Wednesday 7 December 2011

Two birds at Byrd!

The Basler flew in from McMurdo today, and we also had a Herc pass through which brought in some more of our cargo, so things are looking up. Even the weather is looking hopeful...

Despite the reasonable forecast yesterday it was blowing pretty hard this morning, so the visibility was too bad to head out with the twin otter first thing in the morning. It was another day running between tents, but I have made good progress with a fiendish jigsaw, and fortunately the weather cleared by the evening, so the other planes made it in.

The other excitement was the departure of the Pine Island Glacier traverse team. They are travelling overland to install the PIG camp, which will be the launchpad for a load of work on Pine Island glacier and the ice shelf.
The traverse consists of six people in four vehicles dragging a long train of equipment, proceeding at 6 mph in a straight line for 10 days! Luckily the cabs of the vehicles are heated, but apparently people have been known to fall asleep for an hour. Fortunately it's just flat snow for several hundred kilometres in all directions.

Plans have been hatched for tomorrow, and it looks like everyone will get to fly now that we have two planes, so it is time to go and snuggle up in my tent. Fingers crossed for some action tomorrow.

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