Stan Love Larkman Nunatak camp 2012 December 26

On the International Space Station, the arrival of any visiting vehicle is a big event. The same is true in a field camp in Antarctica.

Today a ski-equipped Twin Otter airplane delivered the remainder of our fuel and supplies that the LC-130 Hercules had dropped off back at Otway Massif at the beginning of the season. There was too much weight and volume for us to put all of it on sledges and tow it to Larkman on our skidoos. Originally the Otter was supposed to come on December 22, in time for Christmas, but shifting priorities delayed it until today.

The Otter brought us several drums of fuel for the skidoos, which was good because we’ve used most of what we brought with us on the sledges. We are putting about 20 or 30 miles a day on the skidoos as we search for meteorites. (Yesterday the mileage seemed especially worth it: we got 15 new meteorites, some of which weighed over a kilogram.) We also got a dozen fresh bottles of propane for our stoves, which we rely upon for heat, cooking, and melting ice for water.

Three more items were especially looked forward to. First was the mail. Many of us received letters and holiday cards which were very much appreciated. Next was the equipment we’ll need to search for meteorites on foot in dense rocky moraines, which are not accessible on snowmobiles. Finally, we were happy to receive our camp oven. We’ve planned a holiday feast that includes a whole roasted turkey. The bird is defrosted and ready to cook, but even the most ambitious cook would not attempt to roast a turkey on a little propane burner. With the oven in camp, we’re ready to roast, and our big holiday celebration is on tap for tomorrow.

As appreciative as we are for the Otter pilots and crews for the things they bring, we are even more grateful for what they take away: empty fuel containers, bags of trash, and sealed buckets from the latrine, helpfully labelled “Human Waste.” We definitely get the best of that trade!