Date: January 7, 2007
Latitude: 80 degrees, 18 minutes, 30
seconds South
Longitude: 144 degrees, 41 minutes,
27 seconds East
Temperature: −22°C (−8°F)
Wind Speed: 14 knots
Wind Chill: −34°C (−29°F)
Elevation: 2,279 meters (7,477 feet)
Written by: Lora
Kilometers Traveled 480
Meters of core drilled: 390
Spirits are high; we have made it to the winter over site. After encountering the firn cracks we decided to go back to a site we knew to be safe. This morning Brian, Josh, and Paul took the Pisten Bully out with the deep and shallow radar to scout a safe travel route back to our new winter-over site. They found a safe route and then came back for the trains. The trains turned around and we were on the road again for the last time.
Around 2 pm, on a beautiful sunny day, we set up our final camp. We are quick at setting up camps now. Andrei, Mike, Joe, Dan B., Dan D., Paul and Gordon set up the 2-inch drill and the wind-breaks for the drill site. In the morning, we will be ready to start ice core drilling for the final time this season. Most of us spent the remaining part of the afternoon relaxing outside in the nice weather. Spirits are high; we have made it to the winter over site. After encountering the firn cracks we decided to go back to a site we knew to be safe. This morning Brian, Josh, and Paul took the Pisten Bully out with the deep and shallow radar to scout a safe travel route back to our new winter-over site. They found a safe route and then came back for the trains. The trains turned around and we were on the road again for the last time.
Around 2 pm, on a beautiful sunny day, we set up our final camp. We are quick at setting up camps now. Andrei, Mike, Joe, Dan B., Dan D., Paul and Gordon set up the 2-inch drill and the wind-breaks for the drill site. In the morning, we will be ready to start ice core drilling for the final time this season. Most of us spent the remaining part of the afternoon relaxing outside in the nice weather.
Date: January 8, 2007
Latitude: 80 degrees, 18 minutes, 30
seconds South
Longitude: 144 degrees, 41 minutes,
27 seconds East
Temperature: −24°C (−11°F)
Wind Speed: 6 knots
Wind Chill: −32°C (−26°F)
Elevation: 2,279 meters (7,477 feet)
Written by: Dan D.
Kilometers Traveled 480
Meters of core drilled: 390
Brain investigated 20km upstream from the winter-over site and did not detect any more of these crack features. We are confident that we detected these features early on and that we will be able to navigate our way around the area next year.
We began the last of our science projects for the year. We dug a snow pit for sampling and set up both the 2 inch and 3 inch drills so that we’ll be ready to begin drilling in the morning.
Rick and Josh used the CATs to begin the winterizing projects. We need to set up a ski-way for the planes to land. This entails leveling out any bumps and marking the landing area with flags that we brought along with us. This takes awhile to do since the ski-way is pretty long to accommodate the C-130 Hercs, but the CAT makes it possible. Josh start work on the snow berms for vehicle winter storage, and Cathy began work on packing things up. We need to carefully store all of our supplies so they wont be damaged over the winter. We even store extra food. This is the best deep freeze and we don’t have to worry about scavenging animals!
We ended the day with another of Cathy’s delicious meals and a movie.