Each is auto-generated by the date I enter it,
which is 19 hrs. behind where you are in CST.
I've fixed that setting now.
So, add 19 hrs to your time.
It is now Wed. night here, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down for more than a few minutes since I Got here. Our flight arrived late on Mon., so got checked in late, and left first thing Tues. for Survival training.
Thursday and Friday we only have a few logistics left to pull together before leaving for the field on Sat. Mainly just food planning, pulling, and packing the food, and schedule/organization.
We get flown with all our gear in a large helo to Bull Pass. You can look that up on google earth if you want. We set up base camp there, and get flown each morning by smaller helo's to locations we need to record, hike to the end location, taking more points along the way, then the helo picks us up and takes us back to base camp each night. There are a few points we can hike to from there without helo support.
At base camp, we'll have several tents, tables, chairs, food, coleman 2-burner stoves, VHF radios, and 1 spare HF radio backup. We have a solar panel and battery pack, but we have so much electronic equipment to recharge each night that if it's cloudy it won't be enough.
Now I'll try to go back in time a couple of days and fill in the details up to now.
Last Sunday night, we received our flight was delayed about 2 hrs. so we wouldn't have to get up so early to check in, which was now scheduled for 8 instead of 6:45. When we got to the CDC, we had to repack our bags in the way they require, and I left my 2 suitcases there with a few things I wouldn't need. (including Nancy's fucia suitcase which would have gotten me beat up if I showed up with it here......)
After checking in, we had plenty of time, so walked to a nearby hotel for a full breakfast instead of just coffee. On the way we looked for a GeoCache that showed up on Paul's GPS, but it was gone. He downloaded all the GeoCache locations for New Zealand and Antarctica before leaving home.
When it was time for us to get ready, we watched an orientation video, put on stuff, get on bus to go out to plane, waited a while, then went back because they had found a fuel leak. To board the plane, you have to be wearing all of your cold weather gear, to prove you have it, so we sat on the bus on the tarmac like that for about 15 minutes before they let us go back to the waiting area. Luckily, there was a second Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 there, but it takes about 45 minutes to switch all the cargo. We are essentially tagging along on a cargo flight. About 50 of us, approx. half were either U.S. or NZ military, to support operations. About 10 were workers for McMurdo - replacement bus drivers, cooks, etc., and about 20 scientists.
After taking all our stuff off, we waited a few minutes, and then were told put it all back on, and go out to plane. Before boarding, we were handed a bag of snack and bottle of water. The seats are cargo plane jump seats. Essentially 4 rows of nylon netting with seat belts. There is equipment and gear and cargo packed everywhere. The flight crew and attendants are all Air Force. If you are over 6' tall, your knees touch those across from you. It was too loud for conversation, and very dark because there are only a couple of small port-holes on each side. It was a very long 7.5 hour flight. However, I am told this is the true modern-day Antarctic Experience,
We were told the flight was delayed because warm weather could cause soft runway, so landing later in the evening would let if freeze up if that was the case.
The ice runway was fine, but the road over 2 miles of ice sheet to McMurdo was not. The bus ride in is on 80 ft. ice shelf, which moves 1 ft. per day. When this ice meets the "sea ice", which is shallower, and temporary, and may melt in places in the summer, and moves around more, this parea of the road is called the "transition". there are huge ruts from the large vehicles, 6 - 8 ' of slushy ice in terrible ruts, but the vehicle we rode in on made in through just fine. However, they have to use specialized vehicles when the roads are like this. If the weather is cold, and everything is frozen, even smaller wheeled vehicles are let out on the ice.
Monday, the head of transportation for the U.S. was on our "bus", because he wanted to be in charge of the trip out and back. He said it has been like this since Thanksgiving, and has never seen it this warm for so long in his 20 years.
Upon Arrival, we were taken to the "Chalet", had a brief orientation, watched a video, got our room logistics, and had to fill in forms for return flight logistics, because it takes that long to arrange it all. Needless to say, we got checked into our rooms and unpacked very late, and I did not have an account on the network here yet, so no blog entry. Sorry.
I'll try to post an entry to explain happy camper tomorrow. It will take too long, and it's 11:30 here.
We had to leave Croyden House Bed and Breakfast earlier than they served breakfast, so this was waiting outside my door when I awoke:
Paul, Ryan, Pat, and Ziggy waiting for our Van:
"A GeoCache-ing We Will Go...."
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