McMurdo Dispatch
Weather: 8F, Winds 15NNW, Snow, Blowing snow, VIS
Greetings All,
Well, it been awhile since an update and a lot has happened...lots of talking and long meetings.
The folks who make the decisions...those who have never slept in a tent, much less here in this god-awful place have finally started listening to the folks who do sleep in tents in this God-awful place. You know...the guys who are here because they know how to get things done and live to talk about it. Anyway, we have some positive resolutions.
We are now headed to the South Pole to 'car camp' for a few days to acclimatize and then run up to our high altitude spot, completely build-out a base camp for next season; locker 'er up and come on home. Without any issues, it should take until the middle of January to get the job done. No science groups will be coming with us this season, thus making it a good safe plan.
However, because science is why we are here and why the taxpayers pay for us to be here, well, science just has to happen. So, as a part of our plan is that I will accompany the science group as their guide/medic on flights from the South Pole via Twin Otter and DC-3/Basler aircraft on a series of eight flights to install their seismic equipment all around the plateau. This entails flying to a designated site, being dropped-off while the plane hops to another site. While there, we dig a hole (BTW: I hate digging!) and place the seismic equipment inside the hole, get it running, do a few test, then cover it up and head to another site when and if the plane returns. After completing eight days of flying I will rejoin my camp crew at the South Pole and we will head up to AGAP to build our camp; now that is the fun part.
I will be leaving a week from Monday and be out until mid-January. I wish I could send photos from the field because it would be rather interesting...but that ain't going to happen...so will have to do that upon returning.
Hope everyone has a great Holiday season.
Take care and be safe,
Tayloe
