So we’ve made it down to the ice again. This year is a bit more involved than last year, which is why I will be down until mid to late January. So far the plan, which will inevitably change, is as follows.

November: Cape Hallett and Day trips via helicopter and twin otter throughout the McMurdo and Ross Ice Shelf regions.
December: A trip to Byrd Station for 10 days, which will include day trips around West Antarctica via twin otter, as well as a trip to West Antarctic Ice Shelf Divide, or WAIS, for a day. This is the location where a major drilling and ice coring effort is taking place. Later in the month I have a trip to the South Pole for a day. Interspersed throughout these trips are the standard day trips throughout the Ross Ice Shelf and McMurdo area.
January: The other groups we are working with arrive and my time will be spent getting them up to speed on how the season has been going, and again day trips throughout Ross Ice Shelf and McMurdo area as necessary.

Currently it is Sunday, the day much of the station shuts down and has a day off. The temperatures have been warmer than expected, right around a balmy 14F, which isn’t bad when the winds are calm.

I forgot to get batteries for my camera, so I currently don’t have any pictures to upload. I’m going to fix that issue today and hopefully I’ll have time to upload some pictures in the coming days.

Penguin sightings: 0
Skua sightings: 0