It was cold this morning! We all headed to the dive hole at about 9:30 this morning. There was no sun and a slight snow was falling. Everything was freezing that we needed to use: regulators,…
Yesterday, we set Hal (a profiler, which has probes attached to it to monitor oxygen saturation levels within the algal mat) back into the lake to get to work. We left him at about 10:30 pm and all…
Air; it's a wonderful thing! As if working conditions are not difficult enough, the air has been so cold recently that the air compressor won't even start. I must have pulled the starter cord 5000…
Temperature control in Antarctica is quite difficult, especially on such cold days! Dressing in layers is key, but it is tiring constantly putting layers on and then taking layers off. Gloves on…
The day started with some "helo support" to help move some heavy equipment from near camp to a spot on the lake. It's impressive to watch the helo crews operate; check out the video for a quick…
The dive hole is almost ready! It is actually already large enough for divers to get through; in fact, the upper portion of the dive hole is huge! But, as the hole goes deeper, the hole gets narrower…
The dive hole is on its way - it might be large enough to dive in by tomorrow! Melting the hole is quite a process! I explained the drilling yesterday, now let me explain the melting. We have several…
We have arrived in the Dry Valleys! We just barely squeaked our way out of town; helicopters stopped flying shortly after we arrived - phew, we made it! It is wonderful to be back at Lake Hoare! Rae…
We spent the day packing the sleep kits and other items that were in the storage "cage" for the ENDURANCE team today. Things are packed, weighed, and sorted! They should be in pretty good shape when…
What a spectacular day! Brilliant sunshine, mild temperatures, mellow winds; it could not have been more lovely! Annika and I went for a brief walk up the hill beside town to take some pictures of…
The weather is just not cooperating! We were on another "weather hold" all day today; conditions fluctuated back and forth. We almost made it out of town, but once again.... Denied! The difficulty,…
We had a weather delay today which turned into a flight cancellation; we are still in "Mactown." We were denied access to the Dry Valleys - hopefully just for today! It was disappointing not to get…