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2007

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Date: November 1, 2007
Location: McMurdo Station
Latitude: 77 degrees, 51 minutes South
Longitude: 166 degrees, 40 minutes East
Temperature: −22°C (−8°F)
Wind Speed: 18 knots
Wind Chill: −33°C (−27°F)
Elevation: 50 meters (164 feet)
Written by: Nicky

Today is the much anticipated Snow Craft 2 course (also known as Crevasse Training). Dan D., Dan B., Brian, Elena, and I are on the roster to take the course, but Dan D. wakes up feeling ill and is eventually diagnosed with influenza. He is put in Quarantine (i.e. told to stay in his room).

The class begins with a discussion about the possible effects of altitude and the treatments. We learn that in situations where the individual experiencing severe symptoms of altitude sickness can't be immediately evacuated, the use of a Gamow Bag can buy them time. A Gamow Bag is a portable pressure chamber system, a foot pump on the outside increases the pressure on the inside, effectively lowering the the altitude that the person inside the chamber experiences. I volunteer to hop inside the chamber and am pumped to pressures like those below sea level. My ears pop, but the Gamow Bag is not uncomfortable, it kind of reminds me of a lay down tanning bed...if you've never been in both, you might not see the connection. Our team doesn't anticipate having to use this equipment, but it is always best to have more training than necessary.

After the Altitude part of the course, we dress for cold weather and hop into the Mat-Tracks (a Ford F-350 on triangular caterpillar tracks) to drive out to the Crevasse Simulator at Snow Mound City. On the way through we get a clear view of the pressure ridges where the McMurdo Ice Shelf meets the sea ice. They're stunning! The Crevasse Simulator is simply a giant hole in the McMurdo Ice Shelf dug by a tractor of some sort. You can drive (or walk) in and out, but it has ample wall space to climb as well. Additionally, consensus from folks who took the course last year is that this crevasse is much deeper than last years! The first several hours of the course are spent learning essential knots (Double Fisherman, Figure 8, Prussic). We then harness up (belt around your belly button please and make sure your straps are tight and doubled back thank you!) and practice rope management while walking in a line. Each of us was harnessed to a single rope 30 feet apart and the trick of it was to stay close enough in pace to the person in front of you that the line wasn't totally tight and off the ground, but it also wasn't bunching and twisting because you were too close. We practice corners and procedure for jumping over small crevasses (stop and look back at the person yelling "crossing" and then jump with them.) Once we've got a handle on rope management its time to descend into the crevasse.

We practice self rescue by tying the rope to the Mac Tracks at the top of the crevasse, outfitting ourselves with a waist prussic and a Texas Kick and a small amount of flailing. This system of self rescue really is quite brilliant. The Texas Kick has loops for each foot and a prussic hitch to the main rope. The beauty of the prussic hitch is that when weighted, the friction causes it to stay put and when not weighted it slides relatively easily (occasionally large gloves need to be removed) up or down the main rope. So, in order to climb you stick your feet into the loops on your Texas Kick and pull yourself to a standing position, the prussic on your Texas Kick is weighted now, so your waist prussic is free to move. You slide it up and then have a little faith... sit back in your harness and kick your feet beneath your rear. Now your leg prussic is free and you can move that up and continue the process until you get to the lip of the crevasse. Getting up over that ledge requires a little (or a lot) more finesse, depending on your level of grace. But the feeling of being pulled up over the edge is exhilariting, even if it is a contrived rescue scenario. All four of us sucessfully complete this task despite our differing levels of confidence and experience. Next we practice rescuing a team member using a 2:1 pulley system and then its time to head back to the station! The last few days have been exhausting, but also fun and incredibly useful.

 

Date: November 2, 2007
Location: McMurdo Station
Latitude: 77 degrees, 51 minutes South
Longitude: 166 degrees, 40 minutes East
Temperature: −20°C (−4°F)
Wind Speed: 6 knots
Wind Chill: −24°C (−11°F)
Elevation: 50 meters (164 feet)
Written by: Nicky

The first full day back in town after being gone for Happy Camper School and Crevasse Training turns out to be a hectic one. So much is going on! Today Mike heads out to the Winter Over Site and Josh flys back from McMurdo to be treated for the flu. Dan D. is still in quarantine, so Elena, Dan B. and I set about the tasks at hand. All the equipment in our cage at Science Cargo needs to be packaged and TCN'd. We pick up the remainder of our communication equipment, make a list of what type of boxes (empty, 2", 3") each ice core pallet contains, return extra equipment and double check everything. Excellent progress is made in this direction.

In the midst of all this and separate from it as well, I spend several hours in the Carp shop doing what can only be called in the loosest sense "supervising". The carpenter's apprentice that has been assigned to my light table project is more than competent. I stay only to learn a few new skills/tricks. It looks as though this will go smoothly as well and I am anxious to see the end result of Graham's (a fellow Mainer!) work on my light table tomorrow at noon.

Elena and I meet with Paul to discuss how we're handling the cold and what we should anticipate in the next several weeks. I leave this meeting feeling both very well informed and as though I am in good hands (although there never was any question). Today also marks the arrival of M.A.D.G.E and Dan B. prepares for a couple of long nights pulling all her parts back together! We've so much to look forward to: finally seeing what the traverse setup really looks like, learning to drive the Challenger, and of course that first core site. Look out Monday...here we come.