12/8/2001, Meteorite Hills
We're here! The 8 of us got to Meteorite Hills yesterday, and since then have been turning a flat patch of hard snow and ice into an active, vibrant camp. It's been just a tad windy, but that's a good thing- there's a lot of fresh snow on the ice and we want the wind to blow it away to reveal the meteorites underneath. Even when the weather is a little uncomfortable, Antarctica is beautiful. We're surrounded by mountains on 3 sides and blue ice on the other- the picture shows Mt. Olsen, the tallest of the Meteorite Hills.
Me, I've been mostly getting the work tent together. Matt's become an ice miner, collecting big chunks of ice for melting into water. John's been getting the GPS and power (both solar and wind) set up, and Nancy's got the Iridium thing ready to test with this message. Maggie, Duck, Juanita and Cari are cheerfully helping out wherever they can- including putting up the bathroom tent.
The blue, yellow and red tent in the picture is our work tent; affectionately called the party tent by most. It's where the Iridium phone is hooked up, as well as a shortwave, a couple of tables, and a camp stove. In an hour or so we'll probably all gather here for dinner to celebrate our arrival. And tomorrow, if the wind lets up, we'll get to the work of hunting meteorites.
12/7/2001, McMurdo
Cari, Jamie, Ralph, and I went out to the airfield this morning to load the Twin Otter for a run out to Meteorite Hills. We got to see both a LC130 and the Otter take off. It was a little like watching a seagull and a gnat.
If the weather holds we will have several more flights today. We may be out in the field by this time tomorrow. It is time for a last load of laundry.
-Mags
12/7/2001, McMurdo
Last night Cari and I took a field trip to see some ice caves just outside McMurdo. It was a great time! I'm about to put up a picture of the ice caves, in the next post....
But we also saw a lot of seals! We didn't get close enough to disturb them, but as you can see, we did get a good view! They would lie around on the ice, occasionally yawning and stretching. And we saw a mom and pup pair. Cari and I watched them for quite a bit, while our fingers got cold from snapping so many photos!
12/7/2001, McMurdo
As promised, here is an image from inside an ice cave. It was a beautiful blue color and quite big. We climbed all around, admiring the ice crystals and formations. It was a bit slippery and parts made for good slides. It was easy to feel like a little kid - surrounded by something so new and amazing, wearing a giant heavy jacket in which I can hardly get my arms by my sides, and sliding down the natural ice ramps....
Anyway, Cari and I returned to McMurdo last night after 1 am. And that might have been my last night in a bed for quite a while. We might get into our field camp late today. So, for the rest of the day I plan to do a few last minute things. Send a few emails and postcards, pack up my stuff, and take a nice hot shower. I will miss that soon...
[Ed. Note: we added a bunch of Juanita's photos - look for the "Daily Photojournal" links in the journal TOC]
