This morning our research team went to the SSC (Science Support Center) to review how to use and fix snowmobiles. Our instructor, Toby, reviewed with us all the basics of a snowmobile and showed us how to troubleshoot them if they broke down. I have never been on a snowmobile before, so it was all new to me!
Toby, the snowmobile instructor, explains how to use and fix snowmobiles during training.
Out on the Snow
After our inside lesson, it was time to get out on the snow and try out the snowmobiles. Andrew, Steve and Terry had already been through the training, so they were not required to test them out. Joni and I had not yet been on them though, so we were in the hot seat! Andrew and Steve went back to work at the lab and Terry stayed with us to take photos and videos of our snowmobile adventure.
Getting started
Choosing the right helmet is important! If you hit your head and your helmet is loose it can fly off. Wearing a loose chinstrap could also cause you to lose your nose or lips as your helmet flies off your head. Toby explained the "shake your head no" test to make sure we had the right fitting helmets (when you shake your head side to side, the helmet should stop when your head does). Luckily my helmet passed the shake test!
Michelle finds the correct fitting snowmobile helmet and is ready to go.
Starting her up
With helmets in our hands and our big red jackets on, we piled in to the back of a pickup truck. Toby drove us a short distance from the SSC down onto the ice (McMurdo station sits right on the edge of the sea ice). Sitting in the bed of the truck reminded me of Texas, except it was a lot colder! We pulled up to a long row of snowmobiles and we each chose one and uncovered it. I was a little nervous that I would make a mistake and forget an important step to get my snowmobile started correctly. First, I made sure the snowmobile was in neutral by checking the shifter. Then I made sure the parking brake was off. I primed the engine, which sent fuel into the spark plugs. If you put too much gas into the spark plugs and engine you can flood it, which is not good. Toby advised to pull on the primer three times. I then pulled a cord which starts the engine, appropriately called the pullstart. Yanking away on the pullstart did me no good--the cord didn't move more than a few inches. Apparently I don't have the upper body strength required to cold-start a snowmobile! Luckily Toby wasn't too far away and gave me a hand. The engine started purring and I hopped on ready to ride!
Michelle and Toby discuss how to start the snowmobile before it is time to practice.
The snowmobilers finish up their practice on the ice.
Away we go!
We left one at a time. I was second to last and getting excited and nervous as each snowmobiler ahead of me took off. Finally it was my turn. As I squeezed the handle of the snowmobile, which is how you give it gas, I remained still. I panicked. What was I doing wrong? I checked my gears, my emergency stop button, but couldn't find anything wrong. Toby zipped back to my spot and squeezed my handle a little harder. Apparently I just needed to give it a little more gas! Away I went, although not as fast as I thought I would go. We went over small hills, practiced riding along hills, went around flagpoles, and went out on the ice. It was a lot harder to make turns than I thought it would be, but eventually I got the hang of it. At the end, Toby wanted us to feel comfortable going faster so we went out onto the ice runway (where our C-17 lands) and zipped along at a pretty fast pace. The road was smooth and it was fun to speed up a little!
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Michelle is ready to ride on the snowmobile.
Time for lunch!
We pulled our snowmobiles back in their rows, covered them up, and hopped back in the truck to return to McMurdo. It was sad to end such a fun morning of snowmobiling, but my stomach was growling--time for lunch! Terry, Joni and I had a great meal at the cafeteria and then Terry set off to do a practice dive under the ice. He will be diving down to collect our samples once we start digging into our research! On the walk to the cafeteria, it struck me how lucky I am to get all this experience and education. I have learned so much about surviving and thriving on the ice, and I haven't even been here a week yet!
Check out my research team's blog for more pictures and stories from another perspective! Go to: www.islandtoice.org
Joni Kincaid, Toby Weisser and Michelle Brown after a successful day of snowmobile training.
Questions
Why do you think Toby taught us how to fix the snowmobile if a part of it breaks?
Think back to the journals about survival skills learned at Happy Camper. What would you want to bring with you on a snowmobile if you were going to be traveling far from McMurdo? Why would you bring the items you selected?
Math Connections
When I first got on the snowmobile, I traveled for 10 minutes at 15 miles per hour. How far did I travel?
Once on the flat ice runway, I speed up to 60 miles per hour, but I was only driving for 5 minutes. How far did I travel then?