Trifecta

The delays in getting out of WAIS, returning to McMurdo, and onward back to Colorado continue. The last time I sent a message, there was a primary and backup flight scheduled for Friday. That morning the primary was switched to a backup and then a couple hours later it was switched back to primary. The roller coaster continues. Finally, late in the afternoon, all flights were cancelled due to the weather in McMurdo. On Saturday there were no herc flights scheduled to WAIS so a plan was set in motion to bring four of us back to McMurdo by Twin Otter (airplane) with two or three refueling stops along the way. That plan was scrapped due to weather in McMurdo and at least one additional stop. That brings us to Sunday. Once again, the plan was to bring us back to McMurdo with the Twin Otter. After a two-hour delay, to wait for an updated forecast, the decision was made to transport six of us to McMurdo. That flight lasted 25 minutes as we had a quick boomerang due to deteriorating weather at McMurdo/Willie Field. I have now had boomerangs on this trip with a helicopter, herc, and Twin Otter. I have completed a trifecta.

The WAIS camp staff waving good-bye to us as we left on the Twin Otter for McMurdo Station. Unfortunately, we were back on the ground 30 minutes later and having lunch again at WAIS.

Naturally, the plan from this point forward remains uncertain. Officially, we have been told that we have been placed on the Thursday, December 17th flight from McMurdo to Christchurch. That means I would have a departure to Colorado on the 18th and arrive Friday the 18th (crossing over the International Dateline). The scheduling is starting to get tight as I will be going to Minnesota on December 24th for Christmas. Obviously, this plan is contingent on us getting out of WAIS sometime during the next three days. The herc schedule remains murky. They have lost two full days of flights in the past week putting things even further behind with WAIS, South Pole, and several field camps. Typically, by mid-evening the day before, we find out if WAIS is scheduled for any herc flights. Complicating things even more is that there is another storm that is forecast to move through WAIS early this week. At this point, I am anticipating that we will somehow make it back to McMurdo in time for the flight on the 17th. Then again, I didn’t really anticipate being here this long.

Overall, I think I am handling things fairly well and in stride with the realization that these things happen with remote field work in Antarctica. Boomerangs are always tough because you mentally and physically check yourself out of one location and start transitioning to the next. I was able to have nice good-byes with a number of great people on the camp staff. The heated tent, where we have worked and slept at WAIS, was all cleaned and vacated. Then 45 minutes later we are back at WAIS greeting the camp staff again and moving back into the tent. Oftentimes, in Antarctica the final good-bye to friends is anti-climatic after several false alarms. A classic example is one of the friends who is on a project that arrived at WAIS with us. He said good-bye to me the night we were originally supposed to leave on Wednesday, even though by the end of the night he was doubtful we’d actually leave. Then over the next three days there was talk of their project traveling to their remote field camp. It was uncertain who’d be leaving first. On Friday it was finally looking like he was going to leave to their remote camp, but there was a weather delay in the morning. The decision was eventually made to go, things were quickly packed, and soon this new friend was gone.

We did a new AWS installation at Austin site. The pile of equipment in the picture shows everything that is used to set up a new AWS site.

The two tower sections were bolted together and most all of the AWS instruments and equipment was bolted onto the tower prior to raising the tower vertically and anchoring in the snow.

The finished installation for Austin AWS with the Twin Otter in the background. The wind picked up as we were working and there was a layer of blowing snow near the surface by the time we left.

The upside in all of this is that we continue to complete field work with more Twin Otter flights. The Twin Otter was dedicated to another project on Friday (that project waited 9 days at WAIS for the flight/weather to put in their camp). On Saturday, after determining that we’d not be able to take the Twin Otter to McMurdo, a flight was scheduled to do an AWS installation at a new site, Austin AWS. We brought a boondoggler, Catherine, with us from the camp staff and she was a huge help in installing the new site. Overall, the installation of Austin AWS went very smoothly and we made it back to WAIS by early evening. For Sunday, not long after we arrived back on the Twin Otter boomerang, the decision was made to visit Evans Knoll AWS to re-install the datalogger and replace the solar panel. For this flight, we had even less cargo so we brought three boondogglers (Kristen, Anne, and Kevin) to give them a chance to spend some time away from the camp. The flight to Evans Knoll AWS went very well and included flying around massive icebergs as well as seeing penguins and seals from the Twin Otter. The weather was great at Evans Knoll, the servicing of the AWS went fast, and the boondogglers appreciate the chance to get away from WAIS. We have been able to complete work at six AWS sites from WAIS in our 11 days, which is a productive run.

It was a beautiful day at Evans Knoll. Two of the three boondogglers and the two pilots are in this picture hanging out while we worked on the AWS at Evans Knoll.

Flying along the coast near Evans Knoll.

That is the latest from WAIS. Things should be rather quiet around here until we leave, whenever that will be. The Twin Otter crew is on rest for the next two days and we have done about all that we can from WAIS. Hopefully, my next message will be from McMurdo but I have thought that before.