One day last week I worked with Kevin the electrician. Kevin was in my deployment group, so I got to know him quite well. This coming weekend they will be closing the ice runway so Kevin has been tasked with setting up the runway lights for Willey Field. Willey Field is named after a US Navy man who went through the ice just off Ross Island back in 1956 when they started building the station here. This airfield sits idle during the summer while the ice runway is used because the ice runway is about a mile from town and only takes a couple minutes to get to. Willey on the other hand is ~8 miles away and takes about 20-30 minutes to get to depending on the weather. Other than distance, the other major difference between the two airfields is Willey Sits on the 200M thick ice shelf while the ice runway sits on the 3M thick sea ice that melts away each year.
On Friday I was lucky enough to head out to the sea ice with FSTP (Field Safety Training Program) people to help establish a route to Turtle Rock and re-route the Cape Evans Road around a crack forming in the sea ice. The first stop revealed a bunch more seals (this place is about a mile from Hutton Cliffs where I was earlier). I saw a mother with twins which is very rare. The sad news is that there is a good chance one or both of the pups won't make it. The mother just can't produce enough milk to feed them both. However they were still very cute.
This day was very surreal, I left town on a a snowmobile with Susan towing a trailer in front of me. I looked up to see two helicopters flying over our heads and as I looked back forward, I could see Mt Erebus (our active volcano) smoking away. On the way out, Susan pulled the trailer with our survival gear and work equipment in it. However after it came detached the second time, I stopped with it as she kept going. After waiting a few minutes for her to return, I hooked it up to my sled and caught back up. In the long run, it made work much easier having the trailer behind me.
Typically we only have Sunday off, but because of the holiday, we also had Saturday off. I got up early so that I would be prepared for the Turkey Trot. This is a 5K (3.2M) race from the chapel out to the ice runway and back. We were told that the first 50 finishers would get a free t-shirt. I wanted to be one of the lucky few. I haven't run in years so it was very tough for me. However I busted my but and finished in the mid 30's out of 20+ runners and got my T-shirt. I guess I worked harder than I had to. This is a picture of my friends Gretchen and Sarah who also ran.
The T-Day feast was amazing. I even got my own drumstick! I think I ate too much, but Turkey Day only comes once a year. Before dinner I signed up to Adopt a DA (Dinning Attendant) for 1.5 hours. This meant that someone who had to work could take some time off as I covered for them. Every Sunday I volunteer scrubbing pots so I was an old pro at the job and they liked having someone there that could coach the other volunteers. By the end of the meal, there was a standing ovation for the kitchen crew and the wonderful meal they had prepared. It was an inspiring moment that made me feel very proud to be part of this community.
After dinner, I had a little too much fun, but that story has been saved for email. However that night while at Gallagher's, I ran into a couple Red Sox fans.
I ended the weekend with a nice solo hike of the Scott Hut Ridge. This is one of the few hikes you can do solo. It was a nice day and I needed to do a little physical and mental recovery.
So far there is nothing exciting coming up in the near future, but this is good since it will give me a chance to find a job once my contract is up.
2 comments:
Skip,
I love, love, love your posts. I'm so stoked that you've been doing so many, many cool things. Before I forget, a hello to Ann from LDB and Thai from FSTOP. Did you know Ann skied half-way across the continent? She's my hero. And, she will probably show her film later in the season. You must go. Is Phil still running LDB? He's wonderful too, please many hello's. I'm surprised Thai is back as I thought he was a practicing PA? Oh and I saw Andre and Bama in your T-day photo, more hellos. Enjoy my friend! I loved your cyclocross photo, you looked hot! It's finals week here and we just got a dumping of snow.
Hey Amber,
They are all great people here! I've talked with Ann a bunch about her trip to SP as part of the first women team. I can't wait to see the movie. Also I just found out that next week I'm going to go help put in a camp at A-Gap. I don't know too much about it, but it should be fun! Also, when you get a moment, could you email me your phone number?
Post a Comment