Dive Tending

I was recently "awarded" the opportunity to go dive tending .  Yes, diving happens here in Antarctica!  Brrr, right?!?  McMurdo, being located on the Ross Sea, brings in scientists to study the underwater world surrounding the continent.  Sometimes the diving groups offer us, the "worker bees" of McMurdo, the opportunity to come along to help them as they do their dives. This particular time, I  was selected to go which ended up being pretty fun and interesting!

Another girl, Alyssa, and I went with a research group studying the various environmental impacts of the underwater world and monitoring the recovery process over time.  Alyssa and I helped the group load up their diving gear into a Piston Bully (a tracked vehicle made for snow and ice conditions) and drove out to the dive sight.  The gear-up process is quite extensive to go for a dive.  Since the water is extremely cold they have to make sure to dress warm enough under their dry suits, basically covering all exposed skin. The water temperature is actually below freezing but the salt content of the water makes the freezing point lower at 1.9 C (28 F) instead of 0 C (32 F). We assisted them in putting on their gloves, masks, assisting in zipping up suits, helping put on their tanks, weights, etc.  Diving in frigid water, you want everything to be as water tight as possible, keeping the cold water as much off your skin as possible. The dives generally last about 45 min to an hour depending on how cold the divers get and how long they can stand it.  Luckily, where this particular hole was cut through the ice, there was a hut with a heater over the top of it, so while Alyssa waited for the divers to surface again, we were just able to hang out in the warm hut, not all the dive spots afford this luxury of warmth. We got to watch them, the 4 divers, jump in and then waited for them to surface again to help them when they were ready to get out.

Looking down into the hole in the ice was really beautiful.  Since the ice is thinner this year, the sunlight really penetrates through the ice and the hole in the ice glowed in this really beautiful blue.  I could see the divers swim by occasionally, some 40-60 feet down.  The water is so clear I could see clear to the bottom and could even see a few starfish and sponges here and there.  Apparently the marine creatures here grow larger than usual.  Some studies say it is because of the extremely cold water temperatures that slow the metabolism of the creatures causing them to grow bigger on a usual diet amount.  Also there aren't certain predators that you would find elsewhere allowing things to live longer, threatened less.

When the divers surfaced, Alyssa and I helped pull their oxygen tanks up onto the hut floor since they are so heavy, which makes it easier for the cold divers to climb out. Two of the divers who went on this particular day were first-time divers in Antarctica.  They were pretty excited about their dive!  Before we left, the dive crew wanted to let Alyssa and I know that although they couldn't really allow us to polar plunge into the ice hole, if we just "happened to fall in" they would be there to help us out (wink wink).  Alyssa went planning to "accidentally fall in" but I definitely was not planning to do that.  The thought of it actually sounded quite terrible to me initially.  For one, I am not super fond of cold water, let alone water that is below freezing and secondly, jumping into a dark hole into icy water with who-knows-what under there sounded terrifying!  So Alyssa, though very nervous, bravely jumped...ugh, I mean...fell in:)  When she climbed up the ladder out of the water, this strange inspiration and strong urge took over me that I had to do this too!  If she did it and survived, I could too, ha ha!  Here I am in Antarctica, and I have the opportunity to do something I will probably never get the chance to do again; I have to do it!  Before I could change my mind I quickly stripped down to my "swim suit" and jumped in.  The water is shockingly cold and takes your breath away but you are only in it for only a matter of seconds, instinct takes over on getting quickly getting out.  Luckily, no strange, giant, Antarctic sea monster attacked me when I jumped in. I must say that it was very exhilarating (but also produced an instant brain freeze). I warmed up the moment I got out (another reason the warm hut was a bonus).  I POLAR PLUNGED IN ANTARCTICA!!!! I'm glad that I got brave and did it:)

After we loaded the piston bully back up with all the gear and ourselves, I was able to convince the dive leader to let me drive the piston bully back to the station!!  I had never driven one before and wanted to so I somehow sweet talked my way into doing it, ha ha!  It was a bit strange to drive, steering more like a boat than a land vehicle.  I kind of got the hang of it and was able to get us all safely from the ice back to the dive hut on station:)  I didn't really know what to expect with this dive tending gig but it ended up being much more fun than expected!  It definitely was a far better alternative to working!



Getting ready to explore the underworld.



The hole. 

One of the divers just jumped in.



Time to get out!



brrr!! Cold water!



Me driving the piston bully:)

The dive hut and the piston bully.  The hole in the ice is inside the hut:)

A Second Time Around

Hello one and all!! I am past due for an update, this I do know.  So, here you go....

At the moment, I am en route, once again, down for round number two in Antarctica at McMurdo station.  Thus far I've gotten as far as Christchurch, New Zealand and am now delayed due to severe weather conditions happening in Antarctica that are not making for favorable conditions for planes to be landing there. And so...such is my lot...I am stuck in New Zealand...big bummer, huh? ha ha! Well, before you get too envious of me let me just tell you...it is cold and rainy...and I'm not really doing anything really cool besides hanging out, eating, sleeping, and waiting to leave. I am more in this sort holding pattern waiting for a word that the weather has cleared each day that this delay goes on. Could be a few days...who knows and I have to be ready to go when they say, "its time!" Now, if I had a close friend or a few close friends here with me...this would be GREAT!

Last year, if you remember, I got a job as a Vehicle Operator, duties including: giving people rides around "town," shuttling flight crews and airfield workers to and from the airfield, picking up/dropping off passengers coming and going on airplanes, vehicle maintenance, and dispatch duties. It was a fun job and I was hoping to do it again this year. I thought it would be a "shoe in" and didn't apply for any other jobs. Well, there was a change over of the contractor who hires all of the "science support" people (ie. all the non-science jobs) and with that change over and low bid came HUGE cuts to all departments. (Raytheon Polar Services used to be the contractor and now it is under Lockheed Martin). Anyway, my department got cut 60%!! And so...that left most of us in my department wanting to return to that job, without a position. So, for awhile, there, I thought it wasn't going to happen for me to go a second season and I began to think about a possible plan B but then, by some stroke of fate, this random other job in another department basically fell in my lap (I had some help on the "inside" with people putting words in for me and helping to find an open position). So, this season, my job will be in a department called Supply. I don't even know myself what it fully entails yet, till I get down there and stark working, but it deals with all the shipments of cargo coming in and going out of the station. My job, as a Data Inventory Specialist, will be to check everything in and out, entering it into the computer system, making sure departments are getting the things they ordered, inventorying everything, and so on. I was told that when I first get down there, I will be helping out in the Crary lab, basically filling in areas of highest need until the full department workforce can get down there. I am excited to be in Crary lab for awhile...that's where all the scientists are doing their thing so it should be interesting!

This year, I am being shipped down a month before I was last year and I will be shipped out a little later (at the end of February). So, I think it all adds up to about 4.5 months this season. I am interested in seeing what season #2 looks like. It is nice already knowing people down there this time and also just being familiar with how things run. And so...that is basically the news on me and Antarctica. I will try and do my best to keep you updated and entertained!

All Aboard...or should I say, Some Aboard!



Intoducing Ice Breaker - Vladymir



The fuel tanker coming through the channel

The ice breaker, a Russian boat that plows through the sea ice to break it apart, showed up about a week ago to do it's ice-breaking thing (much more impressive in imagination than actualization, is that the right word?).  The ice around Ross Island, on which McMurdo Station is built, is getting thinner but it still needed some help to be able to make an access way for the two other ships needing to make their way here.  Valadymir, the Russian ice breaking boat, quickly broke a channel to our McMurdo ice pier where the fuel tanker, Maersk Peary, was able then to park...no dock...or...whatever it is called and off load the 7,000,000 (approx) gallons of fuel.  So much fuel!!! The tanker sat here for about a week getting pumped out and then went on its merry way. Vladymir is still here keeping the channel open for the next ship, The Green Wave, to make its way here with all the cargo for this next year.  It would be interesting to see all of what is on that ship, but unfortunately I will leave here only days before that ship is scheduled to arrive.

The other day, Jean, a friend that works in the galley (the cafeteria), really wanted to go down to get a looksie aboard the Russian ice breaker.  The thing is, they weren't exactly offering tours but she was still determined that she could get on the ship and look around (even though we might not be allowed by our station leaders or the Russians).  The ice breaker was docked at the ice pier having a rest (I guess) at this time. Myself and Ted, a fellow shuttler, decided to join Jean in her venture.  I, knowing a little Russian, could be useful to get aboard.  Since we are all on night shift and were having a night off, we ventured down to the ice pier about 2am and walked across the ice pier and out to the ramp that you climb to get on the boat.  Jean climbed the ramp to see if she could see anyone walking around.  The ship was pretty much quiet; the crew probably sleeping.  One guy did come out on deck and I called out to him in Russian, "Hello, we are interested in looking at your ship. Can we check it out?"  He said something that wasn't a "no" so we all boarded the ship.  I was a little nervous about the whole thing knowing we probably weren't supposed to even be out there but my curiosity and Jean's eagerness won out.  The Russian deck hand lead us into the boat and we sat down in some sort of break room and then he went to get someone else who had more authority to ask about us being there.  I, acting as communicator and translator was able, to somehow communicate our wishes, be granted permission and awarded a guided tour of the ship!

We were taken all around the inner-workings of the ship, through all the engine rooms, generators, oil storage areas, thrusters, and lots of other mechanical rooms that I had no clue as to what they were.  It was like a maze in down there in bottom recesses of the ship with so many rooms filled with so many different components that all work together to make that ship do its job (mind boggling to the untrained eye). Our guides were trying to explain what things were but my Russian vocabulary comprehension is especially very limited in the technical ship jargon, not to mention just limited in general.  The best part of the tour was sneaking through the sleeping quarters (so as to not wake the sleeping captain) up to the control tower, the best place on the boat, in my opinion.  It is the place with the good view with the 360 degree windows and comfy seats. We snuck some pictures sitting in the captains seat, oh yeah!

After thanking the Russian crew members that let us check out the ship, we headed back "home."  We all felt pretty cool and daring that we actually got on the ice breaker and got to look around when no one else would probably get to do that.  Jean was especially stoked to have made it on.  She was almost "high" in her excitement being such a curious adventurer who also loves ships and boats.  I felt proud that I was able to communicate, although slightly self concious of my elementary Russian skills.  But to Travis and Jean, I am no less than a fluent speaker. They were super impressed.  If they only knew.....



You can see where the ice breaker has been. 





The ice pier where the ships dock



Full speed ahead



Another shot of the tanker Maersk Peary







1/2 Marathon in Antarctica

An official participant with a number and all!

I was told  by one of my co-workers at our orientation in Denver that they have a marathon and half marathon down here in Antarctica.  He had asked if I run and if I would want to do it?  I told him that I do run, sometimes, but not that far (maybe like 3 miles at a time).  So, when I came I was definitely thinking I WOULD NOT be participating in any sort of marathon.  But.....when I got here and was talking about it with some friends I started to, sort of, warm up to the idea of the half just as a challenge and an opportunity to do it in Antarctica of all places.  The most I have ever run at one time before has been about 6.5 miles and that was some years ago.  I was pretty much "on the fence" about doing it up to the day of the race.  I went as far as to sign up for the half marathon but I figured I could always bow out if I didn't feel up to it.  Also, weather was a big factor for me.  If the weather was really windy and extra cold I wasn't going to be interested being out in that.

Well, the day of the race came, which was "night" for me being on the night shift right now, and the weather looked pretty good.  Sunny, not too cold, and only light winds.  One of the hardest parts of trying to do any running outdoors here is trying to figure out what to wear!  There is such a balance of dressing so you will be warm but also not wearing so much so that you would get too hot or be so encumbered to run.  I dressed in layers and brought along extra stuff to add if I needed to. 

 All the participants were loaded into a big bus and were driven out to the snow road that I drive everyday out to the airfield.  The road is 14 miles long so it is "perfect" for doing a full or half marathon.  The full marathon started at the 1 mile marker and ran to the 14 mile marker and back.  The half marathon started at the 14 mile marker and ran back 1 mile marker.  When I got out to the starting line, it felt much colder than it had in town and there was a bit more wind than I had thought.  Getting off the warm bus and into the cold was rough, I was freezing.  I put on more clothes at that point, better to be too warm on the way than too cold.  Once I got going running, I was able to warm up.  I had to shed layers a bit along the way.  Really, my only goal in the race was to try and actually run the whole time, but even that goal was flexible for me, ha ha!  I was actually surprised at how good I felt most of the way.  Of course there were the little aches and pains that seemed to shift around my joints but for the most part I felt pretty good. There were a few other girls that I was running along with the majority of the race which helped me to pace myself.  There were about 3 aid stations along the way that had drinks and snacks.  One station was barbecuing hamburgers and brats and they tried to get people to stop along the way, tempting us with couches, food and beer.  I didn't give into it because I didn't want to run the 6 miles more with a hamburger in my stomach. (I did get a ride back to that station after finishing because then I was ready for a burger or brat!)

At the last aid station with about 2 miles to go, I was informed that I was in second place for the women and one guy pointed to my friend Melanie, who was in the lead, and said, "You can catch her!" Some competitive spark ignited in me and my goal shifted from just finishing to possibly going for first place.  My pace quickened at that point.  Melanie is also a very competitive person, more competitive than I, with a collegiate track and field history so I knew it would be a challenge to catch her.  I few times I caught up to her and was going to pass but she would kick it in gear and pull ahead again.  I tried a couple times but she apparently wasn't going to let that happen.  I was attempting this over a 2 miles stretch so I also didn't want to run out of energy and have to walk trying to make my move to get in the lead.  On the home stretch I was only slightly behind Mel and I considered breaking into a sprint to go for first, which I knew she would most likely sprint too and not give up.  I visualized and  pictured myself probably slipping on the ice/snow and taking a crash in doing so I decided against it.  Plus, I knew that Mel really wanted to win at that point and I didn't really need to try and take that from her, making a big scene and possibly failing (or falling) anyway, to try and prove some point to myself or whoever. I didn't start out thinking I would even come close to winning or anything.  I was happy just to finish having run the whole way and since it probably was more important to Mel I was content to jog in what came to only 7 seconds behind her.  I ran it in 2:10:51; second place, not too bad for a first time.  Both first and second place were rewarded with a massage gift certificate in New Zealand.  I will definitely be cashing in on that one!

So, one more thing to add to my life list of things I have done in my life.  1/2 marathon in Antarctica!

Just about half way there. I'm in the middle of the 3 tall girls.

At the starting line.

Mel and I before the race.

We Interrupt this Program.....

 
My Grandpa Vernon passed away on December 27. He has been fading over the past few years and especially over the past few months just getting weaker and weaker in his  ripe, old age of almost 91. Of course, I couldn't have been further away when he decided to go, Antarctica of all places. I knew in my going to the land of ice and snow that this scenario was a possibility, but I was hoping he would hang on for awhile longer till I could at least be back in the country. Bummed to hear the news, bummed to be so far away, and bummed to have to leave Antarctica prematurely, I talked to the necessary people in charge to find out what my options were to return home. I was praying for a very specific outcome; to go home and then be able to return to finish out the season. I must say, Raytheon Polar Services, who I work for in Antarctica, was great! They flew me back to attend the funeral and are still allowing me to finish out the rest of my contract. Thank you, God. I will be in California for about 10 days total and then will return to McMurdo.  Amazing! They didn't have to let me do that.

It is weird to think about my grandpa being gone. I am still trying to wrap my mind around it.  He has always just been there in my life. As I get older, I am more and more truly thankful for the family that God blessed me with. I am very lucky to have been surrounded the way I have been.  Not everyone has what I have and have had. My Grandpa always took great pride in me, his one and only grand daughter (and in all of his grand sons too). He wasn't one to always say what he felt outright, but I could see it in the way he talked about me or when we were out and about, showing me off to the world. I think one of his favorite things was to take his grand kids to the donut shop where we could enjoy something he loved (donuts and coffee) with the ones he loved, and it also gave him a chance to show us off and brag on us to his friends:) We never minded going along for that! We all knew something "sweet" would come along with hanging out with Grandpa!

In my growing up years, my Grandpa and Grandma played a big role in my life. They usually visited once or twice a year, driving all the way up to Montana from California. Usually they would come during hunting season when my parents were busy with their outfitting business and they would take over the care of my brothers and I. I always remember not being able to WAIT till they got there!  They often came bearing gifts of delicious California oranges, almonds, and my favorite, pomegranates. As a bonus, my mom always went all out baking sticky buns, pies, and yummy food when they would come! Grandpa would usually help take on a big home improvement project or do something to improve our rugged Montana life. Both Grandma and Grandpa were troopers through our times of no power, no running water, outdoor plumbing, and insanely snowy or muddy roads. They still loved to come to see us!!

During my college years, my grandparents stepped in as my second parents (as mine were living out of the country during that time). I would often drive the hour something to their house from my college in Redding for the weekend, hauling all my dirty laundry to do and sometimes friends. It was always an open door there, for me, where I felt at home away from home. They were also my biggest volleyball fans coming to the majority of my home and away games. I will always remember my Grandpa yelling at the refs for anything they called on me and yelling at my coach anytime I was taken out of the game (which was kind of a lot being that I only played in the front row, ha ha)!  He knew they HAD to be wrong because...I was his granddaughter....and I should be playing!! He was always well known for his vocal sports enthusiasm, even back to when my Grandma first met him at a basketball game. She was appalled by this guy who was bellowing at the refs the entire game! Well....she must not have been too appalled:)

My Grandpa was steady, committed, and steadfast. When he said something, he usually did it. He wasn't overly dramatic about most things and calmly approached his life and work, often whistling under his breath as he went along. He was committed to his family, his church, and his jobs, stepping in where needed and lending a helping hand. He was steadfast in his faith, beliefs, and ideas; you didn't want to argue with him because he couldn't be swayed....well...except maybe with apple pie ala'mode, strawberry ice cream or chocolate, carmel, pecan turtles, but that's all.  My mom told me that in her younger years she would bake a pie or something her dad liked before she asked him a favor (like borrowing the car). The pie could help boost the odds of his agreement to her request....sometimes:)  Grandpa will be missed by his family and friends.  I will miss his "Ho-Hum" sighs of satisfaction, his renditions of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" to awaken the day, and his old-school, mealtime prayers full of "thees" and "thous."

It has to be said that along with any man usually comes a great or even greater woman. My Grandma Dorothy is definitely that. Along with all the good, she also put up with all the....well, not so good and was a faithful life companion to the end.   She has been a hero in his care, and the care of their family, from day one, but even more so these past few years caring for my grandpa (along with the help of my Uncle Steve) as he has been slowly fading in mind and body. She never considered anyone else taking over the job as his care-giver but sacrificially gave herself unto the task, and a big one at that. She has completed an amazing and very difficult job! She is an incredible lady and I hope that I take after her in a number of ways! I am looking forward to the coming days and years as she will be more free to travel. I am hoping to have some adventures with this spunky granny of mine! "What do you say, Gran?  How about a road trip?"

I love this picture of my grandparents on their farm!

The Road to Plagusus

I made up a new word here. It is the word "Plegusus." I will tell you a little of the back ground before I describe to you what it means. Around the beginning of December the airfield that the military planes fly in and out of, here at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, had to be moved from the temporary ice to the permanent ice. This move is a big deal here and a whole ordeal to do. Why move the runway, you ask? Well, simply put, the planes would eventually crash through the ice if they left it on the temporary ice. Why not always have the runway on the permanent ice, you ask? Well, it is a whole heck of a lot farther to drive and transport to and from the permanent ice runway. So, they use the temporary one for as long as they can till it is no longer going to be safe and then move it. It saves a pile of money in time and resources to have it closer for a time. The new airfield is named "Pegasus" and it is about 16 miles from McMurdo town over snow and ice roads. The old airfield was called the "Ice Runway" and it was about 3 miles from town.

How does this moving of the airfield affect me? Well, my main job is to transport people to and from the airfields so, I know first hand the time and resources the move requires. But also, it is probably the reason I even got to come here. When the move happens, our department needs more people. So that is why I got shipped in right before this time. The first week of the new runway opening was CRAZY! Our department was scrambling to staff the transport needs. We have to be on a time schedule and get the air crews and passengers to their planes for their scheduled departures. We offer a shuttle service that leaves every half hour from town and figuring out how to coordinate all of the drivers and schedules is a BIG job while also trying to continue with our in-town taxi service.

The road out to Pegasus is made only of packed snow and flags marking a few lanes. During the first week, especially, the roads were getting TORN UP with all the traffic moving on them. Fleet ops is the department that maintains that road, basically 24-7, and they were having a heck of a time keeping it groomed and packed after we all tore though in our vans and deltas. This is where my new word, "Plegusus" comes in. I renamed the airfield, "Plegusus" during that first week. It was seriously like going through a plague getting out there! I was not enjoying it. We were all getting stuck in the snow right and left. Fleet ops would have to come pull us out all the time and were not having much time to actually work on the roads. Fourteen miles of road built on sloppy, soft snow, means that sometimes when you got stuck (as I did on 3 different occasions) you would have to wait quite a long time while a challenger (a big tracked machine) would come to your rescue. Being that we were "trying" to be on a schedule with getting air crews and passengers out to their planes, it felt like a LOT of pressure NOT to get stuck. The advice we gave each other was DO NOT SLOW DOWN- just keep the gas pedal compressed or you wouldn't make it. So here we are barreling as fast as allowed though the snow, bumping around, probably catching air on some occasions. I swear we should have issued helmets to people as they got in to ride. Passengers and drivers alike were having anxiety, even bad dreams about the drive (I know I was). I would find my self so tensed up after a run out there that I would be exhausted with a tension headache. Not only were the roads bad but often the visibility would be so bad that it was like driving blind, only seeing the red flags marking the way out with the rest being a white out (white sky meeting white snow). I would strain my eyes to see the holes and bumps in the road but really couldn't most of the time so it was hard avoiding the REALLY bad holes often resulting in getting stuck (that probably contributed to the headaches). I had my whole van sliding sideways numerous times. Three to 4 hrs of this on one run out and back was a lot. I like to describe it like a rodeo, like trying to stay on that bull or bucking bronco, yes, slightly stressful. So, I started spreading the word "Plegusus" and people around town were picking up on it and using it too!

Things have gotten much better since that beginning week. I actually enjoy the drive out to the airfield most of the time. The sunny days are the best when the sky is so blue against the snow, the mountains around are brilliantly spectacular, and the snow is sparkling like diamonds.



The hole I got stuck in was marked with
a sign to help others avoid it (or maybe
to mark "Elisha got stuck here,
everyone!")



The second time I got stuck in the same
hole just hrs after the first time. 
This Kress monstrosity pulled me out:)



Happy Camper



My Antarctic home for a night.

Frigidly cozy:)

Snow camping in Antarctica? Heck yeah! I was extended the opportunity, recently, to take part in an extreme weather survival training course and excitedly accepted. The program is called Happy Camper and it is an overnight camping trip/training where professional mountaineers train a group of people in survival techniques. The course is mainly to train the scientists and support staff going out to the field camps where they are conducting their various research projects. I was able to join in with them for the training. The first day we spent some lecture time in a classroom and then headed out to the ice. The instructors led us through things like how to set up a field camp, building wind walls with snow blocks, cutting the snow blocks out of a query, making a snow kitchen, how to set up and secure tent in wind, how to dig a snow trench to sleep in, how to use the backpacking stoves, how to avoid and treat frost bite and hypothermia, and how to keep yourself and your gear warm while sleeping. It was all really quite interesting. After the whole day of instruction and training, the leaders left the 18 of us to finish building our camp. And, for those of us who chose to sleep in trenches, were able to finish digging those. I was named camp manager after raising my hand to volunteer NOT to be manager, ha ha. So my job was to make sure everyone was accounted for and OK. I also was given the emergency radio in case we had to call our leaders who where staying in another location (in a hut) not too far away.

Getting ready to build camp! Saws and shovels!

We were given the choice of sleeping in a trench or a tent so, of course, I HAD to sleep in a trench! Who gets to say they slept in a "snow cave" in Antarctica??? The basics of snow trenching is that you dig a long and narrow trench 4-5 ft deep, carving out a wider space deeper down to be able to lay and move around a bit. You want the top to be narrow in order to put a roof on more easily. I cut some snow blocks with a saw and made a pitched roof over me leaving only a small opening to crawl down into. The hard part for me was getting in and out with out snow getting all over me and my sleeping bag. Getting to bed and out again in the morning was the worst part. I stayed relatively warm all night long. I took a hot water bottle to bed with me which was awesome. I didn't choose to seal off the opening to my trench, so that also would have helped insulate a bit more. But I was cramped and semi claustrophobic already. I was glad that it was daylight all night cause I think I would have been a bit more freaked out if it was dark out. Getting out of bed and into cold gear in the morning was not the most fun thing I have done, ha ha! My coveralls and gloves froze solid. I tried to lay on them for awhile, like we were told to, but couldn't defrost them so I had to put on some other things I brought instead. It was cold getting out, for sure. I can't imagine what it would have been like in REALLY cold weather. We had sun and mellow wind the whole time (temps prob in the teens or twenties). It is pretty amazing the extreme conditions that people can survive in if properly trained and equipped.

Come, sit, and hang out in the dining room/kitchen. Hot water is on!

Happy Camper Camp!  Every flag is the entrance to a trench.

The second day we had to wake up and break down the whole elaborate camp we had just built, knocking in our trenches and all, which was a little sad. Then we spent the rest of the day learning more skills like how to use a long-range -VHF -military radio to set up emergency communications, practiced deploying and securing a survival camp more quickly, how to think through risk assessment and develop rescue plans, and how to navigate in condition 1 (very poor, low visibility) weather. We were given scenarios and then had to act out what we would do. They the end of the day, we were all beat and gladly loaded up ourselves and gear to head back to the station. It was fun but also a lot of work which I remedied with a nice little nap when we got home:) It was a cool experience and I am lucky to have been given the opportunity!

The lovely wind-wall

Hi!!!