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Date: 01/03/04
Latitude: 81.65 degrees South
Longitude: 122.60 degrees East
Temperature:−14°C( 7°F)
Wind speed: 10 knots
Wind Chill:−23°C(−9°F)
Wind direction: not given
Elevation: 9,722 feet
Kilometers traveled: 1510

Notes on daily life:
By Dan

Today was an extremely laid back day for everyone. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we have several days ahead of us in which to accomplish relatively little work. I spent the morning entering data into an NSF laptop so that I could burn a CD to take home with me for backup. During the afternoon I helped the rest of the crew build retro pallets. Lynn spent the whole day grooming the big bumps out of the skiway in preparation for the Herc flights. For dinner Andrea prepared a lovely meal consisting of fried rice, sweet and sour pork and spring rolls, YUM!

Date: 01/04/04
Latitude: 81.65 degrees South
Longitude: 122.60 degrees East
Temperature:−17°C( 1°F)
Wind speed: 14 knots
Wind Chill:−28°C(−18°F)
Wind direction: not given
Elevation: 9,722 feet
Kilometers traveled: 1510

Notes on daily life:
By Dan

Today is Matt’s Birthday and as a special treat we did not start work until midday. Many of us took this opportunity to sleep in late. It is a real luxury to be able to sleep while the trains are not moving and it is wise to take advantage of every opportunity to do so. Once we start on the final leg of our journey we won’t experience that luxury very often.

I spent the day monitoring the snow melter, keeping it topped up and refilling our water reserves. The rest of the crew spent several hours setting up the skiway marker flags ready for the Herc flight tomorrow. Lynn continued to groom the large undulations out of the skiway and apron.

We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the weather stays nice for tomorrow and the day after so that our flights do not get delayed.

Andrea prepared a delicious dinner in honor of Matt’s Birthday− Fish Tacos (at Matt's request) and she even decorated a huge chocolate cake!