.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462039760191882114" border="0" /></a> Extra people makes for extra garbage!<br />This is our three large cardboard boxes of trash and recycling, they stand a little over 4ft tall. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Strapped</span> on to the sides are empty propanes, full urine and gray water and empty fuel barrels.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpFGtTnMHYW8CiwoFvBP0HPsIKySd-QEHhBStBTFjzMXrD8UiJe4MgcW0O70v4ijN68HOOpxHFbGcX6WfP9jwrGkSWOIbiiYproQdtIvJjRrwQOudNzxOwvmte9vzAcQLVfaOofKi3R-u/s1600/PB200909.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 391px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpFGtTnMHYW8CiwoFvBP0HPsIKySd-QEHhBStBTFjzMXrD8UiJe4MgcW0O70v4ijN68HOOpxHFbGcX6WfP9jwrGkSWOIbiiYproQdtIvJjRrwQOudNzxOwvmte9vzAcQLVfaOofKi3R-u/s320/PB200909.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462039766792198226" border="0" /></a>WHITE BOXES!<br />This collection of white boxes represents all the stuff<br />from the three science groups being stored on our shore.<br />White boxes are the heavy plastice crates that<br />hold our gear and fly/swing under helicopters.<br />They have to weigh at least 300lbs to fly and are called 'swingloads'.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC_Nl59hCGGsbZ_ArilK2IaLEM6wK5Dh-2INHpkWBPz3GrByn0WnQEl9vkq9hkImkQt5WXSjQ-cDb7buFOK-ktv2GzBbM1UqQ3WVvy19wMlkizgA_482Su-YBs4GbaD3lhmP-xlKWiey6/s1600/PB210959.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPC_Nl59hCGGsbZ_ArilK2IaLEM6wK5Dh-2INHpkWBPz3GrByn0WnQEl9vkq9hkImkQt5WXSjQ-cDb7buFOK-ktv2GzBbM1UqQ3WVvy19wMlkizgA_482Su-YBs4GbaD3lhmP-xlKWiey6/s320/PB210959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462039776318096850" border="0" /></a>Crowded... and this isn't even everyone!<br />But here's a sample of all the people that made Antarctica rock and roll!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Keep it locked here for more adventures from my last month or so on the continent!<br /><br /><br /><br />Brrrr (at heart),<br /><br />Emma<br /></div></div><br /></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-29447333844875530872009-11-10T11:34:00.001+13:002010-04-20T14:58:31.890+12:00A sort-of sucssesful day... followed by a very sucssesful day offYesterday, Monday, was a busy day here at Lake Bonney, and all over the Dry Valleys. I had a full to-do list in the morning that included chipping out the bot hole, harnessing up to scoop out the ice, and then bringing helicopter load rigging back from the West Lobe to the East Lobe of the lake, so Maciek and Jim could use it to load all their gear, as they were leaving. :( So after I chipped out the hole, I harnessed myself up and started fishing out the chunks of ice. Shilpa gives us a designated time to get in the bot in the water, usually 11am, and it is my job to have the hole clear before then. Yesterday it was definitely rushed. I got done just in time, and up onto the floor and off my hook. But we were pushing the robot over before I even had time to take off my harness! The day before that, I was done two minutes early and just hung out for awhile over the hole, enjoying the view. When I am, on occasion, done early, I can hang in my harness, and it feels like Antarctic swing set!<br /><br />So after the robot got into position, I left the Endurance team to do what they do best!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG240Ia34cskdNqY0CBlaZWo1qtolWPCAwQ6q_kqbGD_EEgTmO8OlQmzlDHyaWbOzSYo_K7ojrShLgZdTfez8uIbqjtFk3AqeSfIuqmTeaLFQhXTdja9UFK2BhEP5R2e1lLSz0UtSoD6Dt/s1600-h/Antarctica7+156.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG240Ia34cskdNqY0CBlaZWo1qtolWPCAwQ6q_kqbGD_EEgTmO8OlQmzlDHyaWbOzSYo_K7ojrShLgZdTfez8uIbqjtFk3AqeSfIuqmTeaLFQhXTdja9UFK2BhEP5R2e1lLSz0UtSoD6Dt/s320/Antarctica7+156.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402334426984617298" border="0" /></a> Bart working on the Sonde, or science package, before the day of missions<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QEph2wVW9zMNNOwHXNwjhlrHUv8Ate86444VfuvqIPjuGWOUygMraUWYY3LEQSzeKNjuMVPkDobikHzmTbg1r591JOoIWA5cCRhKND7T39k5fafwZPhyphenhyphenoVOJ70-chLyI6bpoCGCK6G0y/s1600-h/Antarctica7+169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7QEph2wVW9zMNNOwHXNwjhlrHUv8Ate86444VfuvqIPjuGWOUygMraUWYY3LEQSzeKNjuMVPkDobikHzmTbg1r591JOoIWA5cCRhKND7T39k5fafwZPhyphenhyphenoVOJ70-chLyI6bpoCGCK6G0y/s320/Antarctica7+169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402342245319833122" border="0" /></a> Chris readying the bot<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkOhmHyCViK2hcbFTFiuKGdpPIre4qhKMU4oAXaQQuCG14MlATIf-9BW6_E3l2uzviXY5Bqxh9xGIiLE8Vs5NhPjYXuxu5D59sY4h8bbPMwuASGckAjGHmUXoJEUoQIQIlIq0VaTJHope/s1600-h/Antarctica7+134.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihkOhmHyCViK2hcbFTFiuKGdpPIre4qhKMU4oAXaQQuCG14MlATIf-9BW6_E3l2uzviXY5Bqxh9xGIiLE8Vs5NhPjYXuxu5D59sY4h8bbPMwuASGckAjGHmUXoJEUoQIQIlIq0VaTJHope/s320/Antarctica7+134.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402343748364202754" border="0" /></a> The bot being lowered into the water<br /><br /><br />Then I raced some rigging parts over to East Lobe for Maciek and Jim's loads. I arrived and realized just how much they had to bring with them over to their new work spot, Lake Fryxell. Maciek and Jim, although expert hole-melters for the Endurance team, or science event B(Bravo, in the radio alphabet)-211, are actually here in the Dry Valleys to collect lake data from multiple lakes for LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) under science event B-426.<br /><br />After the hectic, weather delayed, hole melting mess Lake Bonney had become over the past two weeks, it felt like an accomplishment to have the robot in the water on West Lobe and Maciek and Jim leaving to do their work at other lakes on the East Lobe. Lake Fryxell is about 15miles down Taylor Valley from Lake Bonney, which means they are East - closer to the sea and farther from Taylor Glacier.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pc-fTk_TP_jSTTqrdLM3RGYajYQUqd4uJkBm3H-DtEjxUhua7VTPZDmd9-SQnYIlPKKET3IH0JxoKliCXop71ZyrCMQilxmWPO2k02R7F1yHEVFTbLpu0DxkhgOPzHfKZdpDnAq1kmk1/s1600-h/Taylor_Valley.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 383px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pc-fTk_TP_jSTTqrdLM3RGYajYQUqd4uJkBm3H-DtEjxUhua7VTPZDmd9-SQnYIlPKKET3IH0JxoKliCXop71ZyrCMQilxmWPO2k02R7F1yHEVFTbLpu0DxkhgOPzHfKZdpDnAq1kmk1/s320/Taylor_Valley.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402330021236561234" border="0" /></a> Taylor Valley: from West to East the red labels read Blood Falls (on Taylor Glacier); Lake Bonney; Lake Hoare; Canada Glacier; and Lake Fryxell<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDhJpdSC-UwHNc8hJSiZSPH3QGo081-_F2FY66Enp3zljIVHMCCBQ-eR4CM6cu0ORpi24hNqrulF8BpoCEB-MyppEa0ZJ_WinmoxVPWye1KCnatMcSMxDQHPG0PxWzVexcBPnXhYGAidA/s1600-h/PB080442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDhJpdSC-UwHNc8hJSiZSPH3QGo081-_F2FY66Enp3zljIVHMCCBQ-eR4CM6cu0ORpi24hNqrulF8BpoCEB-MyppEa0ZJ_WinmoxVPWye1KCnatMcSMxDQHPG0PxWzVexcBPnXhYGAidA/s320/PB080442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402401393865997698" border="0" /></a> The boys gear being picked up on the shore<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3gX07gbU_4K77kxB_0XTj027BNIb4WlEwvIBKri8eOBQI8ZWKto7-NADBZ9P4ItShVe76JYiERRwlVNVkmQ8198Rsf7czLamgtHf5Y_uz1sNoQUGebWBeyLWmLsqQWgEVkADUBnhDjEd/s1600-h/PB080445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3gX07gbU_4K77kxB_0XTj027BNIb4WlEwvIBKri8eOBQI8ZWKto7-NADBZ9P4ItShVe76JYiERRwlVNVkmQ8198Rsf7czLamgtHf5Y_uz1sNoQUGebWBeyLWmLsqQWgEVkADUBnhDjEd/s320/PB080445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402401386063964034" border="0" /></a> Maciek and Jim standby watching their loads head off to Fryxell<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImoGMbKnJwq6xscyKE2a-lVWTfERiTBdWsfZsLk38Qja3C9Di2Ef4fxLwGk98ik4gy0rr2oS3BaQaz9GZXPfdrGMfq5MwfiEaiF3kp-gkBSH7TdNk0AIhKdjplKM5hP2mLi2JFGSzJKqU/s1600-h/LTER.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImoGMbKnJwq6xscyKE2a-lVWTfERiTBdWsfZsLk38Qja3C9Di2Ef4fxLwGk98ik4gy0rr2oS3BaQaz9GZXPfdrGMfq5MwfiEaiF3kp-gkBSH7TdNk0AIhKdjplKM5hP2mLi2JFGSzJKqU/s320/LTER.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402331814500929538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">LTER</span>, Long Term Ecological Research, is a network of scientists, researchers, and students all working together and synthesizing research and data from 26 different ecologically diverse sites across the world, from Alaska to Antarctica! The sites are chosen based on unique ecological conditions, some more suitable to supporting life than others. The goal is to study these sites and acquire a wide range of data and understanding of how the ecosystem works. The data is collected over a long period of time at each site, with the job of doing the data collecting changing hands every so often (McM LTER at the Dry Valley lakes is in the hands of scientists like John Priscu and Peter Doran, and the grad-students that work under the. This is important to the understanding of how the ecosystem changes and how it is being changed and affected over time, with special attention put to conserving and protecting the areas. The sites range from coral reefs and kelp forests, to hot desserts and savannas, to cold desserts and frozen lakes (like here in the Dry Valleys).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LTER</span> in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (according to <a href="http://www.lternet.edu/sites/mcm/">LTER website</a>)<br /><br /><blockquote>The McMurdo Dry Valleys are located on the western coast of McMurdo Sound (77°00'S 162°52'E) and form the largest relatively ice-free area (approximately 4800 square kilometers) on the Antarctic continent. These ice-free areas of Antarctica display a sharp contrast to most other ecosystems in the world, which exist under far more moderate environmental conditions. The perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams and extensive areas of exposed soil within the McMurdo Dry Valleys are subject to low temperatures, limited precipitation and salt accumulation. Thus, the dry valleys represent a region where life approaches its environmental limits, and is an ""end-member"" in the spectrum of environments included in the LTER Network.</blockquote>Maciek and Jim will drill and melt holes in three lakes, Lake Bonney, Lake Fryxell and Lake Hoare, all in Taylor Valley. They have to remove sensors from the lakes, that have been there for a year, and change the sensors and gather the data. I helped Maciek accomplish this sensor switch last week. Maciek chipped the hole, so it was big enough to pull out the sensors, cages, and the large orange buoy, that a sensor was attached to. Then we pull out roughly 50ft of rope and three sensors. One sensor is held in a aluminum cage. This cage was breaking, from rust and microbial life eating away at it. I took on that job. This sensor cage had been tied with rope and zip-ties (the all purpose tool) for a year. I was determined to get them off, for Maciek's work and sanity. I sat down on the ice and began loosening the knots. Maciek walked back to the camp to get some more things we needed, we were about 20min (walking) out into the middle of the East lobe. So for about an hour, I sat on this lake, and I was sure my carharts (work overalls) were melting into the ice. I started pulling loose the ropes, which were frozen on to the cage. The whole cage and all the ropes were covered in a layer of algae - <span style="font-style: italic;">Antarctic Algae</span>! This algae that had collected on these sensors was the first living thing I had seen in Antarctica! (besides us!) My first siting of Antarctic wildlife, and I was covered in it. After much frustration, which turned into me just cutting one rope completely loose (it now resides on my wrist), the cages were switched out. I tied the ropes onto the sensors and added many, many zip-ties. Zip-ties are the plastic ties where you put one end in the top and tighten it through and it clicks tighter in one direction but cannot be pulled back in the other direction. Maciek and I joked all day about how useful zip-ties were, and how many we were going through. I believe you can use a zip tie to secure just about anything!!<br /><br />Well, now Maciek and Jim are off gallivanting around the Dry Valleys conducting more LTER research. As for the Endurance team, Saturday was a stressful day, something in the batteries tripped off at the end of the mission day and basically reset everything. It took them all day Sunday to identify the problem. Sunday was a <span style="font-weight: bold;">SNOW DAY</span>! I woke up to the sound of snow flakes lightly tapping against my tent. It is a truly magical sound. I quickly, as quickly as you can, got out of my sleeping bag and into my parka and boots. I hoped, futilely, for a snow blanketed valley, with white ground and snow circling and blowing around me... Unbelievably my wish came true. It was just as good as Christmas morning. I came running into the Jamesway yelling, "It's snowing, it's snowing!" Rachel followed a few minutes later just as excited! She said, as she is from Texas, that she never see snow and I responded with I always see snow! But oh how I missed it. The cold air and the scenery here in the valleys combined with <span style="font-style: italic;">snow flakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes</span>... these are a few of my favorite things. I hadn't realized until then, how essential snow is to my happiness, especially in this perpetual cold.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hKUdd95wydFuxBw2Par77-A_WbbMpTdrHR7zWcKT-k33iOa93W0SaqNAiMAEtiLany6Py4ukSrrpn85X8kTEW-5u1dLtd30Wxa1btIkbQ-j_MtuIttjwNAwV8UnNClrUyNNshCWZYe6P/s1600-h/PB070340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hKUdd95wydFuxBw2Par77-A_WbbMpTdrHR7zWcKT-k33iOa93W0SaqNAiMAEtiLany6Py4ukSrrpn85X8kTEW-5u1dLtd30Wxa1btIkbQ-j_MtuIttjwNAwV8UnNClrUyNNshCWZYe6P/s320/PB070340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402384907822860530" border="0" /></a> Snow at the lake front<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RxxlCiNDUAWhb3sru1FL1Vlt_aqPJAuiR9bFQ6pGN6Yw0cAhoPmewoHDPo6HT3DWwyUxG3TyHC-mbpRTkTbq_PT1xN4adKfDvbet3vVFUhBYNIz5kfwMYOCPWtFJsZTkKMWacDtfocfg/s1600-h/PB070331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RxxlCiNDUAWhb3sru1FL1Vlt_aqPJAuiR9bFQ6pGN6Yw0cAhoPmewoHDPo6HT3DWwyUxG3TyHC-mbpRTkTbq_PT1xN4adKfDvbet3vVFUhBYNIz5kfwMYOCPWtFJsZTkKMWacDtfocfg/s320/PB070331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402384898492641842" border="0" /></a> Snow at our doorstep<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREApUA48tXkxWcoXBQ7mpXdOCSY84fbB3FpTEr9fGZD6qzKWG0BOD79CJtVX2k4k37j5VmuE6zk5XdgpBLYHaJsRgALCQmPVBbX6waobPhOO3mZml6N532XypKqgJSTooorohQHqDZEBr/s1600-h/PB070334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREApUA48tXkxWcoXBQ7mpXdOCSY84fbB3FpTEr9fGZD6qzKWG0BOD79CJtVX2k4k37j5VmuE6zk5XdgpBLYHaJsRgALCQmPVBbX6waobPhOO3mZml6N532XypKqgJSTooorohQHqDZEBr/s320/PB070334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402386266320615074" border="0" /></a> Some little ventifacts we collected covered in snow<br /><br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXSKRukTQ26mk-5WV0PqZeEayhjYbrmmopuIM22fiQKBp8AKDw2HI2UJTBoT8d2GrvAiVRvEYguY86WcGcnf11QtYJ6Hou2vqmkkgOaHzzd2TJ3Tiznxlo-OAFsIJtLSluundXIDORnIG/s1600-h/PB070333.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXSKRukTQ26mk-5WV0PqZeEayhjYbrmmopuIM22fiQKBp8AKDw2HI2UJTBoT8d2GrvAiVRvEYguY86WcGcnf11QtYJ6Hou2vqmkkgOaHzzd2TJ3Tiznxlo-OAFsIJtLSluundXIDORnIG/s320/PB070333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402386260737090594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-wetmZVwDNSOOGIyhyuf6s9yI75EQ6TE_yj3JoANUTRo-x6OOj4ZLY05pncUBiDn0vQiy80PohuJRn1cYCVdp0Kwy-Icx-o-rPWEQ9P1KEpzj5OAZcb0bWN5T3rsodb_9F1Pvn-5Uqu1/s1600-h/PB070341.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-wetmZVwDNSOOGIyhyuf6s9yI75EQ6TE_yj3JoANUTRo-x6OOj4ZLY05pncUBiDn0vQiy80PohuJRn1cYCVdp0Kwy-Icx-o-rPWEQ9P1KEpzj5OAZcb0bWN5T3rsodb_9F1Pvn-5Uqu1/s320/PB070341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402386276066498146" border="0" /></a> The lake covered in a blanket of fog<br /></div><br /><br />So Sunday was spent diagnosing the problems of Saturday and by the time they all came home, they felt much more comfortable with the robot and his progress. They believed the problem was centrally located in the batteries. Monday started on a much more optimistic note. As I said Monday was busy, and I didn't spend much time at the Endurance site. But they stayed out there until about midnight and came home with stories of great accomplishment. They completed 19 out of the 90 Sonde drops planned for the season. Then they spent time testing the bot in the water to localize the problems they had encountered. The tests all went well, and they feel much more comfortable with the bot's abilities.<br /><br />My day was a little more harsh. We were in need of water, so I tied up the ice sled and began the 45min trip over to the edge of Taylor Glacier. I road up as close to the glacier as I felt comfortable getting and started chipping out and collecting chunks of the galcier, or glacier berries. It took about an hour to collect a sled full of glacial ice chunks I could actually carry and get on to the sled about 30ft away. But being there, at the bottom of a 30 or 40 foot face of a glacier, was insane!! I could not believe it! I got done and I just stood there and closed my eyes and opened my ears. For a few minutes I stood in the cold, breathing in the air, and listening to the creaks, crashes, and all sorts of noises that come from the glacier. I had to walk up and touch the glacier, it was the first actual galcier I had ever been up close enough to touch! After the glacier berry adventure, I traveled over to Blood Falls camp and then back up the North side of the lake. There were lots of self-timed pictures opportunities with the glacier and large boulders along the shore.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun9GpxbURJhdGtj2tZZTb3uX7K4Q4XuHfy7k6ubHxJJB9rOx4dsiOuGNS-K5vYRHKg2TmgZmSZsEPEUmHoyr8xsxcPxNZnf0M6JoPAgkOxECorwdJvDIcxMrJfhe19huLrbYiH6zlYV8m/s1600-h/PB090489.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjun9GpxbURJhdGtj2tZZTb3uX7K4Q4XuHfy7k6ubHxJJB9rOx4dsiOuGNS-K5vYRHKg2TmgZmSZsEPEUmHoyr8xsxcPxNZnf0M6JoPAgkOxECorwdJvDIcxMrJfhe19huLrbYiH6zlYV8m/s320/PB090489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402415095238733218" border="0" /></a> Me in front of Taylor Glacier<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODXlrx8uPkYmuOZK6QSxnMksVRcbeg8Yhzf2ptI5a5e6yoi0e-3J0MarXETv48ruS_iyWcLhSzGX-jV_m2svzXZET0q2uUlnD0B6Um84MV_AEFVqpacGLg44AbaiOlSGeCXSdaeQd4NSg/s1600-h/PB090494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgODXlrx8uPkYmuOZK6QSxnMksVRcbeg8Yhzf2ptI5a5e6yoi0e-3J0MarXETv48ruS_iyWcLhSzGX-jV_m2svzXZET0q2uUlnD0B6Um84MV_AEFVqpacGLg44AbaiOlSGeCXSdaeQd4NSg/s320/PB090494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402415078903862210" border="0" /></a> Me in front of a 20ft tall boulder<br /><br /><br />That's when the real trouble began. The sled full of ice behaved itself, and slid behind the ATV, like a sled should. But in the last 25yards, the sled slid around and lifted up the back tire of my ATV and shoved me into the shore! I couldn't go forward, or backwards. I was stuck. So I got off the ATV and turned it off. I hiked up to camp and got a knife. I cut the sled off the ATV and rolled off it. I was so upset! I couldn't believe I had broken a sled! I drove the ATV back to the Jamesway and left the sled where it was. I unloaded all the gear and sat down. I wanted to cry! It was the most frustrating experience here to date. I didn't want it to be broken, but try as I might I could not get it to hook back to the ATV.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyHxcVfi6z2rJXHYg6cf9j8bEe7Ni5XcBHznqTMKor8zHr0HXNc2m-cO5gsNZbSM0Ru_-MNYjG0W9W6tmJGz3Lj-10r5fwHzYKp0r058VB__Y0Rp8Ro9IWK8eUmJntIv8gz-oxh0Iqy63/s1600-h/PB090495.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyHxcVfi6z2rJXHYg6cf9j8bEe7Ni5XcBHznqTMKor8zHr0HXNc2m-cO5gsNZbSM0Ru_-MNYjG0W9W6tmJGz3Lj-10r5fwHzYKp0r058VB__Y0Rp8Ro9IWK8eUmJntIv8gz-oxh0Iqy63/s320/PB090495.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402415096537114722" border="0" /></a> The ATV/sled accident<br /><br /><br />The team was still out at the Endurance site, and I had to bring dinner out to them. So the time to be upset was not yet upon me. I finished up dinner and hooked it up to the ATV and headed over to West Lobe. I knew I was just dropping off dinner, and coming back to do dishes, so I decided not to wear my <span style="font-style: italic;">stabilicers</span>, the straps we hook to our shoes, that help you walk on the ice. I arrived at the Endurance site and grabbed the food off the back of the ATV. Then I took my first step off the ATV and <span style="font-style: italic;">Woosh</span>! the ground below my feet was lost and my face was rocketing towards the ice! <span style="font-style: italic;">Whack!</span> My face slammed against the ground and I felt my tooth pierce into my skin. This can't be happening, I thought to myself. It felt as though I easily had pierced all the way through my lip. I held my neck warmer against my lip and walked, basically crawled into the bot house. I delivered the food and borrowed some <span style="font-style: italic;">stabilicers </span>so I could head back to camp and check on my lip. I finally got back to camp and assessed the damage done to my lip and knees. I was a little worse for the wear and a quite bruised up. But my lip was only cut through on the inside. In the epic ongoing battle, of Antarctica vs. Emma... Antarctica had won.<br /><br />Today's day off was well deserved and welcomed on all fronts, both for leaps forward in the science and a few snags in the day. Tomorrow we are back to business as normal. Hopefully I will come out victor in the battle royal against the fierce Antarctic wilderness... haha, oh it's really not so bad :)<br /><br /><br /><br />Brrr,<br /><br />Emma<span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-48787317183784612042009-11-06T22:45:00.000+13:002009-11-09T01:18:24.482+13:00Just Hanging Out...Just Hanging out over Lake Bonney -<br /><br />So this morning started out as normal as most. I woke up in my sleeping bag, to my alarm on my watch, which is velcroed to my eye mask (yes I wear an I eye mask for darkness in this perpetual light). I unzipped myself out of all the layers I'm wrapped up in all night. Then I collect all my gear for the day - I pull out my parka from under my sleeping bag, and put my pee bottle and funnel in the pocket (oh, yes. that is how nature calls in Antarctica). Then I put on my cold-weather hiking boots and this particular morning I grabbed a new pair of socks and liners. <span style="font-style: italic;">Change your socks, change your attitude!</span> I walked down my hill, up near the helo-pad, and into the Jamesway. The smell of coffee and the hussle and bussle of a rushed Lake Bonney morning was upon us. The Endurance team, and me, are out the door and onto the ATVs by 9am. Just imagine 8 people trying to get anywhere on time and add many layers of clothing and lunch for the day... and you've got it (it reminds me of the mornings before school at O.L.P.H, my grade school, when my Mom had to get my brothers and sister and I out to school on time!) So I grab some oatmeal, my go to breakfast here, and pack up my bag and gear for the day ahead. Lael, our GA (General Assistant), who is here from McMurdo helping to lighten the load from an injured Maciek, helped me move some things around before our upcoming inspection from Environmental, and then we were off, with Bart, on our morning commute.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYDDRMoxhjW3-JHyF4DOzm4oUkbv9feoy4exSVkUIiIiSXsxCKZKHc3zga08u77sMlRLOyc_hF6Hqf3fGpz0h6vWdVvcjC9LxHXC5unY6MjPmpR_fy3caNtM806QxpsSZRNpGRrMEgydd/s1600-h/PB080433.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYDDRMoxhjW3-JHyF4DOzm4oUkbv9feoy4exSVkUIiIiSXsxCKZKHc3zga08u77sMlRLOyc_hF6Hqf3fGpz0h6vWdVvcjC9LxHXC5unY6MjPmpR_fy3caNtM806QxpsSZRNpGRrMEgydd/s320/PB080433.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401705240216406786" /></a><br />Me driving the ATV<br />Every night, after they tuck the robot into bed, the team leaves a hot finger in the hole, to keep the hole melted through the night. But even with that, the top of the hole still freezes over about a quarter of an inch thick overnight.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oZ5crnsVddyguzgHu5pj2phm3BNoy6E_NOrfm-iG4ff5_7jGV5zprDjcGW7PRFINgK8aVVoniuaY03clpFEChMUHAZBy4vRS2W_mGnDVKaGz-gOaEqcU42PWgrEtJTx-r-46lCjJHC8Z/s1600-h/PB070408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oZ5crnsVddyguzgHu5pj2phm3BNoy6E_NOrfm-iG4ff5_7jGV5zprDjcGW7PRFINgK8aVVoniuaY03clpFEChMUHAZBy4vRS2W_mGnDVKaGz-gOaEqcU42PWgrEtJTx-r-46lCjJHC8Z/s320/PB070408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401702542320105554" border="0" /></a> The hole in the morning<br />Lael and I had the job of chipping and scooping away the ice, so the robot could get into the water. Bill was explaining that it takes some effort to reach the ice, "usually we just put someone in a harness over the hole, but you two probably don't want to..." I immediately, and without thinking, jumped at the chance to get harnessed up and hang over a large hole in the ice! I couldn't believe it when Bill actually said okay, went to get me a harness, and told me to step in. Well there was no backing down now. While (almost) every part of me was super excited that I was getting to do this!... I was actually going to belay down over the Bot Hole... there was still a part of me, whispering doubts and fears... Doubts about my ability to hold myself over a hole, and chip and scoop ice; Fears of belaying myself down, to hover over a hole in the ice, with nothing to catch me but 125 feet of frozen water!!! Honestly, the most challenging and thrilling part of life in Antarctica, is there is rarely time to be stalled by your fears. I was in a harness, and Bill was going over the use of my hand and foot ascenders and foot loop. Oh wow, this is happening!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qYVni91qAYQUz56p3drIIIquqzewPCdy8x7P23HC6F5R1Th_p0cSrnLz4x6H47b2ZhG95Yge64klwd70JVQALGDA0olnWTmeM1o7SA6THTU0-LrT7uxXAxNWs_jywFd2g8NzdO7apyWG/s1600-h/PB050126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qYVni91qAYQUz56p3drIIIquqzewPCdy8x7P23HC6F5R1Th_p0cSrnLz4x6H47b2ZhG95Yge64klwd70JVQALGDA0olnWTmeM1o7SA6THTU0-LrT7uxXAxNWs_jywFd2g8NzdO7apyWG/s320/PB050126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400942542380732210" border="0" /></a><br />Bill teaching the ups and downs of ascending<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJCTEk5wMXFETJVLpfaSXZsU3fUGg893gNbyTbPDOt8VQsPODmUmnZdiW0OzI3V9sFD8FGb8T8w0WXCiFg2uRUM3cIQPj4JB3O6PFlmaUG_33H91jByPiPa3hFUxkr7B2CoyRG3Y8-0Gc/s1600-h/Antarctica7+166.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJCTEk5wMXFETJVLpfaSXZsU3fUGg893gNbyTbPDOt8VQsPODmUmnZdiW0OzI3V9sFD8FGb8T8w0WXCiFg2uRUM3cIQPj4JB3O6PFlmaUG_33H91jByPiPa3hFUxkr7B2CoyRG3Y8-0Gc/s320/Antarctica7+166.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401699139889466658" border="0" /></a> My harness/life-line and ascenders<br /><br />Bill is an expert caver and rock climber. I was sure he was the only one I would trust completely to put me in a harness and hang me out over the depths of Lake Bonney. Also Vickie, another season caver, and was only a shout away if I felt unsure about anything. With this support, my excitement, and the bot waiting for its clean bot hole, I leaned back from the Bot House floor and allowed my weight to fall into the harness. With one push I was out over the center of the hole. 'Holey' cow! It is entirely unnerving to be supported by a harness and foot rest, over 100+ feet of water. Especially when it would only take 2 or 3 feet of that water to put me straight into cardiac arrest, and only a few more to kill me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw3NfMUP2m4cjzS_av57ces50MzV3vwXHd8sQm4M_GGQzq_Qig0DH38JOrAjUrG-_WRwvqvMJcwOo0CwD8S1_eMwbW7vL5u7_w-S58-OBjkSoTgrpY789h0IcAAQ5fQk9Iv6wWYpWL1pb/s1600-h/IMG_7731.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw3NfMUP2m4cjzS_av57ces50MzV3vwXHd8sQm4M_GGQzq_Qig0DH38JOrAjUrG-_WRwvqvMJcwOo0CwD8S1_eMwbW7vL5u7_w-S58-OBjkSoTgrpY789h0IcAAQ5fQk9Iv6wWYpWL1pb/s320/IMG_7731.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401694955768108994" border="0" /></a><br />I was surprised though, how comfortable and safe I felt in the harness. I did not expect to feel like the harness was really holding my weight. I was over the top of the hole, at floor level, and the surface of the water was about 8ft down. So with Bill's help, I lowered myself down. I had to stand on my foot loop, in order to release the tension on my hand ascender up at my chest. Then I released the hand ascender at my chest level and pulled it down about a foot. Then I leaned back and put my weight in my harness and lifted my foot off the foot loop to release the tension there, and moved the hand ascender at my feet down. I did this a foot at a time for about 8 feet, until I was hovering just above the water level. Lael then took control of my ropes, and handed me the fish net we use to scoop ice out. The net, and anything else held over the hole, is tied down so if we drop it, it is secured and doesn't fall into the lake (a BIG environmental and scientific no-no).<br />The process of clearing a hole requires breaking up the surface of the ice and scooping it out into the bucket (which is also secured).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbmW6imhCSwR3lGrEzwr9QikYySDq7A8umu95_yhjuUEQjMf0FDGQVT1X2BbjT8Scqqzmn6sIs_gI-h8URcDEPb5JXWSam16CkPiWK2oDezHxxl0t8fEzRIfHsNy6uOdzQvkUVQsII8BG/s1600-h/IMG_7732.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbmW6imhCSwR3lGrEzwr9QikYySDq7A8umu95_yhjuUEQjMf0FDGQVT1X2BbjT8Scqqzmn6sIs_gI-h8URcDEPb5JXWSam16CkPiWK2oDezHxxl0t8fEzRIfHsNy6uOdzQvkUVQsII8BG/s320/IMG_7732.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401694241999727122" border="0" /></a> Me scooping out ice with my net<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiLx_mmeePKi0qeDpo_EMWlVtfwDngz0mbgA7fRDKGLrNo_aCAzP-J_a7hDdlMgaDksLcMM2bQ_0sl06MXyo5aEjg5p1RBnEysXaeqYUKZn1P2yZ9AyIfpyG5GqlDHDp6UAckuHI6XFRg/s1600-h/IMG_7733.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiLx_mmeePKi0qeDpo_EMWlVtfwDngz0mbgA7fRDKGLrNo_aCAzP-J_a7hDdlMgaDksLcMM2bQ_0sl06MXyo5aEjg5p1RBnEysXaeqYUKZn1P2yZ9AyIfpyG5GqlDHDp6UAckuHI6XFRg/s320/IMG_7733.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400931738418713474" border="0" /></a><br />Me dumping ice out of the net and into the bucket<br /><br />After about 30mins of scooping ice, Lael handed me the ice-chipper. This was the truly difficult part. It is impossible to put force into a chip, without anyway to stabilize yourself. Every time I pushed down to chip something away I got pushed away from the wall and spun around. The spinning made it difficult, but Lael was great! All the ropes got very confusing. I was new to this and was never sure where to release tension and where to hold more tension. Lael did a great job pulling be around the hole, and giving me tension on the ropes when I needed to move or stabilize myself. Bill spent a previous day scuba diving and chipping ice off underwater! I don't know how he managed. It must have been impossible, with the buoyancy and weight issues in water, I do not know how he put any force behind his strikes. But he got off way more ice underwater than I did on top of the hole.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiREhUq38l7wqRrhQhuZ4PiSByYKsqjDJXopiQP9MWnDJqYHzv7A2PF8F5yWqnxFRzcY1ax8RzcCfM9k1KVFAR3La2cMBQMRa4MXGcXxGgDWhu80FPhvlDTXgnaFHUV9WgAiKe_kQbh44/s1600-h/IMG_7730.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiREhUq38l7wqRrhQhuZ4PiSByYKsqjDJXopiQP9MWnDJqYHzv7A2PF8F5yWqnxFRzcY1ax8RzcCfM9k1KVFAR3La2cMBQMRa4MXGcXxGgDWhu80FPhvlDTXgnaFHUV9WgAiKe_kQbh44/s320/IMG_7730.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401695614892583698" border="0" /></a><br />I spent about two hours over the hole. The first hour was breaking the ice cover, and scooping out the ice with my net. Then I got the chipper and chipped the edges off so the robot would have some extra room in its already tight squeeze down through the hole. After that, I had to pull out all that new ice! It was a lot of work! But every time I looked down, into the blue depths of Lake Bonney, I was blown away with exactly where I was hanging! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC16KvhbCBvJPwZGSDzw2iiTZbAmh27Z8kU5YTpS2DarMLpenQnxSDZMr8AQIRWVBeZomr9MOjMhlvOPD8wI7XTVwpo4XVl16s0GMFo47vthL6gOS756wrxq8DzYDZhFvyJiQHA4gs9gD/s1600-h/PB070417.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrC16KvhbCBvJPwZGSDzw2iiTZbAmh27Z8kU5YTpS2DarMLpenQnxSDZMr8AQIRWVBeZomr9MOjMhlvOPD8wI7XTVwpo4XVl16s0GMFo47vthL6gOS756wrxq8DzYDZhFvyJiQHA4gs9gD/s320/PB070417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401702548309879026" border="0" /></a> The shattered ice cover <br />I was really sore after my hours of harnessed chipping. But it was and still is unbelievable that I get to hang in a harness over a hole in the ice. The bot had a ice-free hole, and was ready to be lowered down and start exploring. Now this job has become my daily job, and everyone warned me that while the first day was exciting, the excitement will fade every day I have to do this. I told them, "No way, this will always be one of the coolest, coldest, scariest, and bravest thing I have ever done!" The next day, I had to get harnessed up again, except I could do most of it myself this time... and as I was leaning my weight back into the harness and lowering myself over the hole I thought "This IS the craziest thing I have EVER done!!" Tomorrow will be just another day, hanging out, just chillin'...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoO5IAkffGx-f_cbK4M8PdEHz9MZjduEypCSr9qH-tKZyYkHMXV5wAJp4SWOZsITQAjWyVawkHo6l6MO59akpo4o54GFUuAiEixR7j_k7PeEc8SYr6dP8gT4OMC86UvHKyr2oL9QRQf1c/s1600-h/PB050131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoO5IAkffGx-f_cbK4M8PdEHz9MZjduEypCSr9qH-tKZyYkHMXV5wAJp4SWOZsITQAjWyVawkHo6l6MO59akpo4o54GFUuAiEixR7j_k7PeEc8SYr6dP8gT4OMC86UvHKyr2oL9QRQf1c/s320/PB050131.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401704047267701346" /></a><br /><br />Brrr,<br /><br />EmmaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-72635293318591998762009-11-02T22:42:00.000+13:002009-11-05T11:04:56.235+13:00A Haunted Frozen Antarctic HalloweenOn the frozen 7th continent on the bottom of the planet... its bright out and will be 24/7... the wind blows and the Jamesway creeks... eerie, creepy, scary, haunted and VERY COLD ANTARCTIC HALLOWEEN...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbNzJM_MV9iAVY_HrIlbJkmMP0a9jY8qN29jkIC2S9jF0BrYAVhL37hiNO2-fYxnuzBI_PBoaFc42hRHCpsYwegqnpMGpcwpVjlSnQP7ZRT0gPwI_Evyix6izN81H9lZ5p0QEuOP0jI8v/s1600-h/halloween.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbNzJM_MV9iAVY_HrIlbJkmMP0a9jY8qN29jkIC2S9jF0BrYAVhL37hiNO2-fYxnuzBI_PBoaFc42hRHCpsYwegqnpMGpcwpVjlSnQP7ZRT0gPwI_Evyix6izN81H9lZ5p0QEuOP0jI8v/s320/halloween.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400180323192917170" /></a><br /><br />Halloween comes but once a year, and being 10,000 miles from home was not going to stop me from celebrating! The day started early for me; around 0600 hours I woke up, too excited for the day to sleep! I started putting the finishing touches on my cards and decorations. The day was scheduled to begin at 0800, so I started to prepared the wet and dry ingredients for my Pumpkin Pancakes. People started filing in and were greeted with a "Good Morning! Happy Halloween!" I started my first batch of Pumpkin Pancakes and everyone immediately jumped in. I grabbed one for myself to nibble on while I cooked and they were quite delicious! It was nice to have something that reminded me of all the tastes and smells of fall. I made two full batches. The first batch was enjoyed by SAS before they went off to celebrate Halloween with Endurance! Shilpa stayed in for Halloween, she was really sick. So after she napped and Maciek and Jim came home from their slumber party with the Bot, I whipped up the second batch. We enjoyed them on our Halloween, so here is the recipe for all of you at home!<br /><br />Recipe for Antarctic Pumpkin Pancakes<br />Mix wet:<br />2 large eggs (we got 120 eggs on Halloween, we were almost tempted to egg Blood Falls camp)<br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />1/2 cup pumpkin puree<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br /><br />Mix dry:<br />2 cups baking/pancake mix<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />I added a dash of joy (thanks for the measuring spoons Kristina!), maybe 1/8 tsp of baking Powder, because I learned Powder Pops, and the pancakes came out fluffier. <br /><br />Mix together and cook on hot skillet in ANTARCTICA...<br />then you have Antarctic Pumpkin Pancakes*<br />(can be cooked elsewhere for regular pumpkin pancakes, but results may vary)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM84IYct5MI7xRZCmelbFnuPeCnf2VyfS7P44NfDFwCx2BzRBMqVT4qNQ5DBJjrEHR-eZhjo1QReq0fGj_FlSLYv0uIRZWZO7TbObz4e0vgcrWjdxK4X5HHfrINLj3-w_QTbzlKJPEmVnt/s1600-h/Antarctica6+030.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM84IYct5MI7xRZCmelbFnuPeCnf2VyfS7P44NfDFwCx2BzRBMqVT4qNQ5DBJjrEHR-eZhjo1QReq0fGj_FlSLYv0uIRZWZO7TbObz4e0vgcrWjdxK4X5HHfrINLj3-w_QTbzlKJPEmVnt/s200/Antarctica6+030.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400177857060836738" /></a> Pumpkin Pancakes a la Antarctica <br /> <br />Everyone left for the day and I began preparations to turn our normal Jamesway into a Haunted Jamesway. The windows got covered with ghouls and ghosts made out of large black garbage bags and white paper. Next I finished up my cards to everybody, jack-o-lanterns of everybody, and planning spooky dinner and dessert. <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Dinner:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Witches' Brew:</span><br />Re-fried bean stew with<br />5 cans of re-fried beans<br />2 cans of corn<br />1 red onion<br />1 white onion<br />2 red peppers<br />1 green pepper<br />5 cups of water<br />and 2 adorable little vegetarian bouillon cubes<br />then I added 5 servings of cooked brown rice<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqUxYH6xNHRksfPU1K29KuSzXWYh8rh81Q_SIOBmUSWtxqftQWDiHimv0hiOXUeTaHMjegtYbJv0_lOCRazVUnXigbNANZyranMqH_4E1RGEphvBJgjnyQdOhgZys5fW3XNPtHmBHnXaS/s1600-h/Antarctica6+077.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqUxYH6xNHRksfPU1K29KuSzXWYh8rh81Q_SIOBmUSWtxqftQWDiHimv0hiOXUeTaHMjegtYbJv0_lOCRazVUnXigbNANZyranMqH_4E1RGEphvBJgjnyQdOhgZys5fW3XNPtHmBHnXaS/s200/Antarctica6+077.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400176335517942274" /></a> Witches' Brew with Jack-o-Lantern garnish<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Jack-o-Lantern Garnish:</span><br />4 large carrots sliced and meticulously carved into jack-o-lanterns<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6CO1BbItzH6g1Dp5UcjDml8tyeRlNn6ZBADbz0jLSptlsFHRIY56hDWn9UUrkqUkNF2IHj3bEM-qAPCFoXWHlFJLGkEv9KJrSBnVLA50L2d84BebldM8yG_0TJCrpaSYMZuHClA4fLAt/s1600-h/Antarctica6+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6CO1BbItzH6g1Dp5UcjDml8tyeRlNn6ZBADbz0jLSptlsFHRIY56hDWn9UUrkqUkNF2IHj3bEM-qAPCFoXWHlFJLGkEv9KJrSBnVLA50L2d84BebldM8yG_0TJCrpaSYMZuHClA4fLAt/s200/Antarctica6+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399646376150831282" /></a><br />I was missing all the fall festivities at home so I decided to carve faces into carrot slices. It was like carving a pumpkin, but on a really small scale. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRyFAH9yFkFO4Wt-5nCnkEuudfCrVPoLgoPC9c5AMnVGbDnKkdqNKaYepUOJRrnv67eIG53WzdW-WEJ9-W66lKeVMgJZtAqNwO8qq5zwx16jZCqW9lAOg_oXQ3kMRew0fRF5Z7X1zPsvB/s1600-h/Antarctica6+079.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRyFAH9yFkFO4Wt-5nCnkEuudfCrVPoLgoPC9c5AMnVGbDnKkdqNKaYepUOJRrnv67eIG53WzdW-WEJ9-W66lKeVMgJZtAqNwO8qq5zwx16jZCqW9lAOg_oXQ3kMRew0fRF5Z7X1zPsvB/s200/Antarctica6+079.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400176961184496546" /></a> Maciek with his Halloween feast, happy as always<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Dessert:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pumpkin Loaf:</span><br /><br />Mix wet ingredients:<br />1 1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup shortening<br />2 eggs<br />1/2 cup water<br />1 cup water<br />1 cup pumpkin puree<br /><br />Mix dry ingredients:<br />1 2/3 cup flour<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />3/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp ginger<br />1/8 tsp cloves<br /><br />Mix together and add in about a 1/2 a cup of walnuts. Place in 4 bread loaf pans and bake at 350 for 35 mins. Garnish with a carrot jack-o-lantern or two. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gSmPJSyOkjMAGuLMwbtYpnDUOIy9Xxeyc_LAiPPdB1ZyphDH6bNJv_zYn_YWkzLTmSWRXg0kG9XPqFFPx7k3Ea9ifdcGThCy56B6ZhCQP_mdBxLQbtvr0HelIvKBQ0osbc5s_miFIUe8/s1600-h/Antarctica6+098.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gSmPJSyOkjMAGuLMwbtYpnDUOIy9Xxeyc_LAiPPdB1ZyphDH6bNJv_zYn_YWkzLTmSWRXg0kG9XPqFFPx7k3Ea9ifdcGThCy56B6ZhCQP_mdBxLQbtvr0HelIvKBQ0osbc5s_miFIUe8/s200/Antarctica6+098.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400183923853618706" /></a> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgoQfbuRYsXALSKAJqmiCQL2CXsNGkSydwpXIv78e86vSCnP0F_UDLA2bgszMev_rkVrzT__PaTOeHBvBRqLtkCncL-9rX7xZOymu4TNfCWgoEprIIKHZf5WaRdKW2RX0L5vYZtom3UM6/s1600-h/Antarctica6+101.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgoQfbuRYsXALSKAJqmiCQL2CXsNGkSydwpXIv78e86vSCnP0F_UDLA2bgszMev_rkVrzT__PaTOeHBvBRqLtkCncL-9rX7xZOymu4TNfCWgoEprIIKHZf5WaRdKW2RX0L5vYZtom3UM6/s200/Antarctica6+101.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400183930459641346" /></a> Pumpkin Loaf<br /><br />I went as a 1950's housewife for Halloween. I had a my coral one-piece swimsuit that has ruching on the top. Over that was my wide-leg black pants and my Viking cooking school apron. It was quite an appropriate as I was cooking, baking, and decorating all day!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWZThHpnrWA85NYBktGXHAoMwevUWmnmBvFttzC0dcVL580kNNIVXMgRIKh3TgJIpjtzyjaY1VXV4hAjjm6t0oB7fkAhChyphenhyphen7-FA8SxK67Uk8g5wUKYClkvlk8ZfR70DUe6L079LiGysAy/s1600-h/Antarctica6+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWZThHpnrWA85NYBktGXHAoMwevUWmnmBvFttzC0dcVL580kNNIVXMgRIKh3TgJIpjtzyjaY1VXV4hAjjm6t0oB7fkAhChyphenhyphen7-FA8SxK67Uk8g5wUKYClkvlk8ZfR70DUe6L079LiGysAy/s200/Antarctica6+031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400165983777214770" /></a> Emma, the 1950's housewife, at the stove<br />There were pictures and drawings up everywhere, from Kritof, Chris, and me drawing all night. Lake Bonney is a hodge-podge of many years of people's pictures, books, and there are even decorations and wigs! So everyone had a different silly wig on. We enjoyed some witches brew, pumpkin loaf, and a night of guitar and laughs!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZVnJ25j2A8ozReg_LEWqzBQhLAxcNCnsS_bBjCjkkL_QImiEtvChVBVyVwYXKFacfrdL9YV5-8AA6uHNVGI4gq4pYPgsE5PhBCSBKYwoagj9wLsVWzhVw52xxHvjI6XHYbHXGGq4tp2w/s1600-h/Antarctica6+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZVnJ25j2A8ozReg_LEWqzBQhLAxcNCnsS_bBjCjkkL_QImiEtvChVBVyVwYXKFacfrdL9YV5-8AA6uHNVGI4gq4pYPgsE5PhBCSBKYwoagj9wLsVWzhVw52xxHvjI6XHYbHXGGq4tp2w/s200/Antarctica6+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400168880499953330" /></a> Happy Halloween on the worn-out dart board<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6nAglRnzDqrGs7_vD1otaN7LKkhvb7cNymMOuLQm029aR3vLNiaZLQ-8QwOVLbQFeRc7ijAFwtWHCotKcRJqkCRnczrQz6LUlCATNfzj_S_zH9g2jMndzaGhWUOUJWP6vzaRq6_swj1W/s1600-h/Antarctica6+075.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6nAglRnzDqrGs7_vD1otaN7LKkhvb7cNymMOuLQm029aR3vLNiaZLQ-8QwOVLbQFeRc7ijAFwtWHCotKcRJqkCRnczrQz6LUlCATNfzj_S_zH9g2jMndzaGhWUOUJWP6vzaRq6_swj1W/s200/Antarctica6+075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400174023628485634" /></a> Vickie and I in costume with the Ghoul... Boo!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXH-NqPmQeyjnjJGwT022cXYIcG7g2F1SXwjAG0vlffq_u2vDwlBOZEZt9PPto68wLz1M0aTgB0KPGj9NwAG_Z7IvXQIWWZ4YraOIQvmqW75ZLhOzVuqu5vGhMGik2AIcpTmEaOwa90Pi/s1600-h/Antarctica6+091.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXH-NqPmQeyjnjJGwT022cXYIcG7g2F1SXwjAG0vlffq_u2vDwlBOZEZt9PPto68wLz1M0aTgB0KPGj9NwAG_Z7IvXQIWWZ4YraOIQvmqW75ZLhOzVuqu5vGhMGik2AIcpTmEaOwa90Pi/s200/Antarctica6+091.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400182000109676402" /></a> The Lake Bonney Ghouls<br /><br />Boo,<br /><br />EmmaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-25588253623681889232009-10-30T14:09:00.000+13:002009-11-06T22:45:15.103+13:00ENDURANCE - Man, this Bot has a lot of SAS!Calling all robots -<br /><br />I have been in Antarctica for exactly 1 month. I am here as a Grantee (a scientist- well, an undergraduate student- working under a NSF grant) on a project spearheaded by my Professor at <span style="font-weight:bold;">University of Illinois at Chicago</span>, Peter Doran. The project is called <span style="font-weight:bold;">ENDURANCE</span>: (<span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">E</span>nvironmentally <span style="font-weight:bold;">N</span>on-<span style="font-weight:bold;">D</span>isturbing <span style="font-weight:bold;">U</span>nder-ice <span style="font-weight:bold;">R</span>obotic <span style="font-weight:bold;">AN</span>tarcti<span style="font-weight:bold;">C</span> <span style="font-weight:bold;">E</span>xplorer</span>). <br />Endurance is a large (7ft tall and wide and 3,00lbs) AUV, autonomous underwater vehicle, that explores the frozen lake, Lake Bonney, in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4K5AfSVpbJXo4FlePm3hYC0YFu1nu3DcYXq9ReeKhMg-FwJv72dPcMLA5ITdvt449LSlhB_RAdGoMFZ-e9XuipTraQu5ggFVWfN53isb_EhUPCC-U8XtMpRZ4bvdIVaSiweeMX1Sb8p5/s1600-h/endurance_all_logos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4K5AfSVpbJXo4FlePm3hYC0YFu1nu3DcYXq9ReeKhMg-FwJv72dPcMLA5ITdvt449LSlhB_RAdGoMFZ-e9XuipTraQu5ggFVWfN53isb_EhUPCC-U8XtMpRZ4bvdIVaSiweeMX1Sb8p5/s320/endurance_all_logos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398957784479974322" /></a><br />ENDURANCE has a NASA grant with NSF, National Science Foundation, funding to explore and map the West Lobe of Lake Bonney and the interface of the lake and Taylor Glacier.<br />(info from <a href="http://www.evl.uic.edu/endurance/">Endurance website</a>):<br /><br /><blockquote>We are developing an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of generating for the first time, 3-D biogeochemical datasets in the extreme environment of a perennially ice-covered Antarctic dry valley lake. The ENDURANCE (Environmentally Non - Disturbing Under - ice Robotic ANtarctic Explorer) will map the under - ice lake dimensions of West Lake Bonney in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and be equipped to measure temperature, electrical conductivity, ambient light, chlorophyll-a, Dissolved Organic Matter, pH and redox of the water column in the entire lake. Visible imaging will also be performed on the benthic microbial mats, other lake bottom materials, lake ice bottom and the glacier contact, for all of which there is a paucity of data. The AUV is being specifically designed to minimize impact on the environment it is working in. This is primarily to meet strict Antarctic environmental protocols, but will also be a useful feature for planetary protection and improved planetary science in the future.</blockquote><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU7QOVccqyszwZk2SgXNXqGmCjd9JHM3y_i0vm42RW6hwHReKeSjW99i-jHn5UDg_F7jWtZrX0HfJs0s0SLNQLZ26jEVd-wWqMOUBtLA8XU7n8u1c0W74sKnP-5mg7pnRO93epVH0OLzl/s1600-h/Bot+arrival+in+MCM.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU7QOVccqyszwZk2SgXNXqGmCjd9JHM3y_i0vm42RW6hwHReKeSjW99i-jHn5UDg_F7jWtZrX0HfJs0s0SLNQLZ26jEVd-wWqMOUBtLA8XU7n8u1c0W74sKnP-5mg7pnRO93epVH0OLzl/s200/Bot+arrival+in+MCM.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399088944306345650" /></a><br />The robot with his clothes on<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo4UkYId5b3kB1z_4f40kyhuAHuqUfnfwZKmVkFuCv90VmBD6EFap3CtyjEP43L_np0b9h0HEbJ4jLYD3eB9fqb6niKb76zvsaceuFlS9VpJwAVcaoatdHO6mBmeCizE3EpAcbIQ36dej/s1600-h/Antarctica4+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo4UkYId5b3kB1z_4f40kyhuAHuqUfnfwZKmVkFuCv90VmBD6EFap3CtyjEP43L_np0b9h0HEbJ4jLYD3eB9fqb6niKb76zvsaceuFlS9VpJwAVcaoatdHO6mBmeCizE3EpAcbIQ36dej/s200/Antarctica4+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399090478198648370" /></a><br />Chris with a naked Endurance<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7GEqZhyphenhyphen-KFOcOHyRiU_6xurVFdse0WvOxuOISBnb_7To4E9SYg7TC65HKes2Pu2X4Lhgj5OxQtm1cvehyphenhyphen34YmXjhDrKHGJ8RsA8OFB50YNoPJCHpXn3Vr-e5oioita0H9uqLOImAiIBA/s1600-h/12-08-2008+ENDURANCE+Monday+Dec+8+2008+Image+5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7GEqZhyphenhyphen-KFOcOHyRiU_6xurVFdse0WvOxuOISBnb_7To4E9SYg7TC65HKes2Pu2X4Lhgj5OxQtm1cvehyphenhyphen34YmXjhDrKHGJ8RsA8OFB50YNoPJCHpXn3Vr-e5oioita0H9uqLOImAiIBA/s200/12-08-2008+ENDURANCE+Monday+Dec+8+2008+Image+5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399089528086301026" /></a><br />The robot in the water, last season.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Over-arching Goals:</span><br />- further biological research in the terrestrial environments analogous to those found on other planets,<br /><br />- develop technologies that enable remote searches for, and identification of, life in extreme environments<br /><br />- perform a systems - level field campaign designed to demonstrate and validate the science and technology in extreme environments on Earth. (Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring the Planets) Program. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RFv5g2ZNGj0mLTmia2c2jFr9vTVnz_As1yijPqg98C1QfOyS7_Q5aCv4UPRNwtCXD0ZyBrZmFa-JE8qnGQs1des1lVtkTLesJ3gUhf4r5qQyhFcGzXqWv_RBJG_7EtadumHyROrs2d2_/s1600-h/stoneaerospace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RFv5g2ZNGj0mLTmia2c2jFr9vTVnz_As1yijPqg98C1QfOyS7_Q5aCv4UPRNwtCXD0ZyBrZmFa-JE8qnGQs1des1lVtkTLesJ3gUhf4r5qQyhFcGzXqWv_RBJG_7EtadumHyROrs2d2_/s200/stoneaerospace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399218258435195746" /></a><br />SAS - <a href="http://www.stoneaerospace.com/">Stone Aerospace</a>:<br />The robot was designed and built by the amazing robotic engineers at Stone Aerospace, or SAS, in Austin, Texas. And man does this robot have a lot of SAS!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dr. Bill Stone</span> is a Co-Investigator for Endurance. He is also the president and CEO of Stone Aerospace, the engineering company that designed and built the Endurance vehicle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bart Hogan</span> is a mechanical engineer for Stone Aerospace.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dr. Kristof Richmond</span> is a programmer for Stone Aerospace, focusing on navigation.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Shilpa Gulati</span> is a programmer for Stone Aerospace, focusing on the system executive and machine vision. She is also a PhD student at University of Texas, Austin.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chris Flesher</span> is the vehicle manager, programmer, and electronics technician for Stone Aerospace. He is a Masters student at UT Austin.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Rachel Middleton Price</span> is an electronics technician for Stone Aerospace.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Vickie Siegel</span> is chief vehicle technician and logistics manager for Stone Aerospace.<br /><br />These are all the SAS staff involved in the Lake Bonney 09 season.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Melting the robot's hole:</span> <br /><br />There were many things that needed to be accomplished before Endurance could go for a swim. For the past 12days, Maciek Obryk and Jim Olech have been melting the 8ft wide and 11ft deep cylindrical hole. Maciek and Jim are in charge of melting the hole, because equipment tends to breakdown a lot in Antarctica, and they can fix it. They are master hole-melters! They have spent all day everyday going back and forth from our worksite, at West Lobe Lake Bonney, and our Jamesway, at East Lobe, a 30min ATV ride around the edge of the lake. The melting process involves moving hot fingers (extremely hot coils that sit in the ice and melt the hole) around the hole, fueling the generators and Hotsy(s) (the devices that melt glycol and provide the heat to the hot fingers). The generators power the Hotsys and are filled with Mo-Gas (a certain type of gasoline). Then the Hotsy's use that power to burn diesel gas that heats up the glycol. This food-grade glycol then gets pumped into the coils of the hot fingers. The idea is that the ice then melts. Last year, when the hole was being melted in late November, it took one day. This year, we are here earlier in the season, which means it is much colder and they have spent 12+ days melting this hole. The hole refreezes constantly and on top of all that the Hotsys keep breaking down from being overworked! We have already shipped two away to the Hotsy Hospital, or MEC (mechanical equipment center) at McMurdo station. This is painstaking and literally back-breaking work, as Maciek is off to McMurdo to have his back looked at from a hole-related injury. The hole is slowly coming to completion after days and days of constant refueling and chipping the ice at the surface, using a underwater camera to check that the cylinder stays even down the sides, and moving hot fingers all around. It is insanely impressive that these boys are still standing upright, well they are napping now, but you know what I mean!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9ZZwPiGH5oDV6Vlq4QzsehTMbvcBA3gkVIL9Jg5u-F6NKm29kIA0Y7Sit1_Va1fkknohvcIvKzPyk0K7JNGPeo4J3o7f6lEf50iIfDxia4xu0_jFvVSufqWxCgZocKNhwDfyeRNxpD_T/s1600-h/Antarctica6+062.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9ZZwPiGH5oDV6Vlq4QzsehTMbvcBA3gkVIL9Jg5u-F6NKm29kIA0Y7Sit1_Va1fkknohvcIvKzPyk0K7JNGPeo4J3o7f6lEf50iIfDxia4xu0_jFvVSufqWxCgZocKNhwDfyeRNxpD_T/s200/Antarctica6+062.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399219754521321778" /></a> Jim checking out a Hotsy<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN41-mwRJKSOPfgfqdjswvT6ecp0HnBs9yXW0m0Z0hrZQi3wY4PznLp_6XkOrQQbhBw5NGD5CcipDMnFiW3THKvpjhQHwiUMIaX4yuEz99JSCSgkIA71XNP2uYAhNdWQa4bNdFQr7HZo5/s1600-h/Antarctica7+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNN41-mwRJKSOPfgfqdjswvT6ecp0HnBs9yXW0m0Z0hrZQi3wY4PznLp_6XkOrQQbhBw5NGD5CcipDMnFiW3THKvpjhQHwiUMIaX4yuEz99JSCSgkIA71XNP2uYAhNdWQa4bNdFQr7HZo5/s200/Antarctica7+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399100096995584642" /></a> The hole<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3V9J6ef4cZNs31yl_70UlPTrftvLazRbQnAFqznFOLOVFrkCDsQCo7QHbAtoRXkiDNLROhq1cm7ie-0KtwxWlS-WnFikONrply5uyzAfx2YZ4mkyUETtYtkMcUyho2VshbGhxjou7_j0/s1600-h/Antarctica7+013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3V9J6ef4cZNs31yl_70UlPTrftvLazRbQnAFqznFOLOVFrkCDsQCo7QHbAtoRXkiDNLROhq1cm7ie-0KtwxWlS-WnFikONrply5uyzAfx2YZ4mkyUETtYtkMcUyho2VshbGhxjou7_j0/s200/Antarctica7+013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399100085317677586" /></a> Maciek looking over the progress of the hole, in preparation for the long night ahead<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkDZw5sqLSzL29kZFCgme7XIGKgEPvvPIS6gDZB8MAfykEvoxwMBblcd925B0wsL6HeMz53c-r9RHuKpRNyN9ZNCoCitzIWkktL15ydKTOIatA7seP5aE8c9oDttEme8iwOM3jiaOWazK/s1600-h/Antarctica7+026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkDZw5sqLSzL29kZFCgme7XIGKgEPvvPIS6gDZB8MAfykEvoxwMBblcd925B0wsL6HeMz53c-r9RHuKpRNyN9ZNCoCitzIWkktL15ydKTOIatA7seP5aE8c9oDttEme8iwOM3jiaOWazK/s200/Antarctica7+026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399100106385058546" /></a> Jim and Maciek placing a hot finger near a ridge in the ice, to melt it away so the circle is smooth and perfectly cylindrical <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuynp1wGL86KyOU7KE6Y4_COJUCtdjnbZGHue42fbs_bNUfIHOrH6DxRtdnCe9pcFo2OjmkobsvRHDjvCbaDDmFYOmgvHhT9CJv_7JSI9jGPZrIej5I-kLyba2W8J6aZIA8WDo_6_a7588/s1600-h/Antarctica7+028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuynp1wGL86KyOU7KE6Y4_COJUCtdjnbZGHue42fbs_bNUfIHOrH6DxRtdnCe9pcFo2OjmkobsvRHDjvCbaDDmFYOmgvHhT9CJv_7JSI9jGPZrIej5I-kLyba2W8J6aZIA8WDo_6_a7588/s200/Antarctica7+028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399100114833543058" /></a> Maciek and Jim surveying the hole and hot fingers locations before a long night of melting<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcSMg4OUb3lNdnKn_cWI8uOtH-rozLlXlgqUNkbns9CbRsnSdV3sEOD2ua1-NuLcyvuQZOUpcukmvz1Xrk5M-sQMFLLEfgKdK0vKDGD53VZJyWzwCVgkif4KBPaY6y1lEZa5IaxQ7v3pc/s1600-h/Antarctica7+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcSMg4OUb3lNdnKn_cWI8uOtH-rozLlXlgqUNkbns9CbRsnSdV3sEOD2ua1-NuLcyvuQZOUpcukmvz1Xrk5M-sQMFLLEfgKdK0vKDGD53VZJyWzwCVgkif4KBPaY6y1lEZa5IaxQ7v3pc/s200/Antarctica7+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399100116939884674" /></a> Me and the hole, under the ENDURANCE sign<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDorBt6BbDoreuHVPmjetd-fezf9_pjK23aQlDb_Au-p1rjdDL7BWlxSoHFL6SPHYYhw9B0aGizLL3hyphenhyphenUhZM9IdA4xfWNYI05gEGFBi1SGyPdY6kLQFfMZsXUPSJNZdrkvBIRIdvOpxP/s1600-h/Antarctica7+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UDorBt6BbDoreuHVPmjetd-fezf9_pjK23aQlDb_Au-p1rjdDL7BWlxSoHFL6SPHYYhw9B0aGizLL3hyphenhyphenUhZM9IdA4xfWNYI05gEGFBi1SGyPdY6kLQFfMZsXUPSJNZdrkvBIRIdvOpxP/s200/Antarctica7+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399103771441796370" /></a> Maciek lying down to rest his thrown out back... he works too hard<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"> <br />Construction of the "Bot House":</span><br />The "Bot" as the robot is referred to round these parts, stays in the "Bot House". This is a giant Polar Haven, a type of building constructed on the ice to provide shelter. It looks similar to our Jamesway. The steps to its construction began with Maciek picking the site and beginning to melt the hole there.<br /><br /><br />Then we got in 10 carpenters, or carps, from McMurdo that camped out around the construction site on West Lobe. Last year the SAS and Endurance team built this structure all by themselves, but this year we got much needed help, expertise and labor from the carps. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggg1yPM-4gjXvYZ32-LL_oM-kmmG6WS9GS2NB2qUdBg6Fth8szqE_4CB2c_0_PSgxwXYlS53zvtGP0ceYkreqwbOf_ymB38Y7OZXlDHcJQDhK0Dc8RYzC_0xSB3Mef61KJz9oQgADb-3kk/s1600-h/Antarctica5+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggg1yPM-4gjXvYZ32-LL_oM-kmmG6WS9GS2NB2qUdBg6Fth8szqE_4CB2c_0_PSgxwXYlS53zvtGP0ceYkreqwbOf_ymB38Y7OZXlDHcJQDhK0Dc8RYzC_0xSB3Mef61KJz9oQgADb-3kk/s200/Antarctica5+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399223112028526546" /></a> Two Hotsys sit in front of the carps camp set-up <br /><br />The "Bot House" floor went up in two days, first they leveled the foundation, it was my job to use the leveling surveyor and tell them if each section was level to a certain number. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyDe81afJBGmhFWJMkRoSLkGOPPHmY669IZVd9yO-cESwxCD2woeq5n5JHYjB-NN8vNSsBX5Dn_8Xe6DBsD5T59lXfCgFA8iPvDcwqBMD7QqHTAbqgmrEMGnfV8ExM4tUBQSIWV3cfh51/s1600-h/Antarctica5+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyDe81afJBGmhFWJMkRoSLkGOPPHmY669IZVd9yO-cESwxCD2woeq5n5JHYjB-NN8vNSsBX5Dn_8Xe6DBsD5T59lXfCgFA8iPvDcwqBMD7QqHTAbqgmrEMGnfV8ExM4tUBQSIWV3cfh51/s200/Antarctica5+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399220763700629506" /></a> Bot House foundation being leveled <br /><br />Then they added the sections of the floor, it was sort of like constructing a giant jigsaw puzzle. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ys600jX3_0NLuePjpcByP4SqV6yxPmQULGLMyoiijvJ4SP0L5diQh1aamBW4env5Em0dclcZyNSqhqQtW93uMGRGPSvluFBahiftH5jFN-jauzp-cooQ-09YyzcNDNT6e0JjpOscbRBi/s1600-h/Antarctica5+021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ys600jX3_0NLuePjpcByP4SqV6yxPmQULGLMyoiijvJ4SP0L5diQh1aamBW4env5Em0dclcZyNSqhqQtW93uMGRGPSvluFBahiftH5jFN-jauzp-cooQ-09YyzcNDNT6e0JjpOscbRBi/s200/Antarctica5+021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400011025468122834" /></a> All the carps and Bill get ready to lift a floor piece<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIdpiTKuMEdSdVUyjqTKLeduwx2oNtHqA5MTEjjsDfvzM9_tlidH2Tty4oKoQYx6IqSEMLADZY6O91TBv0Xy64UgcIAbKFgsNtHFvbF-3iAFCyLEyWH5NG6qQxdgfP11qOTXEb9yDEuHv/s1600-h/Antarctica5+027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIdpiTKuMEdSdVUyjqTKLeduwx2oNtHqA5MTEjjsDfvzM9_tlidH2Tty4oKoQYx6IqSEMLADZY6O91TBv0Xy64UgcIAbKFgsNtHFvbF-3iAFCyLEyWH5NG6qQxdgfP11qOTXEb9yDEuHv/s200/Antarctica5+027.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399232426857869458" /></a> Puzzle piece in place<br />The sections of floor were so large, an ATV was brought in to move them all into place. Very carefully a carp drove an ATV toward the floor piece they were moving, then all 9 other carps and Bill would lift and move the piece on to the back of the ATV. They would then stand behind and to the sides of the ATV holding the piece while it was driven into its place in the puzzle. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3mVg4bz-XAJtqX60EB3be1ZevYWLUANuvEh5YbQhiUokm-YhF9Zyr963gBV-hbLBaPil8kD_XYbOFq-PG3A1GFJGd1PeAQtTUhsGUsNZiQyFizJC4WALhNKncULKN97EquQ8Ri4Gfn1y/s1600-h/Antarctica5+039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3mVg4bz-XAJtqX60EB3be1ZevYWLUANuvEh5YbQhiUokm-YhF9Zyr963gBV-hbLBaPil8kD_XYbOFq-PG3A1GFJGd1PeAQtTUhsGUsNZiQyFizJC4WALhNKncULKN97EquQ8Ri4Gfn1y/s200/Antarctica5+039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400099696496116386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfXZ6QDBD5AQBeFpDNtAxtqkB5jFlCOkEdkMN7KBQ6YhlpUWxZZfhQ7G58Qa3ndsM1xoTYMW8Qmg9PmZcg0K3IuhdHi557LiWLpMy0yMhIGyvSJWdPKo9VJP9oWo6hbAEyw197SJaXewu/s1600-h/Antarctica5+049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfXZ6QDBD5AQBeFpDNtAxtqkB5jFlCOkEdkMN7KBQ6YhlpUWxZZfhQ7G58Qa3ndsM1xoTYMW8Qmg9PmZcg0K3IuhdHi557LiWLpMy0yMhIGyvSJWdPKo9VJP9oWo6hbAEyw197SJaXewu/s200/Antarctica5+049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400099691377930354" /></a><br />The awesome power of the carps was quite a scene to watch. It was amazing what they could accomplish together. By the end of one long day they had put the pieces, of what I thought was a large and difficult puzzle, into place. The next day it was snowing! It was time to bolt the floor together. Each junction was either a 1 (2 pieces being put together end to end), 2 (2 pieces being put together side to side) or a 3 which was (three pieces being fastened together side to side to side). These three different junctions took three different lengths of bolts to fasten them together. My job was to get all the people doing the actual work, all the bolts, washers, and nuts they needed. It seemed near the end of a long day of bolting we were going to run out of washers, then run out of 6" bolts, but with a little rearranging done by the king of the carps, Mombok, and Bill we had all the pieces bolted into place. The bot was to arrive tomorrow via helicopter, and the floor of its house was ready. <br />You learn early on in Antarctica that weather delays common, almost nothing happens on schedule or without being affected one way or another by the harsh and unpredictable Antarctica weather. The next day the winds were 25-30knots with gusts up to 40mph!! The Bot could not be flown in this weather, it is too dangerous for the helos to carry a load, like the bot, on a day this windy and then the bot could be damaged. No flying... No ifs, ands, or bots. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SAS:</span><br />The bot arrived the next day along with all 6 other members of Stone Aerospace, SAS, and all their science cargo of fiber-optic cable, batteries, computers, and sonar. The robot was flown in - stripped down to the bare minimum, and dressed in his carrying case, or trench-coat as I call it. The helo, in the awesome precision the pilots have, place the bot down onto the floor with perfect precision.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqozPzUHHBJD8CoSC3FifWpvVJmcOfT8m5Xd4NP1H0HhdjKoQXNbN-HxWzAmid0ue3qAd_HOsvjuFjXLbrASLocAWBuSdFxZZByeEjeAx69hYfDC5x9JlwovI42fRi1tDjmpjMHDgy_LX/s1600-h/DSC_0024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqozPzUHHBJD8CoSC3FifWpvVJmcOfT8m5Xd4NP1H0HhdjKoQXNbN-HxWzAmid0ue3qAd_HOsvjuFjXLbrASLocAWBuSdFxZZByeEjeAx69hYfDC5x9JlwovI42fRi1tDjmpjMHDgy_LX/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399001012355617634" /></a><br />The medal bar and tarp enclosure quickly came up around the bot and heat was added. The "Bot House" was complete and ready for the season ahead.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1Um53gynijXlJU5oS_ImdortSMiwa9EKFWkqGrqbssU-vborcVCW5_2AlXibN-UFW5YL5a44NtVVAxwfWVQ4UtybKWN4SWsuKcGZVs7HUQy0FFYwEHBazugeirALtAC7fpiPh7dS8sUC/s1600-h/Antarctica6+066.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1Um53gynijXlJU5oS_ImdortSMiwa9EKFWkqGrqbssU-vborcVCW5_2AlXibN-UFW5YL5a44NtVVAxwfWVQ4UtybKWN4SWsuKcGZVs7HUQy0FFYwEHBazugeirALtAC7fpiPh7dS8sUC/s200/Antarctica6+066.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399985564629502562" /></a> The "Bot House" under mid-afternoon sun<br /><br />The swing loads of expensive, DNF (Do Not Freeze), science equipment came next and needed a warm place to be stored. The next few days were filled with unpacking all the gear. I got to spend a few hours watching the robot get ready and this is what I saw:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wMHN4WEa2K-gmxn3noIwZZprbgy8i_PtvipjanZaTZfsrp_FoEqHkyZfj9ehahGDZIhbCsgaLeDcysiv3W291wOim2MTC0pgSAzvvZkx1t-XENHiIlxLWwVLxPwm2TGGdyWAkyylLHyz/s1600-h/Antarctica7+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wMHN4WEa2K-gmxn3noIwZZprbgy8i_PtvipjanZaTZfsrp_FoEqHkyZfj9ehahGDZIhbCsgaLeDcysiv3W291wOim2MTC0pgSAzvvZkx1t-XENHiIlxLWwVLxPwm2TGGdyWAkyylLHyz/s200/Antarctica7+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400104144065838594" /></a> The "Bot" in his house, with his clothes lying next to him<br /><br />- Chris and Kristof were making contact; they established a comm shop and were wiring the building to establish communication with the robot. They fed fiber-optic cable from the computer docking stations over to the hole. This line of communication is how the robot sends all the data it collects back to the SAS team. <br /><br />- Bart was cleaning the robot's room, as we put it, unloading boxes and unpacking special, expensive, and very breakable scientific equipment that I could touch, but I could look at called Servo motors. <br /><br />- Vickie and Rachel were undressing the robot from his traveler's trench-coat, and mounting on cameras with aqua sealant to prevent the two different metals from making contact with each other and become electronically charged. <br /><br />- Bill was making adjustments to the "Bot House" and generally fixing things for the robot. Also making sure all the proper equipment was there.<br /><br />- Shilpa was sick this day, and so she was back at 'home' resting. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7OFkBV30zd-H0n7DKpieToqG19vHz_VAu2yNYWSHqjCIz02iiyxteKFmK0Xpr51HatPFtEmsPWa2rdTzmg2uX4z6WzQqNGjYY0CikBef1Ab8tctcs3gvia0Ej1bpCGlc1g_nfxZY9AZS/s1600-h/IMG_6579.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7OFkBV30zd-H0n7DKpieToqG19vHz_VAu2yNYWSHqjCIz02iiyxteKFmK0Xpr51HatPFtEmsPWa2rdTzmg2uX4z6WzQqNGjYY0CikBef1Ab8tctcs3gvia0Ej1bpCGlc1g_nfxZY9AZS/s200/IMG_6579.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399999815237562914" /></a> Kristof up on a ladder, snaps a shot of Vicky, Rachel and, I working on the bot<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizR1JG6sU5TJqZPf5OCAOU7muGd1aLz76CFDR_dTpIdsIAFjMydpDWvyd674p9RJ9vkS-N2p5NaX3r9iC5ruObokTmny-aNrI2gusF7a6eEU2m7LP9o0mF0qgiTllz71li8L8_IHBHMVBf/s1600-h/IMG_6577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizR1JG6sU5TJqZPf5OCAOU7muGd1aLz76CFDR_dTpIdsIAFjMydpDWvyd674p9RJ9vkS-N2p5NaX3r9iC5ruObokTmny-aNrI2gusF7a6eEU2m7LP9o0mF0qgiTllz71li8L8_IHBHMVBf/s200/IMG_6577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399999804754187538" /></a> Rachel and I smile up at Kristof<br /><br />With all this SAS around it, this robot didn't have to lift a finger all day! All the members of SAS spend their days here leaving in the morning from the Jamesway at East Lobe Bonney and taking the ATV ride over to West Lobe Lake Bonney to work on the robot. When the hole is finally large enough, which should happen any day now, the robot will get to take his first dip in the lake.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Overview of this Season: </span><br /><br />The plan for the season is basically divided into two parts. One part of the bot's mission here is to collect Sonde points (Sonde with a silent e). The Sonde, instrument lowered to collect data, points are collected by the robot traveling in a grid pattern, 100m at a time, and lowering the science load, or Sonde, down to about a meter above the ground. The science package collects data sets and measurements and then is pulled back up. Last year they did not quite complete the points throughout West Lobe, Lake Bonney so this year they will go back over area they covered last year and then collect points from the areas they could not get to last year. <br /><br />The next mission is called the Glacier mission. At the west end of Lake Bonney lies Taylor Glacier and an area called Blood Falls. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpblPTYeeOQFqU68BcYw4kvM8ALF-TBHB7WxNTqPXceeSkExwAfTnTGMNuuam28Dawf4gRPgSRZXNN5T6mtQ6t_jnxfIFV2Hbajv9zEy-uUK4J4XjtmVUWfx26Fr-_sAN2LFetns6yGvGn/s1600-h/Antarctica6+054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpblPTYeeOQFqU68BcYw4kvM8ALF-TBHB7WxNTqPXceeSkExwAfTnTGMNuuam28Dawf4gRPgSRZXNN5T6mtQ6t_jnxfIFV2Hbajv9zEy-uUK4J4XjtmVUWfx26Fr-_sAN2LFetns6yGvGn/s200/Antarctica6+054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400105404451055394" /></a> Taylor Glacier, West Lobe Lake Bonney<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34FD_6KbID8Vtzj7UGWjPu9zpKXjVh7FAb5M_iPQAugI8uPjdZvFQ0FFKp52_94LinzaYvZJTCO5advvxj7fgMyfUgbL0jyuasfE3Vr_Ze2Ld4bywiLEa49h2o86ihfZciPEBcIl-Xjld/s1600-h/BLOOD_FALLS.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34FD_6KbID8Vtzj7UGWjPu9zpKXjVh7FAb5M_iPQAugI8uPjdZvFQ0FFKp52_94LinzaYvZJTCO5advvxj7fgMyfUgbL0jyuasfE3Vr_Ze2Ld4bywiLEa49h2o86ihfZciPEBcIl-Xjld/s200/BLOOD_FALLS.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400106698607665970" /></a> Blood Falls and Taylor Glacier<br />Photo Credit: Peter Rejcek (USAP)<br />Blood Falls is an outflow of iron-oxide rich saltwater from inside the glacier, flowing out of Taylor Glacier. It looks like a red water fall that has stained the glacier; Blood Falls - pretty good name huh?<br /><br />Peter Doran would like to the robot to map the interface, or meeting, of the glacier and the lake. The bot would go up to the glacier face, underwater, and use its multi-beam sonars to map the face of the glacier all the way up and down it. Then the plan is to weight the bot down with 500lbs of lead weights (500lbs of lead weight Loralee and I were responsible for packing in McMurdo!). The weight would allow the bot to go beneath the bottom of the glacier into an underwater caved formed by Lake Bonney and Taylor Glacier. This is completely unknown territory, as was most of Lake Bonney prior to Endurance's season last year. This under glacier exploration has the possibility of showing us something no one, or no bot, has ever seen before!<br /><br /> While these goals for Endurance are all incredible pioneer scientific expeditions in their own right, they also serve a greater mission. As I mentioned, this is a NASA funded project, these Antarctic explorations give us scientific data from Lake Bonney from a perspective no one has ever had before, a AUV. These also function as test missions for an eventual (2020 or 2030) trip to explore Jupiter's moon, Europa, which is believed to have oceans of liquid water which are under miles of ice. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytvNeC6UFq2u6YlLSnb7Kvep-OMEBGTv1SGLxn6l3L1Houfg1ygOyTKOuRlb9XxtvsMUuBZIyq7gVqQTk9Y5OY1DCQsbjsmuAWjQ-zYwZFTOADqeZK-aIjs3CcVaWZjcjaIppBmMawUYO/s1600-h/Europa+ice.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytvNeC6UFq2u6YlLSnb7Kvep-OMEBGTv1SGLxn6l3L1Houfg1ygOyTKOuRlb9XxtvsMUuBZIyq7gVqQTk9Y5OY1DCQsbjsmuAWjQ-zYwZFTOADqeZK-aIjs3CcVaWZjcjaIppBmMawUYO/s320/Europa+ice.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400102453796751698" /></a> Diagram of Europa's possible liquid ocean<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4Z7hHnylzZRJCjxIC8mVKkxS0QM2PWfCCCvzwvIRFJ2FPWX3ZySamqA4j0M_6x52X2k7sx-wI9rhJA0hrlxeDA4IbrEElfbnXQBCx_n4nzMIT4bm75RMIsqvG1wZi79mjwppxcOS8dGb/s1600-h/europa.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4Z7hHnylzZRJCjxIC8mVKkxS0QM2PWfCCCvzwvIRFJ2FPWX3ZySamqA4j0M_6x52X2k7sx-wI9rhJA0hrlxeDA4IbrEElfbnXQBCx_n4nzMIT4bm75RMIsqvG1wZi79mjwppxcOS8dGb/s200/europa.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400101667246993650" /></a>Europa, Jupiter's Frozen Moon<br /><br />This could only happen with a much more money and a much smaller AUV. Well, Endurance, its time to get in a season of work-outs and shed some of that 3,000+ poundage!<br /><br />Brrrr,<br /><br />Emma<br />ENDURANCE fanaticEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-33596171413216991512009-10-22T03:18:00.000+13:002009-10-26T15:58:58.777+13:00My Bonney lies over the Ocean... or Frozen Lake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkIaRK-shUdF_-Gqe8n94B0viTethNzeBGPt10N53OZUNGTIGKHdTK0HLLj_-sD_LfDGgQwRpgbZpcs56H5tQfdT0ixNcRfMDnG6yg5cH-R9k8h4vj_yGfDZKmXMf28voyfsL-MdNzJud/s1600-h/Antarctica5+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkIaRK-shUdF_-Gqe8n94B0viTethNzeBGPt10N53OZUNGTIGKHdTK0HLLj_-sD_LfDGgQwRpgbZpcs56H5tQfdT0ixNcRfMDnG6yg5cH-R9k8h4vj_yGfDZKmXMf28voyfsL-MdNzJud/s320/Antarctica5+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396689620100080946" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Antarctica is the most extreme and inhospitable place on Earth...<br /></span><br />The <span style="font-weight:bold;">coldest</span> plateaus of ice surround the South Pole and cover the Eastern side of Antarctica where deeply frozen Lake Vostok and the Russian Station at Vostok sit with the record low temperature of -89.3C (-128.6F); the <span style="font-weight:bold;">windiest</span> place on Earth with Katabatic winds, cold heavy air racing downhill, like we have here in the Dry Valleys, reaching 100mph; the <span style="font-weight:bold;">driest</span> continent with less that 2inches of annual precipitation, most storms occur out at sea, and on land storms usually consists of winds blowing snow up and around to cause a very disorienting storm, known as a whiteout. The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica freezes in the austral winter, in effect, doubling the size of the continent. Antarctica is the <span style="font-weight:bold;">highest</span> continent, with the mean average height of some of the highest mountains on Earth sky rocketing it upward, including Mt. Erebus sitting at 12,448ft. Antarctica is the most inhospitable continent on Earth, with no land animals or fixed human population. Where upwards of 2million people live above the 60degree N latitude, there is a fixed population of ZERO below 60degrees South... the only people here are visiting to work, study, or conduct research and that is at most 4000 people throughout one austral summer August (Winfly) - February (close of season for winter). When winter hits Antarctica and the temperature drops to 80 below and the sun sets for six long months of night, only the most insane of the insane stay, and experience the cold, the darkness and the wondrous Aurora Australis... the Winter-overs. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DneyqnIeONjQsLWNNUJCnnmcQvlisKbzWcnp4SYK1I3NcfhBEqDbosUL1ogUsmx116QDsz_NVqW2wqPB-ructfZyEBp-G-dTaJaF3s4l1-FEPFITqqRdKS-9VmfQ2e1w427C173K3lzG/s1600-h/antarctica-map.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DneyqnIeONjQsLWNNUJCnnmcQvlisKbzWcnp4SYK1I3NcfhBEqDbosUL1ogUsmx116QDsz_NVqW2wqPB-ructfZyEBp-G-dTaJaF3s4l1-FEPFITqqRdKS-9VmfQ2e1w427C173K3lzG/s320/antarctica-map.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396484069282673682" /></a>When looking at a map of Antarctica it may be quite disorienting for many, as it was for me, to understand just what is N,S,E, and W. With the South Pole at the center and the peninsula, the most distinguishing border of Antarctica, the part that comes up to meet South America, at the top left of your map, or globe, then you have East Antarctica on the right (60%) and West Antarctica on the lower left (40%). McMurdo Station (the main US station, the NYC of Antarctica) sits in the top right notch of the Ross Sea, the small indent on the bottom of the map, near New Zealand. I started my Antarctic quest in McMurdo Station, and still think of it as my little home away from home. But now I have moved to my field camp, my home for the next 8 weeks... Lake Bonney which is located in the Dry Valleys (which is - if your map/globe is still oriented like we discussed above - just to the right of McMurdo Station). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6Z9sUluDZLdMd8b46OhtXdaVHZ-bU9MHdLJY-52cT1XSVpx0zwKsoaQ3R4VI80w4U5StmJlpTYdhHYTm08b0f2a5zum339bTRAm3hJ2s_LaaMHpXzMbYLS8vYOlrTb5hQ_gwU8YMTI93/s1600-h/dry_valleys_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6Z9sUluDZLdMd8b46OhtXdaVHZ-bU9MHdLJY-52cT1XSVpx0zwKsoaQ3R4VI80w4U5StmJlpTYdhHYTm08b0f2a5zum339bTRAm3hJ2s_LaaMHpXzMbYLS8vYOlrTb5hQ_gwU8YMTI93/s320/dry_valleys_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396484529102796338" /></a><br />I am located in Taylor Valley at the front of Taylor Glacier in the middle of Lake Bonney. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Dry Valleys</span> are valleys nestled into the Transantarctic Mountains. They completely lack snow, except for the frozen lakes and the many glaciers that wind through the valleys. The Dry Valleys are the world's most extreme dessert. (Although it is snowing as I am writing this - which is extremely rare- but makes me really happy, because I love the snow and miss watching it fall, even very lightly.) The shores of frozen Lake Bonney are covered in rocks, sand, and pebbles and they slant uphill on all sides, up into the mountains. The rocky, sandy sloped shores are also strewn about with ventifacts. Ventifacts are rocks that have been eroded, pitted, polished, grooved, and reshaped by the constant wind. Some main features of these rocks are smooth surfaces, holes, curves, bends, jagged and sharp edges and points. Some are small enough to pick up and others are large enough to sit in the holes and curves from the wind. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplgYO2ZtNRJbpUKrYcdgfg68hZRdG5Rcv-BysWWlUpSg3yPUurkaP9ySrbL8qrB5lgIFyWXZ4VSo2lHY0i4i8Miw3Mc59B_j3zgvhHPm1Dzs4BUFAiHpN2lVV4OdweS_0mc5iVX69XQU0/s1600-h/PA193089.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplgYO2ZtNRJbpUKrYcdgfg68hZRdG5Rcv-BysWWlUpSg3yPUurkaP9ySrbL8qrB5lgIFyWXZ4VSo2lHY0i4i8Miw3Mc59B_j3zgvhHPm1Dzs4BUFAiHpN2lVV4OdweS_0mc5iVX69XQU0/s320/PA193089.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396691647262122562" /></a><br />Ventifact near camp<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy92f-M7LKboMm30rAbheyzPTk_3dp-hUkdUHg96plYC4T-P9ktbvRlmUcDJYS0AFggqx9Qwlfz48UAISuqKkINTjkjIf83RsVtIV4R64zoUdxPQyA_qSp4tE-En1G8z1-rfM_HP62Amz-/s1600-h/PA193087.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy92f-M7LKboMm30rAbheyzPTk_3dp-hUkdUHg96plYC4T-P9ktbvRlmUcDJYS0AFggqx9Qwlfz48UAISuqKkINTjkjIf83RsVtIV4R64zoUdxPQyA_qSp4tE-En1G8z1-rfM_HP62Amz-/s320/PA193087.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396691643255067074" /></a><br />Jim and Maciek up on top of one of the larger ventifacts<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lake Bonney</span><br />Lake Bonney's Wikipedia page - this was fun for me to find!<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Bonney_%28Antarctica%29<br /><br />The helicopter ride to my camp was breathtaking. The views of Mt. Erebus, sea ice, and mountains, and the frozen lakes and glaciers of the valleys were unbelievable from the helicopter - you just cannot get views like those from anywhere else. It felt as if I was in a BBC/Discovery nature documentary, like maybe - <span style="font-weight:bold;">Frozen Planet</span>, a sequel to Planet Earth, about the poles, presently being filmed here in Antarctica! We were flying over mountains and down into glaciers. Then this huge glacier came into view and we were so close to the steep drop off at the front of the glacier - my jaw dropped, I could not believe I was seeing this, it was a huge sheet of ICE! It opened to the edge of a huge frozen lake, with mountains on either side. It was the most beautiful, breathtaking area of the flight yet, and then I noticed some orange boxes in the center of the lake and then a camp came in to view. I suddenly realized that while I was taking in the sights, the amazing sights of this lake, that the helicopter had been getting lower and lower and was about to land at my new home... <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lake Bonney<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>!!! I started exploding with excitement and a smile spread across my face, that would take a while to fade... I was here, I was finally here! I could not believe it. I climbed out of the helicopter and the co-pilot helped me un-load my gear. I got out my radio and made contact with the helicopter, you have to make contact so they know that you have contact, before the helo can leave the landing pad. Then I sat through the immense wind of the helo taking off again and paused to looked around at my new home. The frozen lake is right there, we are basically up on the beach, it's our own little lake house. My Antarctic summer on the beach had only just begun...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Helicopter Views</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdGN1Itg4BwThbYpwIC6NeZs0Lwef7B4GSrB2SuDVIOIIV6iM4id1ZVV9X6lFTB1nHXOpayBrnJG8lTDxRcjRQW_4zZUp0fWlBdNKiBwKXJ2dWuIhSc1eqxL67o7xTjwKHz7F5COKSIyf/s1600-h/PA142983.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdGN1Itg4BwThbYpwIC6NeZs0Lwef7B4GSrB2SuDVIOIIV6iM4id1ZVV9X6lFTB1nHXOpayBrnJG8lTDxRcjRQW_4zZUp0fWlBdNKiBwKXJ2dWuIhSc1eqxL67o7xTjwKHz7F5COKSIyf/s320/PA142983.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676801813927730" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELZa8z1czBJagyZe8nzVRy8PfrDJBiQntD0mAsVfcUZCTAh0370cIqq3CU0kntkkMbv8LhWASj0UJKror_t6mGKC_dIlt2CKpsM1mrOzKuY9trX-mbAcA16Wl959ZmcJuXbXJKiiHhCG2/s1600-h/PA142982.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELZa8z1czBJagyZe8nzVRy8PfrDJBiQntD0mAsVfcUZCTAh0370cIqq3CU0kntkkMbv8LhWASj0UJKror_t6mGKC_dIlt2CKpsM1mrOzKuY9trX-mbAcA16Wl959ZmcJuXbXJKiiHhCG2/s320/PA142982.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676798922318018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTk42hTgBuqh799GrGx47ovWGNciG-TW_W2E_N5ZTuMu0mI7cycs9aFxyk28vu3dh6QVSOYH4W-n3GrZrQbHiphyKlKsBVNu8B5RvQQCwJyay9Gr7n6vtSJBZGqZYcCHHCKyWcK_5M3ZI/s1600-h/PA142980.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTk42hTgBuqh799GrGx47ovWGNciG-TW_W2E_N5ZTuMu0mI7cycs9aFxyk28vu3dh6QVSOYH4W-n3GrZrQbHiphyKlKsBVNu8B5RvQQCwJyay9Gr7n6vtSJBZGqZYcCHHCKyWcK_5M3ZI/s320/PA142980.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676790025854674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA5pH_K61TdvTq3j8zJT-ptW5WWXC1SK4MOJMqQw63vOXxjfW4KxhQXw_oqEchBEgEOpAfsAjyOWbtHS4GI6DOPWS9sverwApdLQrnV9xNjo4tlNqAdQXzQCFN_A-9MoYH1T3yj65dgct/s1600-h/PA142965.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA5pH_K61TdvTq3j8zJT-ptW5WWXC1SK4MOJMqQw63vOXxjfW4KxhQXw_oqEchBEgEOpAfsAjyOWbtHS4GI6DOPWS9sverwApdLQrnV9xNjo4tlNqAdQXzQCFN_A-9MoYH1T3yj65dgct/s320/PA142965.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676783593814562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34MICwLLaRpVAF3MllAmGet17f6j9JG-SIgwK8QLWr2AORgp35UdVS6sWJrvMGMzuM5Z1a5k93EQLcQG30mxxfpoocVWwO6thaLRylUlbwtscd4NRAlfpj6RDqD-mvoCGd9ruTbDb5CBh/s1600-h/PA142990.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34MICwLLaRpVAF3MllAmGet17f6j9JG-SIgwK8QLWr2AORgp35UdVS6sWJrvMGMzuM5Z1a5k93EQLcQG30mxxfpoocVWwO6thaLRylUlbwtscd4NRAlfpj6RDqD-mvoCGd9ruTbDb5CBh/s320/PA142990.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396678364158060018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bZrCwRDX_ad2W67caWzt6nxM9m2gyv42nF7_SPYyEBWtoVFDv18hOqeyVLIEzWWW0UWJ5Kp7ooRTV1v7EPU2xJaueu2Y8NOEDWxOjZiuzobVBIyfwn6eeQfFi3B8jJTuaSjOtbHKD8HS/s1600-h/PA142987.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bZrCwRDX_ad2W67caWzt6nxM9m2gyv42nF7_SPYyEBWtoVFDv18hOqeyVLIEzWWW0UWJ5Kp7ooRTV1v7EPU2xJaueu2Y8NOEDWxOjZiuzobVBIyfwn6eeQfFi3B8jJTuaSjOtbHKD8HS/s320/PA142987.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396678359269004786" /></a><br />Photo credit to Loralee Ryan, as I did not have my camera during my flight. The views were just spectacular, even more breathtaking in person (or in helo). <br /><br />Life here at Lake Bonney camp is definitely rough. Everyday we wake up and have to check that all of the following are working, fueled, and if anything needs to be replaced, changed, or moved: water, fuel, heat, bathroom, garbage. Our water supply comes from chipping ice off Lake Bonney - which is hard work. Then we check how full all the garbage bins are - all of our trash is separated from food waste, to aluminum, light cardboard, and paper towels (which is really compactable non-recyclables: paper towels, tissues, clean food wrappers, paper wrappers, plastic wrappers). Next we check the barrels holding gray water (dish water, hand washing water, cooking water), the urine barrel (self explanatory), and the diesel source for our heater (it's very important that our heater runs!). Next I start on some dishes, cleaning in a bucket in the sink and rising in a bath of very lightly bleached water. We only change the sink water once a day, to use less water. Basically, besides drinking water, we limit any unnecessary use of water. Our power is generated by two large solar panels. Our Jamesway at Camp, a long, half dome shaped building, is always heated. It is a miss-mosh of years of use. It has silly wigs, posters, stickers, and pictures up from seasons past. In addition, since we have helicopter constantly coming back and forth from McMurdo and our field site, West Lobe of Lake Bonney, we have to make sure that everything is always held down by rocks, cargo straps, or is heavy enough to not be lifted by the wind of the propellers, and become trapped in the helicopter or become a UFO or weapon flying through the air. All fuel related items, barrels of fuel, generators, ATVs, propane tanks, all need to be on top of berms, or fuel containment liners, so no environmentally hazardous fuel spills into the ground. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE-uw9ukW2UuLFEv2mjcPyqW92ouH0NQtQ6BskcGgbDfaSqXozNrFUCDfc1s84ur2TedXyst6XFVT67A9ctstb-Wp5ccZAvEM8D9cGWpLTqcnxnK4Qq2fhhIukAarPlp7DjK1QkzDU9EQ/s1600-h/Antarctica4+181.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE-uw9ukW2UuLFEv2mjcPyqW92ouH0NQtQ6BskcGgbDfaSqXozNrFUCDfc1s84ur2TedXyst6XFVT67A9ctstb-Wp5ccZAvEM8D9cGWpLTqcnxnK4Qq2fhhIukAarPlp7DjK1QkzDU9EQ/s320/Antarctica4+181.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681598330750578" /></a><br />Food Storage in our Jamesway<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCxiQ9aNU_dQ6d9P_6FPGQftuQ_xgCMbf-YAa7J17dLx7kGzapvmdLG0mo-V6jj6xXn_7XMRvOlhWIQuy4Mq2orJB9e26P4Dx9wgMUelFI1aHAqfTJdBRL07WIhUfVv_OkrUDrLCjvI6c/s1600-h/Antarctica4+179.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCxiQ9aNU_dQ6d9P_6FPGQftuQ_xgCMbf-YAa7J17dLx7kGzapvmdLG0mo-V6jj6xXn_7XMRvOlhWIQuy4Mq2orJB9e26P4Dx9wgMUelFI1aHAqfTJdBRL07WIhUfVv_OkrUDrLCjvI6c/s320/Antarctica4+179.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681589452517378" /></a><br />My work station, propane stove and refrigerator because, as we learned last night, power is not always reliable<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M2kelRYK8r73GSByaPL0AtnAO4Mb5nOf9GT3givJoafyEZs_5ELmk6knvyR6VJ1L9bofRLv-W8EeYlY0w-SHF_sjAaV44IDx0odfExY8rddGL3g3RGsyG-bUcIOi3zrgHI41PvOKihbS/s1600-h/Antarctica4+169.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M2kelRYK8r73GSByaPL0AtnAO4Mb5nOf9GT3givJoafyEZs_5ELmk6knvyR6VJ1L9bofRLv-W8EeYlY0w-SHF_sjAaV44IDx0odfExY8rddGL3g3RGsyG-bUcIOi3zrgHI41PvOKihbS/s320/Antarctica4+169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681587070271314" /></a><br />The back of the Jamesway, with our little couch and back door<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8an9kd9Ig2fLXAOQGM5fIk9pM5zGEcFkSv979JLH2gAX3pS6naQKonfCePrFSX8ian8A1k0pXedOFbuGCMGebonJb19AgmoZJJXiV1_9eYLNXwIh2qkifsLoAGHUUYf7o4-v_R5VpMai/s1600-h/Antarctica4+173.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8an9kd9Ig2fLXAOQGM5fIk9pM5zGEcFkSv979JLH2gAX3pS6naQKonfCePrFSX8ian8A1k0pXedOFbuGCMGebonJb19AgmoZJJXiV1_9eYLNXwIh2qkifsLoAGHUUYf7o4-v_R5VpMai/s320/Antarctica4+173.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681575894403602" /></a><br />View of the Jamesway from shore<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl3f4ZTXHg-ju2iXGGHWdTx_GPYekOhhckTVYGveCIdg_xzOLiTwEvA5XfQ6eeZmImWy0vutIkaruNkCjKQLSSlDw3bexpY9JNHwmK52kKhVKR7juJVSvKt-QqbnTofOQsujCiIgYoCrs/s1600-h/Antarctica4+174.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDl3f4ZTXHg-ju2iXGGHWdTx_GPYekOhhckTVYGveCIdg_xzOLiTwEvA5XfQ6eeZmImWy0vutIkaruNkCjKQLSSlDw3bexpY9JNHwmK52kKhVKR7juJVSvKt-QqbnTofOQsujCiIgYoCrs/s320/Antarctica4+174.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681582132090466" /></a><br />Our Jamesway and Outhouse<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9SrgcP3SEEEEMpFAoLrpKLsn5JS9THSF25jVCafLVfampQ4o0BtwB8QOqgYki8cmEOt2JV0kPk-3QF8IzSD0YMj0ssOAyRCOCiZa0Sa0fUEj3dvxQF_dWEybqeryyncZvAnzZ_GGYaI3/s1600-h/PA221184.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9SrgcP3SEEEEMpFAoLrpKLsn5JS9THSF25jVCafLVfampQ4o0BtwB8QOqgYki8cmEOt2JV0kPk-3QF8IzSD0YMj0ssOAyRCOCiZa0Sa0fUEj3dvxQF_dWEybqeryyncZvAnzZ_GGYaI3/s320/PA221184.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396688505694398274" /></a><br />Our ice-chipping station, where we chip out ice for water<br /><br />It has taken some adjustment to sleep well here, in the light and cold. I have also slowly become more comfortable on the ATVs we take to and from our work station on the other edge of Lake Bonney. The views constantly make my jaw drop. Every time I am stressed, cold, or tired, I look around and it immediately changes my attitude. This place is the essence of wilderness and untouched extensive landscape. The mountains and glaciers are things I could never quite put into words. I hope some pictures help... <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6zeRA_-Zy3J4dGZsFNfFOZ65SnntsiKUEIAypLWL4r99XxV-tFUPhRxiCswjqnIX_5zzkr3QonDXP5oZRJpFgW5KJ9b4s-PqAmZwPy1D7CINa0fIj26oviA-8wtZmtwAi3FivI4gmtHy/s1600-h/Antarctica4+187.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6zeRA_-Zy3J4dGZsFNfFOZ65SnntsiKUEIAypLWL4r99XxV-tFUPhRxiCswjqnIX_5zzkr3QonDXP5oZRJpFgW5KJ9b4s-PqAmZwPy1D7CINa0fIj26oviA-8wtZmtwAi3FivI4gmtHy/s320/Antarctica4+187.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396684417977215762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLmp-3wCJupbS3Gm9JMq94VlS_ySt2ONZmwfHRYDMf0SOwXJn5TgUOS_sUsBcMBkaSavSOV8SF5uRBJg5J2Ni6KUvtaFYeBHiEtB2Cw6o_CE_s-MUA2wOZ2_XVjII5Ou6N812hGzWpb3d/s1600-h/Antarctica4+184.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLmp-3wCJupbS3Gm9JMq94VlS_ySt2ONZmwfHRYDMf0SOwXJn5TgUOS_sUsBcMBkaSavSOV8SF5uRBJg5J2Ni6KUvtaFYeBHiEtB2Cw6o_CE_s-MUA2wOZ2_XVjII5Ou6N812hGzWpb3d/s320/Antarctica4+184.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396684412434172434" /></a><br />Some of our tents set up in front of two descending glaciers. There are no trees or points of reference here that we know the size of, the rocks do not give us a clear picture. So it is nearly impossible to judge distances; while these tents were about a 45sec walk from me, that glacier is an hour away, easily. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5ICBSMyrWYRDqlmuFqfqOIds9x0wr5TmeJahtadHJVujQZpe2Mcq2c3i3_eh443dZBP1n47oTstIvIpfY15WNvMD36BbIF0Vf5xfCkbuymNLN1M6-EJE3OztwHsIYfhHP23IrwIPzzrj/s1600-h/Antarctica4+183.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5ICBSMyrWYRDqlmuFqfqOIds9x0wr5TmeJahtadHJVujQZpe2Mcq2c3i3_eh443dZBP1n47oTstIvIpfY15WNvMD36BbIF0Vf5xfCkbuymNLN1M6-EJE3OztwHsIYfhHP23IrwIPzzrj/s320/Antarctica4+183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396684404121806306" /></a><br />My tent up on the hill with snow covered mountains and glaciers in the background<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj06vJX6QL7Iv9suXjRaOlTLsHq6UysUR4gNlxb8hJROlCZsK7FSgcdI3xB3mnHFpVlyp7QInqOaEBg1ZlMFGIY8Fks94FEeCNT08OBlJhPxX6ZtmqIBVLUFGTGvogSlplKml2Yci0STcY/s1600-h/Antarctica4+188.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj06vJX6QL7Iv9suXjRaOlTLsHq6UysUR4gNlxb8hJROlCZsK7FSgcdI3xB3mnHFpVlyp7QInqOaEBg1ZlMFGIY8Fks94FEeCNT08OBlJhPxX6ZtmqIBVLUFGTGvogSlplKml2Yci0STcY/s320/Antarctica4+188.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396684427617502274" /></a> My tent with my sleeping bag and duffel<br /><br />Brrr, <br /><br />Emma<br /><br />Lake Bonney Camp ManagerEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-42198137587260865442009-10-20T11:05:00.002+13:002012-03-15T02:53:45.491+13:00Don't Worry, be Happy<div><br /></div><div><span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></span></div>We were just the happiest, of Happy Campers-<br /><br /><div><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">When you arrive in McMurdo station, Antarctica, you meet a lot of new people, from all walks of life. T</span></span><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">here is the staff at the McMurdo Hospital and the McMurdo Firefighters at the Station, who keep all us scientists and staff healthy and safe. The hospital stays busy with the fast spreading viruses and extreme cold weather. The Firefighters have very important jobs. If a fire were to happen here in Antarctica, all the buildings would catch fire very rapidly, and because we are isolated down on the bottom of the world no one else could come to help us! The Firefighters do not have a lot of fires to fight here, but it is comforting and vital to have them, because if something were to go wrong, it could go VERY wrong VERY quickly.</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPhq0zrX_yRFCoi5F_V0doPs3kU9xmZ7x71tU7WzZc0Ewwx2tFpUIplYsdbQyaqtGiwOl0wB0WpPKIUmQMb0ZLb0ZRoLLHpAVRoXLGiOrVqCnI5VmcZiNEvowu4bvtWIHYMankKOazvfE/s1600-h/Antarctica2+001.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPhq0zrX_yRFCoi5F_V0doPs3kU9xmZ7x71tU7WzZc0Ewwx2tFpUIplYsdbQyaqtGiwOl0wB0WpPKIUmQMb0ZLb0ZRoLLHpAVRoXLGiOrVqCnI5VmcZiNEvowu4bvtWIHYMankKOazvfE/s400/Antarctica2+001.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395914554280114338" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMglLZt0YU8oLR1S1_Y3q6PzGqOFM2C176ObWJjJ2ES6o8JWfJWyg17s2Px1zlHGrpE-v1OSCnRFjC5-HVXFdAxLTwfNeCe2b3CJaytS4OK-gb7uXy61Ut2A57TTQsiYkcsN_wb1tegDZ/s1600-h/Antarctica2+020.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMglLZt0YU8oLR1S1_Y3q6PzGqOFM2C176ObWJjJ2ES6o8JWfJWyg17s2Px1zlHGrpE-v1OSCnRFjC5-HVXFdAxLTwfNeCe2b3CJaytS4OK-gb7uXy61Ut2A57TTQsiYkcsN_wb1tegDZ/s320/Antarctica2+020.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395534417868011362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yDaA1ghaY4BM5NkTmoz8g0xKDI76sY8BwXKgMGzpYeQzmff7gcQCJJyjZNNDGc9lIZqvUQZIsrgoHC06cvesIH-MJ1CcyhAH3DGfxg3CxC26QmmEYpDreT0RLpkOFjJdZ7s5LxW4hDK7/s1600-h/Antarctica3+004.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yDaA1ghaY4BM5NkTmoz8g0xKDI76sY8BwXKgMGzpYeQzmff7gcQCJJyjZNNDGc9lIZqvUQZIsrgoHC06cvesIH-MJ1CcyhAH3DGfxg3CxC26QmmEYpDreT0RLpkOFjJdZ7s5LxW4hDK7/s320/Antarctica3+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395534408747071826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDH5jF6O1uYMiVmB6kvv3Iq_KucFrYr9KnS5Ns5LoJO3zAps-6LEHwbxrcuzm63htHnYUPCk-2SIis60dB44a4C8X3cjLi2d_ElOsSXGAkupleF1MeCu8GrVTRPFrfmbgbZHhal0v9NAx/s1600-h/Antarctica3+002.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDH5jF6O1uYMiVmB6kvv3Iq_KucFrYr9KnS5Ns5LoJO3zAps-6LEHwbxrcuzm63htHnYUPCk-2SIis60dB44a4C8X3cjLi2d_ElOsSXGAkupleF1MeCu8GrVTRPFrfmbgbZHhal0v9NAx/s320/Antarctica3+002.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395534404730529474" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">If you are in any of these groups, and will be spending anytime out in the field, or a significant distance from the safe haven of McMurdo station, then you must participate in a two-day outdoor Antarctic survival school. Known as Snow School, or more lovingly as Happy Camper. It starts with a half-day of lectures on survival in the extreme cold. Survival during an unexpected situation, is kept in a Survival Bag. These bags are kept in most cars, all planes and helos, and are brought with you if they may become necessary. It includes: tent, shovel, food, stove, and fuel. Survival also travels with us in the form of our ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) gear. The major concerns we have out here include: the cold, hypothermia (lack of heat), frostbite, windburn, sunburn, and because Antarctica is so dry our most serious threat is dehydration. When you are here your body is in a constant state of thirst and it is nearly impossible to stay hydrated. We have to constantly drink water... constantly. Dehydration adds to the effects of all injuries and threats we have out here, it also makes it harder to stay warm.</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">After class we were taken out to our camping spot, 30 minutes out on to the sea ice, of the frozen Ross Sea. Yep, we slept on FROZEN ICE! There were an even 20 people, including some of the BBC crew and my Dry Valley friends. With 20 people, the long day of hard activities, was not so difficult. Divide and conquer! We set up 2 large tents and six regular tents. Then we had the task, a little overwhelming and sort of insane task, of building a wall of ice blocks! I couldn't believe we were going to actually make walls of ice blocks! These walls would protect our tents from wind. So one group of people took the saw and began sawing regular sized blocks out of the snow. Then they were delivered to me, where I built them up into a wall and had to adjust everyone until they fit right. This was 30 feet of wall 3ft high, made entirely of blocks of ice! When I was done, the wall had curved twice to be the right distance from each tent, and looked more like the Great Ice-Wall of China.</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42MVMqHuasV4cf5-zMSuDg3eMsSu3GvRtfgaYZvotLgOGI9BwKmpDJ5mZ8yyou1GLecLhiaqGWLNqG5UQcjNoH5tq1T7bV-5oSlDCQVEU7-FaBZqeWY5gUefFhK5XXt3peV3YEO5DULeo/s1600-h/Antarctica4+107.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42MVMqHuasV4cf5-zMSuDg3eMsSu3GvRtfgaYZvotLgOGI9BwKmpDJ5mZ8yyou1GLecLhiaqGWLNqG5UQcjNoH5tq1T7bV-5oSlDCQVEU7-FaBZqeWY5gUefFhK5XXt3peV3YEO5DULeo/s400/Antarctica4+107.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395951463721383394" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Next we piled all out duffel bags together and covered them in snow. This would become a snow cave, or Quinzy, for two people to sleep in.</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeuzFksH8kylWyuX35xutbKqyRkSzmPE4sn6VVSZIgHp7-p3HFL3CKK5DGrHp1_xcsKSMVVxkXNWDpVYEsUF6zA_xlsEyh91alQeqKZKqyVrAYOKxSs5JwgH699b0TgETLXHhm7YL6EqI/s1600-h/Antarctica4+099.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeuzFksH8kylWyuX35xutbKqyRkSzmPE4sn6VVSZIgHp7-p3HFL3CKK5DGrHp1_xcsKSMVVxkXNWDpVYEsUF6zA_xlsEyh91alQeqKZKqyVrAYOKxSs5JwgH699b0TgETLXHhm7YL6EqI/s400/Antarctica4+099.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395955011793519330" /></a><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">This was quite an undertaking and at one point, to provide motivation, out instructor climbed on top, where we were lacking in snow, and told us to throw snow on our instructor, which provided enough motivation for us to finish the piling!</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbkaGH6KbO_vTli30ERtpw7pjgl_2XSwLMRtBGk8F_AKxDb4pCzs8zR0qREmKy3gsbyxLcdgH4LgNK9-la9Ep48vY-LYHSzOVaUOAdzWUcYlFWi-L9p1wh_7Kdwnje1cjnwtQnDGajBaD/s1600-h/Antarctica4+097.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbkaGH6KbO_vTli30ERtpw7pjgl_2XSwLMRtBGk8F_AKxDb4pCzs8zR0qREmKy3gsbyxLcdgH4LgNK9-la9Ep48vY-LYHSzOVaUOAdzWUcYlFWi-L9p1wh_7Kdwnje1cjnwtQnDGajBaD/s400/Antarctica4+097.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395955025825909122" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hMPBix8AitqQ9ddlxvggOWhheCb_6y2zncCflthhJ_cSWcx5KvCTp1jgKn6ihDjnq2y5wei2_K1pndd14UHKq_3KhWJ50zl43gS3cw-9PCddFAk0M5zH7DaRT-jeoPFEeZiolj-dFc3g/s1600-h/Antarctica4+098.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hMPBix8AitqQ9ddlxvggOWhheCb_6y2zncCflthhJ_cSWcx5KvCTp1jgKn6ihDjnq2y5wei2_K1pndd14UHKq_3KhWJ50zl43gS3cw-9PCddFAk0M5zH7DaRT-jeoPFEeZiolj-dFc3g/s400/Antarctica4+098.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395955015746771266" /></a><br /><span><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">After it harden, a few people worked on digging out the bags and creating a snow cave. I had my heart set on sleeping in that cave, and after Chadden, the BBC filmmaker, moved into a previous camps already built Quinzy , it was free for Kathryn (another BBC filmmaker) and I to sleep in! I was told by many, that is was the warmest place at night... AND I would get to sleep in a snow cave, and really, who can say they that?!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HPnp7V6Yae3GOh-o06w95UzYbZCnO3SJxJsFPyg5Tz2cbRjEt0xVVkUy0SaFAfrFTCpAUj_gpaSSAoGROy6bOD5hJej78UTU1HElw5vXgs2d09iiLCftVifG7bSwWvySSr0WXWya24cI/s320/PA161134.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719746892652753506" style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family: Georgia, serif; text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><span><span><span style="font-size: 100%; "><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv08f7MDmBg8PTYcZ7OCMOTZsKpEGGhsreWnGDZ9mLB-l-1vJjHE9pG-otAt2ncsgjSmKNn5-NeR5jrbYjW6ZuW9l8N4uCwRGXIcAxX1smNdC2c16P_IHml6uqIKdjM6T-9_KuX3MoQeU9/s1600-h/Antarctica4+101.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv08f7MDmBg8PTYcZ7OCMOTZsKpEGGhsreWnGDZ9mLB-l-1vJjHE9pG-otAt2ncsgjSmKNn5-NeR5jrbYjW6ZuW9l8N4uCwRGXIcAxX1smNdC2c16P_IHml6uqIKdjM6T-9_KuX3MoQeU9/s400/Antarctica4+101.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395955029726309234" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAR8zyD__rvbocKPi0QamFLacxmDi4KIQlnbcQo30KYoeVcyiDerOz1sfRxYFYGwXR3sY7J4iI2QkHhyMvRorwMeuSXJYrCfGCmmroTQEWa8mmneAHKOOVevlIXzgOBkTVoKF7Rndu4cd/s1600/PA161144.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzvKY99r-7OdUOZwOU9yfLvHQR_3n8kKOrZMWxo_gzDHAkz_HiemBY_p8AzxKPDC91zLPiMeDV8i1Jo8e6113-anPuNRCqtSNVvzWZJ1GEp9F-9gq27AWakUmnV_zUylg2KpXEjz6c_yU/s320/PA161145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719746918929247330" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAR8zyD__rvbocKPi0QamFLacxmDi4KIQlnbcQo30KYoeVcyiDerOz1sfRxYFYGwXR3sY7J4iI2QkHhyMvRorwMeuSXJYrCfGCmmroTQEWa8mmneAHKOOVevlIXzgOBkTVoKF7Rndu4cd/s320/PA161144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719746909085096162" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><u><br /></u></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRg2YsP70P9p0wodwjne1XPQzX0QWtZWEAWOYe-H5NPc2zD48iJtf8Fg9vgYecy1oFpznYpEOt08QR6GrLaAk9t5Z8fY2i5cm9fm8tq73Yt_r7aSbmQ0M-ry6r4tyXGLuZzks93dncOGlA/s1600/PA161140.JPG" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRg2YsP70P9p0wodwjne1XPQzX0QWtZWEAWOYe-H5NPc2zD48iJtf8Fg9vgYecy1oFpznYpEOt08QR6GrLaAk9t5Z8fY2i5cm9fm8tq73Yt_r7aSbmQ0M-ry6r4tyXGLuZzks93dncOGlA/s320/PA161140.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719746900853277458" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Then it was time to eat our dehydrated meals, I had brown rice and chicken. It was actually good, I enjoyed it! Plus the "cooks" kept water constantly boiling, which meant lots and lots of hot cocoa for me!</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_ArWnQbqfWo13pl8JgrwTJERbA2TMbSw4qYtEbDSkrzVDEPA9ml2plv84nVGNV149zTe2egB3hFMbV2tOAOcOdD9pGJEeH1PTLwCfFiC-lqptUmO31Wh9zEspdDrHiNc0wQHmHX92Pc/s1600-h/Antarctica4+120.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_ArWnQbqfWo13pl8JgrwTJERbA2TMbSw4qYtEbDSkrzVDEPA9ml2plv84nVGNV149zTe2egB3hFMbV2tOAOcOdD9pGJEeH1PTLwCfFiC-lqptUmO31Wh9zEspdDrHiNc0wQHmHX92Pc/s400/Antarctica4+120.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958446684851490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN_VifT2wBMMIt_VO-vLcv8Iu7HrmHr0Vj1sWICbDFhV4FZ8idIqL9r1e63v2ws4H1rXMfOmjgnL49SDeJgIMe-MjwdtA2tBkEWZGfOc3EIKfTTsK9BuYvx6PnhNaSFGeoXLCEU-WUGhs/s1600-h/Antarctica4+117.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN_VifT2wBMMIt_VO-vLcv8Iu7HrmHr0Vj1sWICbDFhV4FZ8idIqL9r1e63v2ws4H1rXMfOmjgnL49SDeJgIMe-MjwdtA2tBkEWZGfOc3EIKfTTsK9BuYvx6PnhNaSFGeoXLCEU-WUGhs/s400/Antarctica4+117.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958437121744370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQceab1ryyJ91eSBEd4-KW-lfP9JHCabRUyIpsTpJTTcAeN5QEzXZdWoZTtJ3Nrlc73Eb2KDNRXXy5hjRa8wR4DFy_7JNQQT3JlwPuZ2r9B7kwv6We5mzRR_lQHSgaA8R8fLKJ_kBLIXfF/s1600-h/Antarctica4+115.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQceab1ryyJ91eSBEd4-KW-lfP9JHCabRUyIpsTpJTTcAeN5QEzXZdWoZTtJ3Nrlc73Eb2KDNRXXy5hjRa8wR4DFy_7JNQQT3JlwPuZ2r9B7kwv6We5mzRR_lQHSgaA8R8fLKJ_kBLIXfF/s400/Antarctica4+115.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958430377601682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafbPK6v2jEoPJu7_o1HnNmWY2moEbNyMOf3OAxaE8du6EsXpX5d4uu1tsPBuPJPkOJGLm9URNiasvlYpe29vCyL0p_F-V3u08wQcnrQKpQhSTSM0yIi2dru_wo5ZaTFWChQXkt0xbGJPt/s1600-h/Antarctica4+113.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafbPK6v2jEoPJu7_o1HnNmWY2moEbNyMOf3OAxaE8du6EsXpX5d4uu1tsPBuPJPkOJGLm9URNiasvlYpe29vCyL0p_F-V3u08wQcnrQKpQhSTSM0yIi2dru_wo5ZaTFWChQXkt0xbGJPt/s400/Antarctica4+113.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395958428086212882" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The view from Happy Camper, is where I belive it must get its name! It was unbelievable! We were out on the frozen Ross Sea, surrounded by plateaus of ice, and had unbelievable views of</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; ">Mt. Discovery</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs2_4S8hekup6ZL5OCbxHBFr5q2-tjugfFL2CHg4XlDE2JocsOz4CxRh4ZY-1qclA9GGGtie-Yh0iv46Ay5xZBh5R-5YdA8zJ4WUlsbdO3gE2jIcO1dIovKKlQVvQkkXfDpYpQcG5w51U/s1600-h/Antarctica4+084.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs2_4S8hekup6ZL5OCbxHBFr5q2-tjugfFL2CHg4XlDE2JocsOz4CxRh4ZY-1qclA9GGGtie-Yh0iv46Ay5xZBh5R-5YdA8zJ4WUlsbdO3gE2jIcO1dIovKKlQVvQkkXfDpYpQcG5w51U/s400/Antarctica4+084.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395960095520200146" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; ">Black and White Islands</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZaBHA8M4EFq16FW4xMbR8qxg0fZc3k8CNv5g4D8YW8jNEyVIEPKmMO2FGzU5sd_eX8lbvLNJ33esvWOga_S3JK4Wnj4eRrpQutEmW2NNoIAAa3FgWQhecvAjVLNNE5p055-m3xpF3r6r/s1600-h/Antarctica4+082.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZaBHA8M4EFq16FW4xMbR8qxg0fZc3k8CNv5g4D8YW8jNEyVIEPKmMO2FGzU5sd_eX8lbvLNJ33esvWOga_S3JK4Wnj4eRrpQutEmW2NNoIAAa3FgWQhecvAjVLNNE5p055-m3xpF3r6r/s400/Antarctica4+082.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395961460580514434" /></a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">White Island and Black Island (snow and no snow)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; ">Castle Rock</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N-SrRUX0hkzxVm5bJBxm7mvHwN99YSxyGx_NOxc__R3HFpIVhi9jtqxrEtxf0A3oeRQ1lZKNdNcVk-jAdipHLCblEBbSmGkLyov0rH1l4vlta2eGeK1LfC9NRN_q2Ngi8BuDsH2q4s_9/s1600-h/Antarctica4+068.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-N-SrRUX0hkzxVm5bJBxm7mvHwN99YSxyGx_NOxc__R3HFpIVhi9jtqxrEtxf0A3oeRQ1lZKNdNcVk-jAdipHLCblEBbSmGkLyov0rH1l4vlta2eGeK1LfC9NRN_q2Ngi8BuDsH2q4s_9/s400/Antarctica4+068.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395963736054084162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBNG-CQR9s620BEfWyq4zqTRmUT9E1F2BfvzP6Bz-3gwuUpoEUF8WGL53i4nMJPvIlwZl7txQt5HDVZ5p5419r6yiqqTLpit_YHsJ-W_HKLgn_Tf4fvGyTDe5Ez5Eif3JdVEjLlGfKUgB/s1600-h/Antarctica4+061.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNBNG-CQR9s620BEfWyq4zqTRmUT9E1F2BfvzP6Bz-3gwuUpoEUF8WGL53i4nMJPvIlwZl7txQt5HDVZ5p5419r6yiqqTLpit_YHsJ-W_HKLgn_Tf4fvGyTDe5Ez5Eif3JdVEjLlGfKUgB/s400/Antarctica4+061.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395963726719820098" /></a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> Castle Rock is a large snow less rock jutting out from the peninsula of snow</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; ">Silver City Ice Falls</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACRWge8WedBh8wXOADk0YcD2wcTH-KewngVibhB9Zk6yhFxf7NWKb-1woG-RkcNqiHj9PkxYp9M2-Dc4MelJLsUb0jIIq8ojvhQ0R5Rr_LdTG3v729DN25Y0zye1ICV5hct8QYL7Hk45u/s1600-h/Antarctica4+069.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACRWge8WedBh8wXOADk0YcD2wcTH-KewngVibhB9Zk6yhFxf7NWKb-1woG-RkcNqiHj9PkxYp9M2-Dc4MelJLsUb0jIIq8ojvhQ0R5Rr_LdTG3v729DN25Y0zye1ICV5hct8QYL7Hk45u/s400/Antarctica4+069.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395964737649582290" /></a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> Silver City Ice Falls is exactly what it sounds like, a waterfall of ICE!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-weight: bold; ">Mt. Erebus</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HOIYBcy_ZLzA_3RNZQaIthR63aJstZC54DZTO8TwJ7nBsPM6OPXWF8dWBGRJTeEUppQLWMaeqBgt2z63gQwyPYhsqW3xHe0k1AOW93er3wPuzTtSv5vFDdWs3Zl2N4TqZyRMc7GihCRh/s1600-h/Antarctica4+121.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HOIYBcy_ZLzA_3RNZQaIthR63aJstZC54DZTO8TwJ7nBsPM6OPXWF8dWBGRJTeEUppQLWMaeqBgt2z63gQwyPYhsqW3xHe0k1AOW93er3wPuzTtSv5vFDdWs3Zl2N4TqZyRMc7GihCRh/s320/Antarctica4+121.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395976578171869282" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiUDn-CjUwRsz2gI8JCZo4kMF_fZbYyfgAFNTC9NEEiy-0IRVWzgbBJB_anRM_wzci99jeBrmH2_maqugO4EyRVRJ9myMLi9SyZg-Ju3nnbdSdZus4yOPqbkoTHNlZrZhOCWi5T1tEhTr/s1600-h/Antarctica4+109.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiUDn-CjUwRsz2gI8JCZo4kMF_fZbYyfgAFNTC9NEEiy-0IRVWzgbBJB_anRM_wzci99jeBrmH2_maqugO4EyRVRJ9myMLi9SyZg-Ju3nnbdSdZus4yOPqbkoTHNlZrZhOCWi5T1tEhTr/s320/Antarctica4+109.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395976568803269906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNmUVXUeU60dMcMMuzuEAKKuWznp_2EQC8VdPFjIpbJOFRlVdKBqWhdG7UxTk3IpGI79qDmZBciM4_UGGPhsbG6D1q_LVyFz1h7yqgbb7MIMvpiU2Ffst73silIH8Vcu1Js6TLhjKSu8b/s1600-h/Antarctica4+108.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNmUVXUeU60dMcMMuzuEAKKuWznp_2EQC8VdPFjIpbJOFRlVdKBqWhdG7UxTk3IpGI79qDmZBciM4_UGGPhsbG6D1q_LVyFz1h7yqgbb7MIMvpiU2Ffst73silIH8Vcu1Js6TLhjKSu8b/s320/Antarctica4+108.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395976564163573682" /></a><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Mt. Erebus! Mt Erebus was unbelievable, it is a little over 12,000ft and you can see it all from the base to the open caldera pit steaming out the top of the completely snow and ice covered active volcano. Erebus is one of two, open pit caldera volacanos, the other is in Kenya, Africa, which means at the top, there is an open pit and you can look down in to the pit and there will always be bubbling liquid lava. That open pit and lava is causing the constant plume of smoke rising from the top of Mt Erebus. At the top, these pyroclastic bombs explode out of the pit all the time. Hot lava balls, solidifying quickly in the cold air, so they are very airfilled and light black wholey rocks. In them there are sometimes crystals of paligioclase feldspar, that is much harder then the pyroclastic rock, and thus stays a solid crystal when it comes up into the lava and gets expelled. They are called Erebus Crystals, the are black hexagonal usually, crystals coming out in many angles from a pyroclastic bomb. They are all over the top of Erebus and I have gotten to see a bunch that people have around here at McMurdo.</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The night was excruciating! The air temperature was 26 below zero Fahrenheit! I spent most of the night awake and freezing! I drank water, ate chocolate, had boiling water bottles in my bag, a fleece liner, and multiple layers of long-underwear and fleece on! I did everything I was taught to keep warm, and I was still freezing! I was so happy when it was finally 620am and I could wake up, get on my parka, and walk around and BE WARM!!</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">When I woke in the morning I found out, my mate in the Quinzy or snow cave, who was sleeping closer to the door slept great! Best night of sleep she has had in a while. I account for the differences in the fact that I was getting over being sick, and this was not the craziest place she has slept! The life of a wildlife filmmaker! But I just couldn't sleep, I was too cold! In the morning, I had to call to check in, I took the job of Camp Manager in preparation for my time at Lake Bonney.</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The next day we went through some drills to simulate emergency situations. One was the bucket-head drill. If you ask me, I am pretty sure this is just hazing, but the idea is to simulate a white-out. One person was assigned to watch for everyone's safety outside, and I volunteered! So no bucket for me, and it also meant some great pictures of my teammates! </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsHum6TTlhuQNJK9rx25xQgSBaTjnQIZBUEvygBdVRM9zxe0sPvy-0DMZnArncqCTqiJW9oRghKspqnlmiG36IuwP2pEfYsalCuWB_vLIF09pKNO8vBEB170KBqU_2oI3-O3-qYIjAS-N/s1600-h/Antarctica3+064.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsHum6TTlhuQNJK9rx25xQgSBaTjnQIZBUEvygBdVRM9zxe0sPvy-0DMZnArncqCTqiJW9oRghKspqnlmiG36IuwP2pEfYsalCuWB_vLIF09pKNO8vBEB170KBqU_2oI3-O3-qYIjAS-N/s320/Antarctica3+064.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395607203240790050" /></a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> They all donned their white buckets, grabbed there knot we'd tied in the rope. The instructor was the victim lost on a whiteout and they had to find her outside. My team followed a well though out plan, very well and kept up good communication. The time constraint kept us from finding our lost instructor. The next mission was a faux plane crash. We were given a survival bag, and the group quickly divided up into groups, one working on making contact with Mac-Opps (main McMurdo contact), another set up a tent, and another lit the stove. I had 2 victims at my post in medical, one with a broken leg and one was hypothermic. The drill was quick and by the time I had my hypothermic patient drinking water and bundled, and my other patient's leg splint, the drill was over. I was shocked to see my team had the tent up, contact had been established and the stove was lit! I want them around if I crash in Antarctica!</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Then we got on our shuttle and got back to McMurdo (what I am now calling home) and got to unwind for about an hour before dinner, and the Happy Campers were all the first at dinner! I really did learn a lot about survival in Antarctica. I had a blast with all my camping buddies, and as long as I had hot cocoa and big red, I was warm and happy! I slept that night, warm in my dorm and was only slightly worse for the wear the next day. But I woke to Sunday brunch in Antarctica... which let me tell you, it was a perfect end, to a "Happy" weekend.</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Brrr,</span></span><br /><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Emma</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Official Happy Camper survivor</span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-89148429535527323762009-10-12T09:10:00.000+13:002009-10-30T18:15:13.378+13:00Driest, Windiest, Highest, Coldest, Most Isolated Continent on EarthAntarctica, the 7th continent, the last frontier...
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<br />The continent of Antarctica ignites a curiosity and interest in most and, in some, a slightly crazed desire to see it for themselves! I am one of those crazy people. It is a snow and ice covered continent of land on the bottom of the planet. There are terrestrial mammals (no polar bears or indigenous people). There is plentiful sea life in the surrounding Southern Ocean, including everyone's favorite sea bird, <em>the penguin </em>and seals who both spend time on the land in costal Antarctica. It is summer here in the Southern Hemishpere, so our temperture (without wind chill) varies, in Oct-Feb, from-45 and +45 F. We have been as cold as -25 and as warm as +7 so far. I am stationed right now, in McMurdo Station (USA). McMurdo is a tight-knit, diverse, and welcoming little community on the ice.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYJrxd9lAw38vK24kmpSf_mqqDZI02s3DQmRxh8csIkGLRCj-j7o5ZA6cM1GzTyhYlfgskAX9MGEkdNGt_W4udIIRiY8-bwOnNATiZxi52Miyu44ffUld3I8pJauxtpzE1eTcqmtSDTR7/s1600-h/McMurdo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391833896564465586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 299px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYJrxd9lAw38vK24kmpSf_mqqDZI02s3DQmRxh8csIkGLRCj-j7o5ZA6cM1GzTyhYlfgskAX9MGEkdNGt_W4udIIRiY8-bwOnNATiZxi52Miyu44ffUld3I8pJauxtpzE1eTcqmtSDTR7/s320/McMurdo.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br />A little bit about my life here in McMurdo. Our views are otherworldly, expansive, and they are constantly capturing my attention and distracting me. I wake every morning in my dorm, with my awesome roommate who works in cargo and will be at the South Pole once they can get down there, and we head over to our main building (155) that houses the cafeteria, store, laundry, dorms, Rec Office, and much more! Food in Antarctica is served, for free, cafeteria style. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PJQ2ze_nHxBFZQscz2X8uycbEeTkZenfVk3wt8iN27EZnRdZTyXxKQiyh_HTOS6_pfutID2M-IHbD-624M1bRec_FC4RKU-qhP1NeBdIGIC2FxOHIfWSRC5GoFhqnma5Anx29nXAP7IE/s1600-h/Antarctica3+025.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PJQ2ze_nHxBFZQscz2X8uycbEeTkZenfVk3wt8iN27EZnRdZTyXxKQiyh_HTOS6_pfutID2M-IHbD-624M1bRec_FC4RKU-qhP1NeBdIGIC2FxOHIfWSRC5GoFhqnma5Anx29nXAP7IE/s320/Antarctica3+025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395559668878656802" /></a> My favorite part of every meal so far has been the bread and dessert! Which coincidentally all sit at the same station! The bread is baked here, obviously, and its fresh and always different and insanely delicious. The food and clean up crews, including cooks and dish washers work no-stop to provide three meals, and midnight rations and clean up after the soon to be 1000+ McMurdo summer residents. Its people like this that keep McMurdo running. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgU2vXFgFOgzfyLF1q_Z_BVOZmuYMQoeWfSTmjjDmv5W8oQ_s-18NpXyjPY1LGAucvBOTOkOuaiVFH59Yegl15yapsfRAi659WxIQtLFN3xeigtOK8Gy4XzJST-0a5Cpe60IHZfLN_Bsw/s1600-h/Antarctica2+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcgU2vXFgFOgzfyLF1q_Z_BVOZmuYMQoeWfSTmjjDmv5W8oQ_s-18NpXyjPY1LGAucvBOTOkOuaiVFH59Yegl15yapsfRAi659WxIQtLFN3xeigtOK8Gy4XzJST-0a5Cpe60IHZfLN_Bsw/s320/Antarctica2+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395561229149856674" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaN3HBtLQgapcuNmA0UzBupQha2n9B3bgKoSrA9OV9_ttWLGJahJC4v6-2dgGt69GONVpqHCYZlyPD_4ej3OUKbxBEgiPfKwG-EfZtSwty1t3z_zccBfn172LwoCSw8rgulLhi57gRn_v/s1600-h/Antarctica2+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaN3HBtLQgapcuNmA0UzBupQha2n9B3bgKoSrA9OV9_ttWLGJahJC4v6-2dgGt69GONVpqHCYZlyPD_4ej3OUKbxBEgiPfKwG-EfZtSwty1t3z_zccBfn172LwoCSw8rgulLhi57gRn_v/s320/Antarctica2+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395561219455319906" /></a>
<br />The walk over to Building 155 provides views out to the airfields, and ice roads and runways being built on the frozen Ross Sea. The great expanse of ice surrounding us in an unbelievable sight. I look out to the Chapel of the Snows and just beyond it, or so it seems, are a horizon of snow covered mountains, known as the Royal Society Range, as well as many glaciers, hills, bluffs and other peaks like Mt. Discovery, Mt. Warning, Mt. Terror, Mt. Erebus and the Black and White Islands - which I talked about in an earlier post. The depth perception here is difficult to get a handle on, in between the Chapel and the mountains is a vast expanse of the Ross Sea frozen over through December.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg3xuWsK13rsN35Hvu15QYfD2BfM_yNqeQnwSLtR6DPPFi4oWPZTdGm9urYKtzFyg1wWe4J4wLQz6o4zViPPjmaGYZuZnb4Tkmg4w6UwpGKp5_PK59Qm-JVLF-S_7UOia7BqBhhkoMl8s/s1600-h/Antarctica3+058.jpg">
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg3xuWsK13rsN35Hvu15QYfD2BfM_yNqeQnwSLtR6DPPFi4oWPZTdGm9urYKtzFyg1wWe4J4wLQz6o4zViPPjmaGYZuZnb4Tkmg4w6UwpGKp5_PK59Qm-JVLF-S_7UOia7BqBhhkoMl8s/s1600-h/Antarctica3+058.jpg"><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391842653974927010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg3xuWsK13rsN35Hvu15QYfD2BfM_yNqeQnwSLtR6DPPFi4oWPZTdGm9urYKtzFyg1wWe4J4wLQz6o4zViPPjmaGYZuZnb4Tkmg4w6UwpGKp5_PK59Qm-JVLF-S_7UOia7BqBhhkoMl8s/s320/Antarctica3+058.jpg" border="0" /></a> Chapel of the Snows at Sunset
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<br />The Antarctic Sunset...
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsvFOc3u0WyE_72M6aiGE3h_JbSedrU7EOWDe_LotisDfKNRyK-hU4de2j-xiW55V45xXXsBpDyNeuskDLNnEosbXYPMwi4p6UAUyGtfC-PhunCyw0QysMoaLp7KIPlGZVK0k-zNFQjX_/s1600-h/Antarctica2+105.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391843601657045106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 222px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsvFOc3u0WyE_72M6aiGE3h_JbSedrU7EOWDe_LotisDfKNRyK-hU4de2j-xiW55V45xXXsBpDyNeuskDLNnEosbXYPMwi4p6UAUyGtfC-PhunCyw0QysMoaLp7KIPlGZVK0k-zNFQjX_/s320/Antarctica2+105.jpg" border="0" /></a>When I wake up in the morning and walk toward 155 from my dorm the sun is just behind the building, low in the sky as usual. The sun spends all day low in the sky (imagine what it looks like at 9am) and it circles from behind Building 155 (W generally) and then circles to the south and then east, again in general, just about everything is north from here! It is perpetually bright out.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMhA-Kreru-ArG7K23vL_O5en48Oh8oCUzo_gdkNK8bubA7QdrycVsO5CpXFSqNtik4Pbpu9hoYhTqxJbuR1ft9VRcs8rPhf3JW56fvkGDri6_pep0wg5iFR6LEtaHN2jQysOM4-oTNr2/s1600-h/Antarctica3+043.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMhA-Kreru-ArG7K23vL_O5en48Oh8oCUzo_gdkNK8bubA7QdrycVsO5CpXFSqNtik4Pbpu9hoYhTqxJbuR1ft9VRcs8rPhf3JW56fvkGDri6_pep0wg5iFR6LEtaHN2jQysOM4-oTNr2/s320/Antarctica3+043.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394432928237900738" /></a>
<br />Since it is still early in the season, the sun sets at night, very slowly behind the mountains (Mt. Discovery, Black and White Island, and the Royal Society Range), out to sea beyond the Chapel of the Snows. An Antarctic sunset should be considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World. It takes forever to set, 8+ hours of setting and rising sun! It starts to lower below the horizon around 9pm and slowly moves across the horizon behind the mountains and dips lower and lower each hour. It starts by coloring the sky blue, white and yellow, then a layer of orange gets painted over the scene and by the time I have to walk away from it around 11pm, because of the late hour and the cold, the mountains look like erupting volcanoes with a fiery pink sky striped with dark purple clouds above them.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjolrDPJrwBrTCuSrHLNNYztveYbcDoY7WzFG_HDsITf7jZ-Abwn1FxRt0Gg_CeKi-3-rYB7klU6vLspqJFwWibPdbk8lOsfDX_hwVDurAXLFrfVWpsQGrJV3HujKRMJ2-0Jo1mCL_Tik/s1600-h/Antarctica3+055.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjolrDPJrwBrTCuSrHLNNYztveYbcDoY7WzFG_HDsITf7jZ-Abwn1FxRt0Gg_CeKi-3-rYB7klU6vLspqJFwWibPdbk8lOsfDX_hwVDurAXLFrfVWpsQGrJV3HujKRMJ2-0Jo1mCL_Tik/s320/Antarctica3+055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394432943761502802" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ie9zypGWRUV9_wzja_k1_rMcGxppQjelZlrUX_uEFTuYLkJDo8KqToK5rJBkUDv1t61QWM9gfTA0ZfWRyER407ZoO5jruDpMqLTXwNgVyvBuhFnE3vDGzRL6LLNFU_n2GOg35fb9NC39/s1600-h/Antarctica2+080.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ie9zypGWRUV9_wzja_k1_rMcGxppQjelZlrUX_uEFTuYLkJDo8KqToK5rJBkUDv1t61QWM9gfTA0ZfWRyER407ZoO5jruDpMqLTXwNgVyvBuhFnE3vDGzRL6LLNFU_n2GOg35fb9NC39/s320/Antarctica2+080.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395562256562783314" /></a>
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<br />Antarctica is cold, sunny and windy, those are the most prevalent physical things you feel as you walk around outside. McMurdo is still covered in snow from the winter, which I am told will all be gone in November. So the constant sunlight reflects off all surfaces, making it very bright and making sunglasses a constant necessity. Unlike the Midwest winters I am used to the weather does not vary much from day to day. Some days are windier and colder than others. But I always have to wear my gear, boots, and big red parka, and without fail the cold always hits me right when I get outside. However, in the past week here the weather has gotten somewhat milder, usually hovering around zero all day, with the wind bringing it down to about -20. When we arrived it was -10 to -20 out not yet counting the bitter wind chill. Winfly (August flights down very early in the season) and winter-over people have horror stories of the chilly temperatures of only a few weeks back. We have a display of the South Poles temps as well, and it is -58F down on the bottom of the planet today! My roommate works at South Pole and she confirms the extreme conditions and constant cold temperatures I have heard about. She says reaching zero down there is a reason to celebrate! I couldn't imagine a place that much colder than here!
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<br />We leave on scattered Helo (helicopter) trips to the Dry Valleys this week. I go down on Monday Oct, 19th. So these 9days here have been a hectic rush to get everything ready. Allow me to recap our introductions, trainings, and preparations of the first week:
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<br />Day 1 and 2
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<br />We flew in, as you have read, and then had an initial welcome meeting, got our dorms, and sheets. We had a group dinner and I went to bed early that night, from exhaustion! The next day was much of the same, got Light Vehicle training and had more meetings to attend. We got a tour of our state of the art labs here, Crary Lab, to get acquainted with staff and the surroundings. The Crary staff are so friendly and helpful, and the Antarctic aquarium was of course the highlight of the tour for me! They had a touch tank, just like Shedd Aquariums! (Aw, I miss all my Shedd family and all our exhibits and animals!)
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<br />Day 3
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<br />Jim, Loralee, and I spent the day taking inventory of all our gear for camp. It all has to be weighed properly and packaged to be shipped to camp. But that night was American night at Scott Base, the New Zealand base. So when it was time to load on to the shuttles, we waited at Derelict Junction (our shuttle Bus Stop!). After about a half an hour, no shuttle had come. So Maciek suggests walking the 20min walk. Along with Chris, Jim, Maciek, and Jason and Chris (the firefighters), I started a very cold and very beautiful walk over to Scott Base. Scott Base was so much fun. All their buildings are a bright green. The Kiwis (New Zealanders) were very welcoming and there base was a whole new perspective on bases in Antarctica! We just hung out at the bar there, which had a bunch of windows with views out to the sea ice, yielding beautiful views the long sunset all night.
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<br />Day 4, 5, 6
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<br />These days were more inventory, packing, and weighing all of our gear so it could go to Helo-Ops (Helicopter Operations) and be shipped to Lake Bonney. We had to pack 5 large white boxes (helo shipping boxes) full of all our gear. These boxes get towed by the helicopter, underneath it, so it is a very study box. The Helo needs to know the weight of the box as well. The box is 120lbs and we had to add in all our stuff so it would be at least 300lbs to be flown! An interesting Helo fact I learned, was that if a load they are pulling (which just means its hanging from the bottom of the helicopter) starts to spin, they immediately drop it, no matter where they are, how high, or what it is. They do this for safety, they do not risk the whole helicopter spinning out of control and them going with it.
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<br />I had my first meeting with Peggy from the Food Room, who was super helpful in sorting out all the food, to be pulled out and shipped the next day. By this time I had realized my sniffles had turned into full blown "McMurdo Crud", a variety of viruses that travel around base, since we live in such close quarters. So I was not sure how the rest of the week would play out, but I started to drink even more water. The next evening we played a game called "Settlers of Catan". It won a German board game award and I was told be all it was a lot of fun. What they meant by fun, exactly, is difficult to determine. What it really was, was long, boring, difficult, and full of strategy I could not figure out. It is basically a game of strategically building houses and cities and gaining resources to do so. After the game, filled with high fives, long boring stretches, and some tense competitive bargaining, I swore I would never play again. I was, however assured, it was just a bad go, and it would be better next time. So I will try to Settle Catan again... we will see how that goes.
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<br />Our first week was an amazing time for team bonding and we already feel like a family. We spend all meals laughing and being the loudest group there! It has been the best week! I love all my team members, were bonding, being silly, and laughing until we cry at all our Shenanigans and inside jokes!
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<br />Day 7, 8
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<br />Since I was sick, Loralee and Jim helped me pull food and I went back to my dorm to rest. Then Loralee and Jim left on their adventure in Snow School, a required 2-day outdoor Antarctic Survival school, lovingly referred to as "Happy Camper School". The rest of the Stone Aerospace Team arrived that night and the dinner table was full of buzzing excitement for me to meet everyone and for them to all be together again ( we missed Jim and Loralee so our team wasn't complete). The whole team is excited for the season ahead, but the Stone Aerospacers were itching to get a look Endurance, the robot they built and had not seen since they left it stored here for the long Antarctic winter at the end of last season! It was also Maciek's birthday, so we let him sleep til noon (he never sleeps!!) and we sang to him at dinner! All and all my first week in Antarctica was busy, cold, insanely beautiful, a challenge and a surprise around every corner! McMurdo has become like home, and my team like family. </p><p> </p><p>Many more Antarctic adventures lie ahead of me, my time here has only just begun! So keep checking back for more posts on my life in the coldest, driest, windiest, highest, most isolated and most beautiful continent on Earth.</p><p> </p><p>Stay warm!</p><p> </p><p>Brrrr,</p><p>Emma
<br /></p>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-45834199109666472532009-10-08T11:48:00.000+13:002009-10-12T09:10:18.688+13:00Let the Antarctic adventure begin!Getting there was an adventure all its own!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuL_BgUEUS6DybpM53s7yrLLuOTA9eRiV7jYxAQoyFKuAEP9ihZrGAv5j_rFvouzYGapjUjhwq1wzfpLRGT_wsvIS1oNtuDCN4uj1yQz0oOhAy-yzIvghi0ZOGpaC_n996KyoZiIpLggn/s1600-h/Antarctica1+166.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391193008559618162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuL_BgUEUS6DybpM53s7yrLLuOTA9eRiV7jYxAQoyFKuAEP9ihZrGAv5j_rFvouzYGapjUjhwq1wzfpLRGT_wsvIS1oNtuDCN4uj1yQz0oOhAy-yzIvghi0ZOGpaC_n996KyoZiIpLggn/s320/Antarctica1+166.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5XUMgSRPnKA4WQpbDkXaNzgYxwE4W4T1C4iVTrsOIkYye1SxvfCtpi__X1tCFWKf9v9trurftauCHlFxyqFZLWpXJGKA_aM9SEPRrGdklWciQgjVKfXl5hQYAGTlsCFCsiYj-yEOxmRK/s1600-h/Antarctica1+167.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391193016580526082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5XUMgSRPnKA4WQpbDkXaNzgYxwE4W4T1C4iVTrsOIkYye1SxvfCtpi__X1tCFWKf9v9trurftauCHlFxyqFZLWpXJGKA_aM9SEPRrGdklWciQgjVKfXl5hQYAGTlsCFCsiYj-yEOxmRK/s320/Antarctica1+167.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRTYinOsWY2XCkiAOSLvoWSRfkXJZAARsRcphQS7-lCtbI37tEY8pPXN6YKoLLQUvmLMa8d164pz6yBhDXUbfZLpgkqdh3oY4jQnbwF-LNdkdUEgNElN67DPciGqxzKpK8TQNajFSfCQU/s1600-h/Antarctica1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391192023349671730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRTYinOsWY2XCkiAOSLvoWSRfkXJZAARsRcphQS7-lCtbI37tEY8pPXN6YKoLLQUvmLMa8d164pz6yBhDXUbfZLpgkqdh3oY4jQnbwF-LNdkdUEgNElN67DPciGqxzKpK8TQNajFSfCQU/s320/Antarctica1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">WOW!</span> Nothing could have prepared me for just exactly how HUGE the C-17 Air Force cargo plane taking me to Antarctica would be! When we came in view of the plane, on a shuttle from the loading area, I think I screamed. I made a noise at least, and a scream is the easiest way to describe it. I tend to not hide my excitement, I've never been describe as stoic or reserved. This trip has not been the exception either. When I am excited, or really happy about something, it shows! The sight of this plane brought to the surface all the bottle up excitement for this trip! I was told it was a military cargo plane, but I was not expecting it to be so big, have US Air Force written on it, and I definitely did not expect to be greeted by the military! The flight attendants, if you could call them that, and pilots were US Air Force personal. They were awesome, and friendly, but intense and serious; they definitely meant business. If it were not for these members of the Air Force making these flights many times a week, we scientists and researchers along with our supplies and the food and supplies to feed and run the little city in the ice that is McMurdo station would never reach the frozen continent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYzAm3460PIQHemOZuJ2oKVtw1pSGKdomsjZnJ-lrhgk0BFGksIiWZOA3p2rxFWpBwSvncbCs7uT0NbKxaoMJg1NkH1a6t6k7qRVoty7J0FueMkhItioOIMi3F4YRd70JNUMagQqaRAHB/s1600-h/Antarctica1+178.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391193773409468930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYzAm3460PIQHemOZuJ2oKVtw1pSGKdomsjZnJ-lrhgk0BFGksIiWZOA3p2rxFWpBwSvncbCs7uT0NbKxaoMJg1NkH1a6t6k7qRVoty7J0FueMkhItioOIMi3F4YRd70JNUMagQqaRAHB/s320/Antarctica1+178.jpg" border="0" /></a>We took a pair of ear plugs, and they were essential. Once they fired up the engines, you basically had no hope of hearing your own thoughts, let alone your neighbors voice or the air force attendants' comments or commands. I sat in a jumpseat along with others in rows of jumpseats along the sides of the plane and down a center aisle. Others sat in two sections of airplane style seating. Unlike commercial flights, which are cushy compared to a C-17, the plane had all its wiring exposed. We also got the chance to go up on to the flight deck. There were so many buttons, and unlike our few small circular windows, the view from their windshield(?) was extensive and I couldn't believe I was seeing the view of the Southern Ocean on a flight to Antarctica through the cockpit of a C-17. I told them there job must be amazing! They agreed it was quite unbelievable at times, but they were seasoned vets, especially on this flight.<br /><br />A few hours into the flight, my friend asked me if I had looked out the window recently. I said no why?! and ran over to the small circle in the door. Last time I had looked down we were flying somewhere over the southern ocean... and now there was a<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> </span>sea of ice below us! The Southern Ocean had finally met its match in the cold and we were flying over the edge of the sea ice that spreads from the Antarctic continent. There were huge cracks crisscrossing through the ice, forming a giant floating sea ice jigsaw puzzle. By the next hour we were flying over solid ice... hills and fields of snow and ice for as far as the eye could see.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IvR8ZpqkbF2BGiCntXn8xEztjzD8UJtVwZNs4L0ClILc_UbW1CYPc3A2KwUbWbekUmwVFg4RcyZLv30bNtXcjnp-jET5CV76wXDSO0fGHfSfRnLMe70XEKaX-NghtXrFnPHm7KvdseSo/s1600-h/Antarctica1+205.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391196622576872066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 298px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 218px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IvR8ZpqkbF2BGiCntXn8xEztjzD8UJtVwZNs4L0ClILc_UbW1CYPc3A2KwUbWbekUmwVFg4RcyZLv30bNtXcjnp-jET5CV76wXDSO0fGHfSfRnLMe70XEKaX-NghtXrFnPHm7KvdseSo/s320/Antarctica1+205.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hAXVBlMRxKM-rm_oAFoWaIy7f7Nilq0wN5bwY4CMLmYjr-iQ5DVWQjAWsCKCUJDyM_VWMGAVdlwIyneb_1Pbyyx9-dS47Jp5JYGwPI51Ktl2z80v3Jlk13ScX5KkSmhExj9QlCLNSXEt/s1600-h/Antarctica1+204.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391196611974433378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 299px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 221px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hAXVBlMRxKM-rm_oAFoWaIy7f7Nilq0wN5bwY4CMLmYjr-iQ5DVWQjAWsCKCUJDyM_VWMGAVdlwIyneb_1Pbyyx9-dS47Jp5JYGwPI51Ktl2z80v3Jlk13ScX5KkSmhExj9QlCLNSXEt/s320/Antarctica1+204.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLfURttjN1KUcF8XblQbVf8hfIDSDKH-Z5cs4N8bN3Di_H5oh7e_4DFa-1NFWTPja_Myngx3_PY6oXxQEpfmMnEfyp_OSLXyqK__gPTmXbaGjZajF6oUUhwHukhlPCK3lbTs3jo11u6oy/s1600-h/Antarctica1+217.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391196630263002402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 220px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLfURttjN1KUcF8XblQbVf8hfIDSDKH-Z5cs4N8bN3Di_H5oh7e_4DFa-1NFWTPja_Myngx3_PY6oXxQEpfmMnEfyp_OSLXyqK__gPTmXbaGjZajF6oUUhwHukhlPCK3lbTs3jo11u6oy/s320/Antarctica1+217.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKdeb5UiDZ1ttNd_pKud6Toufl00QIxm5u4trLzopyN2A8DeTU8-mxLNVUNeMcALSuxqMGI-kztKI8Ia5IizOkLhyfgWPIbMYydnfIiORIIQpHMCUNzcbjfS0Ite2rZjwZYNGdHC3b8SX/s1600-h/Antarctica1+220.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391196637949686722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 229px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKdeb5UiDZ1ttNd_pKud6Toufl00QIxm5u4trLzopyN2A8DeTU8-mxLNVUNeMcALSuxqMGI-kztKI8Ia5IizOkLhyfgWPIbMYydnfIiORIIQpHMCUNzcbjfS0Ite2rZjwZYNGdHC3b8SX/s320/Antarctica1+220.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We landed and I was practically screaming with excitement through my many layers of gear. As we got closer, and began or descent toward the ice runways, people began suiting up into all their ECW, Extreme Cold Weather gear. The pilot announce we were landing into a balmy -56 degree windchill (still not sure if it was F or C but when it is that cold, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">does it really matter!?</span>) Honestly my heart jumped a little at the idea of that temperature; It was scary to know you are about to walk into that extreme cold and harsh of environment... Off of a C-17 that would not be cutting its engines while we departed, no less! I grabbed the hand rail on the staircase and took my first few steps down and onto the frozen sea ice of the <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ross Sea, Antarctica</span>!<br /><br />Again, nothing could have prepared me for what exactly that temperature feels like! I got off and was met my Antarctic personal guiding us across the ice to our transport from the Pegasus airfield and keeping us from walking or being blown to close to the giant engines that were <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">still running</span>! I was really excited to walk right into Chris, a team member of mine, and see that we could snap some pictures before we got onto the transport from Pegasus airfield to McMurdo Station. Enjoy my shots of the C-17 idling on the ice runway of Pegasus airfield, McMurdo Station, Antarctica!<br /><br />We took the 30min ride toward McMurdo and I was bouncing out of my seat with excitement. My neighbors who had been down before, pointed out Mt. Erebus, Mt. Terror, the White and Black Islands (named for the presence and lack of snow respectively). We got into McMurdo and put our gear into the cubbies there for coats and such; Then we went to sit for our first of many meetings and briefings on life and work in <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Antarctica</span>!!!<br /><br />Brrr,<br /><br />Emma<br /></div>Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-7910344748013640032009-10-05T09:06:00.000+13:002009-10-08T11:42:53.619+13:00I'm in New ZealandAhoy from New Zealand -<br /><br />Its 9am on Monday Oct 5th and I go to the CDC, Clothing Distribution Center, for my gear today! My appointment is at 13:00 hours (1pm). So it is starting to fully sink in that I'm going to Antarctica tomorrow (if the flights start to leave!!)<br /><br />The goodbyes were hard... I left Chicago, my house, around 5pm on Friday for my flight to LAX. I had an empty seat next to me on the flight to LA and was sitting in the window seat. So I settled in, and inflated the inflatable neck pillow my mom got me, and took a short nap. I needed it... when I got to O'hare, my parents stayed within my sight and waved to me the whole time I was going through security. But when I finally had to leave security and wave and blow a kiss goodbye one last time, it was really hard. I made it only a few feet before the tears came. So when I got on my flight, I needed to take some time to relax and desensitize. A few hours later and looked out the window. It was dark, and cloudy, but as the clouds cleared I saw dark hills and stretches of white and gray. As the snow and ice stretched out further and the hills became clearer and bigger, I realized we were flying over the Rocky Mountains. The sight of the Rockies from the sky was amazing, I could not stop looking, even though I was exhausted. I saw the peaks and valleys covered in the beginnings of this seasons snow along with the constant snow cover. There were cracks and crevasses criss-crossing through the snow. This view reminded me that there would be so many unbelievable things, views, and place I would be getting to see on this trip. The was delayed, but I made my international flight with time to spare (few minutes).<br /><br />My international flight was not as bad as I expected. I had dinner, then slept for 5 or 6 hours, then watched Flight of the Concords and a bunch of other things on the extensive collection of available material on the TV. Next was breakfast, a light nap and then we were beginning our descent. I arrived in Auckland to the delightful news that my bags did not make the flight I just had. Yep, they had lost my luggage on the way to Antarctica. But they assured they would be at my hotel the next day in the afternoon, and gave me $100 NZdollars to make up for it! I used that money to go downtown and see Auckland during the 6hrs I had between flights. I loved Auckland! It was raining but the main street downtown had a ton of shops, American fast food, book stores and photo ops to keep me happy and busy. It reminded me of Seattle, not just the rain, but the climate, size, location near pacific ocean, plant life and atmosphere. I loved it there and was sad but willing and excited to head back to the Auckland Airport to get to CHC!<br /><br />In CHC, I found Maciek and Jim in the small airport and was excited to be there! I settled in at the hotel and then we went for dinner. Where I met Loralee, a 20year old, also an Undergrad, from Bard college! We all bonded and explored CHC together. The Windsor B&B was an adorable little place, very welcoming and knowledgeable. Obviously very used to its Antarctic clientele.<br /><br />New Zealand has an extremely varying climate and different ecosystems from fjords, to beaches, to rain forest and temperate cliamtes. The New Zealanders are all very fun, outgoing, and welcoming! The accents are strange, and definitely different from Aussies. I loved it there! Strange to get used to the wrong side of the road though, and glad I was not driving! I cannot wait to be back in December to see more of NZ and the unique places here and have more fun exploring!<br /><br />Having a wonderful trip so far and missing home as well...<br /><br /><br />More from Antarctica soon!!!<br /><br /><br />Brrr,<br /><br />EmmaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-76216701921657257212009-09-25T17:03:00.000+12:002009-09-25T18:26:58.682+12:00I leave in a week!Packing...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXbxRS8GnbJPQ4Fb4KoRFfLD3NqYPPjOW6BEm8VlL9mdDi5wSXKIh9M5ndZ_9nMSpziv1EjmHkWxdPeLkH2YaUaUgrhFM8s4PUabPr_3sDWCebsxDousf1RErNQrYaVvzAgKB6gJWKBJz/s1600-h/Home1+126.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXbxRS8GnbJPQ4Fb4KoRFfLD3NqYPPjOW6BEm8VlL9mdDi5wSXKIh9M5ndZ_9nMSpziv1EjmHkWxdPeLkH2YaUaUgrhFM8s4PUabPr_3sDWCebsxDousf1RErNQrYaVvzAgKB6gJWKBJz/s320/Home1+126.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385283606852704050" border="0" /></a> By bag, with the beginnings of packed items inside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFRf39CR82tXZTWhVThwrMBcLidTsmHwZhe6Me8IGAaQjGjuSjKT4hpea8LIb8uLD9Gqi5bJ2He7N8UHETyQbu3QV8-DJ1xTTtRstjZpFB_aw0LWlx_hjwVet4vfh1bu2KxXEltpB53Vy/s1600-h/Home1+127.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFRf39CR82tXZTWhVThwrMBcLidTsmHwZhe6Me8IGAaQjGjuSjKT4hpea8LIb8uLD9Gqi5bJ2He7N8UHETyQbu3QV8-DJ1xTTtRstjZpFB_aw0LWlx_hjwVet4vfh1bu2KxXEltpB53Vy/s320/Home1+127.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385283616332028114" border="0" /></a> We're told to remove all unnecessary packaging from items before we bring them, to reduce trash in Antarctica. Since this pile is only the beginning of my packaging, I can really see how it would add up!<br /><br /><br />Packing, some say it is the worst part of going on a trip; Some hate it so much they leave it until the night before. But packing for me is when the whole trip really hits me, it finally sinks in that this is really happening! So when I started packing today (much of the time was taken up by removing tags and packaging), I was in the middle of folding a pair of light blue long underwear pants when I stopped and said to Cara (my sister) in the most honestly excited/scared/shocked voice "I cannot believe I am going to Antarctica! The next time I'll see these pants I'll be putting them on in my tent in Antarctica!"<br /><br />I leave in a week and I don't think I could be more scared, excited, thrilled, or nervous! It is finally hitting me that everything I have been telling everyone about my trip is going to be realized in only a week's time. Meaning, when I say I'll be cooking for my group, sleeping in a tent, living in Antarctica in 24hrs of sunlight, and seeing penguins (fingers crossed!), that it is actually going to all start happening in a little over a week, when I reach "The Ice"!!! At the pre-trip dinner with my grandparents tonight, it really started to sink in that everyone around me is nervous and excited too!<br /><br />Finished most of my trip shopping and that has taken a little of the time-constraint stress off of me. I'm getting in a few last movies, babysitting jobs, baths, and fall activities before my 3-month "cold weather camping trip" that kicks off my 6+ months of winter! It will be a surreal and character building trip. But I am absolutely thrilled to start taking it all in!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you time...<br /><br />Thank you to my family (especially my parents and sister and brothers) for being there to listen to be fret and worry and calm be down, and then for pumping me up for the trip when I get stressed and tired<br /><br />Thank you to my friends and peers for there continuing support of this adventure<br /><br />Thank you to Maciek for all the work he has done to get me booked, planned, and for answering all my questions<br /><br />Thank you to all the doctors, nurses, and dentists for all the check-ups, letters, faxes, notes, x-rays and cooperation in this ordeal<br /><br />And finally a BIG "Thank You!" to Professor Peter Doran, for believing in me and giving me this amazing opportunity to travel to a place very few others will ever see. I'm still shocked to have this chance, but thrilled and ready to embrace the journey and all its challenges with open-arms, determination, and a positive attitude!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This trip won't be easy, and at times it will test my mental and physical strength in ways that I couldn't imagine! But it will be a trip - a succession of moments and pictures - an intense 3-month journey of living in the harshest, most unforgiving place on Earth, that will build my character, strength, and will. And that will excite me while - along the way - knocking me down over and over again. I welcome it; and I know, only too soon, it will be happening and probably, only too quickly, it will be over.<br /><br /><br />So continue, to come here, to follow my journey to Antarctica and experience the highs and lows, stories and pictures, or just the science and goings-on of life on "The Ice"!!<br /><br /><br />Brrr,<br /><br />EmmaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634925520054642749.post-11089891958761741102009-09-17T16:04:00.000+12:002009-09-17T16:11:54.674+12:00I have started a blog to...Hello all who plan to follow my blogging...<br /><br />I am new to this. But have decided to start a blog to allow people to follow me on my travels. The next big trip begins in approx. 16 days when I get on my first of many flights over many days, with my final destination being... ANTARCTICA! I will fly from Chicago --> LA --> Auckland, NZ --> Christchurch, NZ --> McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Since I leave in about 2 weeks the nerves are setting in... I'm buying all the essentials and hope to begin packing soon. Many things still need to be settled here in the States before I can leave, but everyone around me is buzzing with excitement and anticipation for my upcoming adventure! Come here, to my blog (still seems crazy I have one of these!), to follow along with my journeys. Beginning with the ultimate adventure to the coldest, driest, highest, most isolated landmass on earth...<br /><br />EmmaEmmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07919596337569962049noreply@blogger.com0