Picture of the 2019-2020 ANSMET team (from left to right: Alex, Nicole, Cindy, Johnny, Lauren, Emilie, Brian, and Marc) with a great view of our camp in the background.

A big thank you goes out to all the families of the ANSMET members – we are extremely grateful that you supported us in participating in this crazy amazing expedition. Next, this journey would not be possible and safe without the help from many people on and off the harsh continent. Thank you to everyone at the CDC for providing our protecting warm layers and preparing us for life in Antarctica, to the BFC for loaning us much of the gear we used in Davis Ward, to the MEC for maintaining the snow machines, to science cargo for protecting our precious samples, and to Crary labs for their science support. In addition, to MacOps, Fixed Wing, and our pilots for transporting us and keeping us safe. A special shoutout to Ralph, Jim, Johnny, and Brian, our fearless leaders. They somehow managed to wrangle the team everyday, even from afar, and kept us healthy and our spirits up.

Of course, we are grateful for the sponsorship and support from NASA, USAP, NSF, and ESA. We know we are fortunate to be able to participate in this expedition and contribute to future planetary research.

And as the volunteer blog master for the season, thank you for bearing with me through delays and blurry pictures. Thank you to the team for their tremendous help (their editing saved me from many mistakes…) and as well as their wonderful ideas and writing.  And finally, thank you to Ralph for keeping us in contact with the rest of the world.

-From Emilie, sad to submit the final blog post, in sunny Santa Barbara, CA

NOTE FROM RPH:   Thanks to you too, Emilie;  I know how much time and effort this little blog takes when you’re in a tent 600 miles from nowhere.  But it’s not really the last post, just the last from the field team.  I’ll post a season wrap-up soon.