Midway Point

I am one day past the midpoint for this year's field season. It feels much later than that in the season. I think a big reason for that is because we are well over halfway in terms of the work that needs to be done. We have had mostly good weather throughout my time here. The difficult weather conditions that we have had in the last last two weeks have been short lived. The US Antarctic Program uses a rating system of Condition 3 to Condition 1, with 1 being the worst and restricted to no outside movement. I think we have had maybe one day where it was Condition 2 on the ice shelf and snow roads and everything else has been Condition 3. This run of good weather has been very helpful for the station to get caught up from opening the main body season two weeks late due to horrible weather in early October. I am starting to ponder how I am going to handle if I go the entire field season without any fun weather.

There is a chance that we might be able to finish the field season early. I have always felt there was a high probability of this happening this season. The work to do this year, with the maintenance and repair of the Antarctic Precipitation System sites, was anticipated to be reasonable and that has thus far proven to be true. If we do finish early, I am not sure if I'd be able to get on an early northbound flight. There are two flights each of the next two weeks, with my scheduled flight the last of these four flights (Dec. 7). I am hesitant to request to be moved up to an earlier flight until it is certain we will be done early. There is always a chance for bad weather and/or flight delays. Fortunately, I have brought months of work with me so that if we do finish early, I will still have plenty to do here working remotely.

We have been able to get out twice this week to the two local sites. The site at Phoenix Airfield is nearly finished. I estimate about 15 minutes more work to be done at that site. The Willie Field site is dependent on unburying the snow fence shield. We will be having the support of a dozer Sunday night and an excavator all day Monday to assist in removing that equipment. My guess is that it will make for some fun photos. We are also on the schedule tomorrow (Friday) to visit the two remote sites by airplane.

As in the US, we will be having a short work week in recognition of Thanksgiving. Except, how the short week is done is quite different. A typical week for McMurdo Station is six work days and a one day weekend. For Thanksgiving it is a five day work week with Thanksgiving celebrated on Saturday. By late Friday afternoon, things all around town will be shutting down for the long weekend and not much will be happening. In typical Thanksgiving tradition, there will be a turkey trot running race Saturday morning. The galley will also have three sittings for the traditional Thanksgiving meal. It should be a fun weekend.

For all my friends and family in the US, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you have great day with family, friends, turkey, and football.