I overslept - almost. My alarm went off at 5:30am but I didn't realize that was what the noise was (it must have been a really good dream). Luckily, my roommate got up and woke me. I had a 7:00am meeting and I wanted to eat breakfast first. It is not a good idea to skip a meal because you may not be able to go to the next one. In Antarctica you have to take advantage of everything. You never know what could or may happen.I made it to breakfast (french toast - yummy) and to my 7:00am meeting and to my 7:30am meeting. Stacy, DJ, Scott, and Jason (a volunteer) packed up and went back to Cape Evans. The Pisten Bully has a hydraulic leak and is being fixed, so they used the vehicle from last year. It is called a "Tucker" and it is big and slow, but it has a table and curtains. As they say, "Beggars can't be choosers." It is a funny looking vehicle.
This is the vehicle that the SCINI team used last year. I bet Mindy remembers it well!
That left Bob, Marco, Francois, and me to take care of some jobs that needed to be completed before we go to Heald Island. The helicopter is scheduled to take us out on Tuesday to set up our camp. I am excited but I am trying to stay focused on what needs to be accomplished.
Marco and I took a Mattrack to run some errands. It definitely looks weird with triangular-shaped tires. However, I know that provide better traction on the snow and ice.
The Mattrack is handy for small jobs that only require a couple people. It likes the snow and ice but not the volcanic rock.
They also have a special hydraulic brake system. This is due to the slippery nature of the roads and areas that you drive the Mattrack.
The Mattrack, as well as the trucks and vans, has a special hydraulic braking system. It looks easy but its not.
Marco and I took the Jiffy drill to be drained and then dropped it off for the helicopter crew. Next we headed out to Cape Armitage to clean out the hut. It looks like a big shoebox with the number "8" which happens to be my favorite number.
This is what a typical dive hut can look like. It is quite comfortable inside. Just ask Marco.
We picked up all of the remaining items, including tables, chairs, cooking utensils, and a generator. We noticed that the dive hole had not quite refrozen. It looks like a sink drain. It's hard to imagine people jumping into it.
The hut at Cape Armitage has a dive hole that could be redrilled and used again.
Our next stop was another hut that the divers used during the first few weeks they were in Antarctica. We picked up some more chairs. We also had to get an extension cord that was frozen in the snow and ice. It was buried under 4 feet of snow and ice. Marco used and ice chipper and worked on it until it was free. He showed that persistence pays.
Marco worked for almost 20 minutes to free the extension from the snow and ice. Sometimes it is necessary to wait until the weather warms to retrieve items frozen into the snow and ice.
I spent the rest of the day doing interviews and working on the computer. Next week we will be very busy. Once we start going to Heald Island I won't have a lot of time to do these types of things. Also, Marco and DJ leave next Wednesday which means that we will be down to 5 people. That means everyone will have to cover the slack. I thought I worked a lot already but I have a feeling that I am about to get really busy. I can't wait!
Today's Polar Profile is of Kimberly Layton (we call her Kim). She had the dubious task of teaching us how to operate the generators and the chain saws. She is a lovely, soft-spoken young woman who can do magic with a generator. She said it all started in a class in high school. Kim is in Antarctica for the first time and she is having a great time. Listen to her tell you a little bit about herself (I apologize for the background noise but she works with generators and we moved three times to the quietest spot we could find).
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