As our avid ANSMET fans are likely aware, half of the team made it out to Iggy Ridge yesterday. The four of us (Jim, Brian, Morgan, and I, Nina) departed from Williams Field on a Basler, which is a refitted DC3 for those airframe nerds out there. We flew over some of the most desolately beautiful terrain I have every seen. As you can see on our tracker (http://share.delorme.com/NinaLanza) we are pretty far out there! Once we arrived at Iggy, we needed to set up a tent, light a stove, and call MacOps (McMurdo operations center) before the pilots could depart. It’s hard to understand the reasons for these rules until you’re actually out here–the wind can suck the air out of your lungs and freeze the water in your bottle in a matter of minutes, so without shelter, heat, and comms, things could very quickly become dire. The equipment that was dropped here by the team last Friday was already buried in snow, so once our sleeping tents and the ever-important poo tent were up we set to work digging everything out and arranging it in our camp. The winds howled all through the bright night, giving me strange dreams that I can no longer remember. When we woke up in the morning, the winds had picked up speed, so we decided to call it a tent day today. Overnight the wind had forced snow through our tent door zipper, so we had to dig out from the inside just to escape. Once outside, I took temperature and wind speed measurements: -1 degree F at 26 mph. I can’t remember the calculation for windchill, but believe me, it’s brisk. The Basler won’t be coming in today, so we’ll be separated from the rest of our team for at least another day. Guys, if you’re reading this, be sure to wear your goggles and windproof hats on the flight. Also remember to bring lunch, possibly dinner, lots of snacks, tea bags, and HOT WATER in your thermoses (but don’t fill them up all the way or you’ll have a surprise boiling water volcano on the plane). You might also bring some freshies (fresh fruit and vegetables for our fans). I ate my last clementine this morning and it was a lovely gem of a thing in this stark and beautiful place that feels so unfriendly toward life…our home for the next six weeks. We’re ready for it!

-from Nina at Iggy Ridge in the Miller Range