On the 10th of December the Newbie Meteorite Hunters (or Meteorite Diviners according to some folks at Scott Base) performed our rite of passage: climbing Observation Hill. The weather was perfect, slight wind, clear skies, and nearly 32°F (0°C). The climb reinvigorated us physically and was a refreshing change from the lifting and packing necessary in preparing our field gear and supplies for cargo. We also gained a better perspective of Ross Island allowing relative positions of different features to click together mentally. With this rite of passage complete and our gear for deep field assembled and in cargo nearly all preparations are complete…and so the waiting begins.
It is not a simple thing getting from McMurdo to the deep field location in the Central Transantarctic Mountains. Landing conditions vary by plane type, weather conditions at McMurdo and final destination alter feasibility of safe landing/takeoff, and plane availability are a few of the deciding factors in whether or not deep field deployment is on for ANSMET that day. Original plans had us taking a LC-130 in two groups (Brian, Jim, Morgan, Nina and then Johnny, Con, Cindy, Ellen) to C-TaM a designated and maintained airstrip/refueling location in the Central Transantarctic Mountains. Here, a temporary camp would have been set up and gear left from last season would have been repacked and incorporated into this season’s cargo. Then a series of cargo shuttling flights would have been made with a Twin Otter to get us and the cargo to the Southern Miller Range field location. Unfortunately, this Plan A went out the window due to the lack of available LC-130 planes.
So, Plan B is now in progress. This morning the veterans (Johnny, Jim, Brian, Morgan) were activated (originally they were backup but the primary was not able to go most likely due to weather reasons in their final destination). Plan B has the veterans taking a Basler with minimal cargo, a couple of snow machines, and some fuel to Iggy Ridge in the Northern Miller Ridge. They will then go to C-TaM and collect the cargo/gear there and bring that to Iggy Ridge as well. They may have to modify a runway for the Basler and may do some camp setup but that and other details of their mission will have to be addressed later by one of them.
Plan B means we will start our season in reverse of Plan A. The entire group is going to search the ice fields and moraines near Iggy Ridge and then, after about 10 days, perform a coordinated flight and snow machine traverse to the Southern Miller Range ice fields. A majority of the group will remain there for the rest of the season recovering samples and constructing a runway for extraction via Basler at season’s end. John and Con will leave early to traverse to the Elephant Moraine area to do reconnaissance and evaluate this area for future seasons. We, of course, will have to take weather and other factors into consideration regarding this new plan which, of course, will be reflected in later posts.
For now the Newbies are waiting. Waiting does not mean sitting around doing nothing, waiting is actually incredibly active. Waiting involves: reorganizing our remaining personal gear in preparation for ‘bag drag’ (the dreaded lugging of carryon, checked baggage, and ECW gear to the transport building to be weighed prior to the flight), performing final communications with those State-side thus getting our professional and personal affairs in order prior to isolation, reviewing science tips for recognizing meteorites, and mentally preparing ourselves for the deep field. While these may seem like small, insignificant tasks, being properly prepared mentally, physically, and equipment-wise is essential for safety and sanity in the isolated deep field camp. As representatives of such a revered program, we owe it to those who came before us, those who fund us, those who teach us, those who depend on the samples for scientific inquiry, and those who guide us in the field to be ready. So for the Newbies today, that means actively waiting.
–From Ellen and the rest of the Newbies actively waiting in McMurdo, 11 December 2015