It’s wild that we’ve almost come to the end of our time out in the field. This week was focused on getting everything winterized and closing up camp before heading out, allegedly, next week.
While the weather is generally unfavorable here in the summer, it can dump up to 20 feet of snow during the winter, so it’s important to get equipment up on berms so they do not get completely covered and impossible to dig out.
Monday brought in our carpenters, UT, and electrician to slowly “take away” the small creature comforts that we had.
Water: so showers and laundry and easier to do dishes.
Tent modules- two taken away.
Electricity- wall power to the semi permanent modules (we still have generator power).
So, things are getting “cozy” here at camp.
Meanwhile, the sun angle is getting lower and the temperature is dropping. We’ve had windchills sitting at -30 to -40F which makes day work “fun” and the nights chilly. To add, it’s been mostly cloudy, so gloomy weather doesn’t add to the joy.
But we are doing well! And the finish line is near! At the beginning of the week, there was a “plan” for some of us, myself included, leaving out on Saturday, but weather, and plane/ crew availability has pushed this into next week.
This week, for fun, we finally got to bust out the Limited Collectors Edition: Star Trek The Next Generation Interactive VHS Game!
Otherwise, nothing else too exciting to share with you all. Looks like we will be leaving here Tuesday or Wednesday (my time) to head back to McMurdo and then will be there for about 2-3 weeks before my contract is done and we head out to Christchurch.
Hopefully, my next post will be from McMurdo! Have a good week! And stay warm!
It doesn’t sound like you are very busy but I know you must be. It’s got to be twice as hard when it is so darn cold. I do not envy you but truly respect and admire you for all that you are doing for our country. Thank you Erin and everyone with you.
Here, not much going on . The weather has been much nicer than Ohio’s !!! Even Donna’s granddaughter in Tennessee has gotten 12 INCHES of snow today and it was still snowing. That entire state is probably shut down. Here we are in the 70s. Our coldest months are now over, Thank God. I am ready for it to warm up. Before I know it I’ll be bitching, ITS TOO HOT!!!! But, I’ll take it!!
Erin, stay safe above all and thank you for your posts. I really enjoy reading them and seeing what you are doing on the bottom of our world. Love you and hope to see you maybe this Spring!!!