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ready... set....

4 days after our arrival in MCM, Liz and I are ready to head into the field. We have completed our refresher courses on cold weather injury, radio and communications, drill and augers, and an environmental course that highlights ways to reduce the impact on the fragile environment of the Dry Valleys while working there.

We have also completed preparing our cargo. While our project is far from"fast and light", our project strives to keep things simple and by Antarctic standards light. That said, I have just completed organizing and packing 1200 pounds of cargo which will be flown to the field with us. Personal gear for Liz and I is about 150 pounds. The remaining is camp gear, lab and meteorological equipment including car batteries, sensors, dataloggers, etc.

There is a large amount of work and many tasks which must be completed before heading into the field. What make its possible to complete is the amazing science support. The folks down here are amazing at what they do. The system seems complicated at first, but really works well once you understand where things are and how things operate.

While Liz and I are ready, several low pressure storms have soured the weather here, halting most air traffic except for some helicopter work. The polies (people work at the South Pole Station) have been waiting for weather to clear and boomeranged after circling 5 time yesterday. I am hopeful that we will have a window to head to Lake Hoare tomorrow.

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