It's finally starting to slow down around, at least regarding my training. I had my last 2 yesterday and today. Yesterday was my sea ice course. In this course we learned 
the different types of ice and how the ice moves around and forms cracks and pressure ridges. Then we went out on the sea ice and profiled some cracks. These form in the same way that a rift forms between tectonic plates. As the 2 chunks of sea ice float apart, sea water fills in the crack and freezes. Then the chunks move farther apart and it freezes again, and so on and so forth. In order to profile a crack, you must first remove the snow off the ice, then drill a series of holes through the ice across the crack. As you reach the middle of the crack, the ice will be 
the thinnest because it is the newest. In order to cross a crack, the ice must be at least 30" thick, and if it's not, the section that is less than 30" thick must be less than 1/3 the length of the track of the vehicle you are driving. For example, if you are driving a Hagglund, the track length is 6' so the effective crack width must be less than or equal to 2'. For a 60" snowmobile track, the effective width must be 20" or less. Drilling holes in the ice was not too bad, but the definite highlight of the trip was stopping at Barnes Glacier. We got within about 200 yards of it.
the different types of ice and how the ice moves around and forms cracks and pressure ridges. Then we went out on the sea ice and profiled some cracks. These form in the same way that a rift forms between tectonic plates. As the 2 chunks of sea ice float apart, sea water fills in the crack and freezes. Then the chunks move farther apart and it freezes again, and so on and so forth. In order to profile a crack, you must first remove the snow off the ice, then drill a series of holes through the ice across the crack. As you reach the middle of the crack, the ice will be 
the thinnest because it is the newest. In order to cross a crack, the ice must be at least 30" thick, and if it's not, the section that is less than 30" thick must be less than 1/3 the length of the track of the vehicle you are driving. For example, if you are driving a Hagglund, the track length is 6' so the effective crack width must be less than or equal to 2'. For a 60" snowmobile track, the effective width must be 20" or less. Drilling holes in the ice was not too bad, but the definite highlight of the trip was stopping at Barnes Glacier. We got within about 200 yards of it.This morning, I had snowmobile training. It turns out, the driving portion of the course won't be until after we are out at camp, so I get to learn on the fly. Instead, we just learned inside and how to troubleshoot any problems. Down here, there are always problems with equipment. 
The cold makes it tough to start things and the ice and rocks rattle bolts and screws loose. Before every trip we have to go through a checklist on all the vehicles to make sure they are in good condition. Tonight, I took an Outdoor Safety Lecture in order to be able to hike around McMurdo. It was kind of pointless considering I have already had at least 2 or 3 other classes that went over the same topics - frostbite, hypothermia, watching the weather, etc. But, it enabled Derek and I to hike to the top of Ob(servation) Hill, which overlooks town. The view was great, but the wind was bitter and the hike was misleading. Come to think of it, everything around here is misleading. The air is so clean and and you can see forever. In this picture, Mt. Erebus is about 
35 miles away and it is about 13,000 feet tall. It looks only a few miles away. The Transantarctic Range on the other side of the sound only look maybe 5-10 miles away but they're at least 25. So, Ob Hill looks pretty wimpy compared to everything else, but it's not. It's steep, rocky, and icy, and with 10 lbs worth of boots and other heavy clothes, it gets difficult. Well, we made it, and the view was worth it.
The cold makes it tough to start things and the ice and rocks rattle bolts and screws loose. Before every trip we have to go through a checklist on all the vehicles to make sure they are in good condition. Tonight, I took an Outdoor Safety Lecture in order to be able to hike around McMurdo. It was kind of pointless considering I have already had at least 2 or 3 other classes that went over the same topics - frostbite, hypothermia, watching the weather, etc. But, it enabled Derek and I to hike to the top of Ob(servation) Hill, which overlooks town. The view was great, but the wind was bitter and the hike was misleading. Come to think of it, everything around here is misleading. The air is so clean and and you can see forever. In this picture, Mt. Erebus is about 
35 miles away and it is about 13,000 feet tall. It looks only a few miles away. The Transantarctic Range on the other side of the sound only look maybe 5-10 miles away but they're at least 25. So, Ob Hill looks pretty wimpy compared to everything else, but it's not. It's steep, rocky, and icy, and with 10 lbs worth of boots and other heavy clothes, it gets difficult. Well, we made it, and the view was worth it.So, they're pulling camp out to the site tomorrow and we'll probably head out tomorrow night after we get our snowmobiles for our first night on the ice. I won't have internet access for a few days, but I'll get another post up as soon as I can.
7 comments:
We're glad you paid attention.
Love Mom & Dad
Grandad says, "I can't believe that is my grandson, who used to stand out in the outfield and pick at his pants and toss his glove up in the air! I would have never dreamed about him going to a place like that." :)
The Garden Gang is amazed and in awe of you, what you are doing/learning, and where you are. We are finding it hard to comprehend the temperature too. We love you and are thinking of you. :)
Grandad says, "I can't believe that is my grandson, who used to stand out in the outfield and pick at his pants and toss his glove up in the air! I would have never dreamed about him going to a place like that." :)
The Garden Gang is amazed and in awe of you, what you are doing/learning, and where you are. We are finding it hard to comprehend the temperature too. We love you and are thinking of you. :)
I showed my neighbor your blog and she says, "I can't believe that you can stay there that long without your natural adaptations."
How hard has it been to adapt?
we are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers!
love rachel garden and mackenzie
bubba-
glad you're learning so much. hope you're staying warm and wearing more than just your shorts to sleep! the pics are great. we're proud of you.
em, chris, and ben
It hasn't been too hard to adapt. The gear that they give you is really good and warm. In fact, I have to be careful not to sweat too much because that will make you even colder. The most important part is to watch out on your exposed skin, which is usually your cheeks. They can get frostbit pretty easily. We all have to watch out for each other.
You might be getting a couple of comments from me once we get back to school from fall break. My class is doing a huge project on Antarctica in geography and they would love to hear from you, even my teacher. He loves the ice cap areas and wants to visit!My teachers name is Wes Cottongim so if you get a comment that says Mr.Cottongim's class then that's my class. I will put Rachel at the bottom though, just to be safe!
stay warm!
~rachel garden
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