Ob Hill

I finally climbed Ob(servation) Hill three days ago. It was a beautiful day. The summit of Ob Hill is notoriously windy, but when we made it up there, the wind was calm and the air peaceful.

The hike itself is a strenuous 30-40 minute climb. There's loose rock ...

HICAL

HICAL 2b launched on December 12 and 2a launched on December 13. I saw the first launch. They're small (<12 lbs) payloads, and so can be released by hand.In the picture, Stephen's holding the payload on the far left. For the one I saw, the rigger who ...

No Siple but Plenty of WAIS

Both of our flight opprotunities to Siple Dome were cancelled. The first one was scheduled for Friday. The second one for Saturday. There are no flights on Sunday and ANITA would be at Siple Dome by Monday. So we cancelled any and all trips to Siple Dome this season.

It ...

Fastest Turn Around in the South

Incredibly, there's a possibility that we'll make it to Siple Dome as soon as tomorrow. David and I arrived yesterday, but we talked to the flight coordinator last night and managed to check in all of our cargo in for the flight this morning. In the picture, we ...

Deployment for ANITA-4

As usual for these trips, I'm feeling antsy. But this time around, the feeling is warranted. ANITA launched on Dec. 2 UTC, the same day I started my journey to McMurdo.

To get to McMurdo, I first travelled to Christchurch via three flights: a puddle jumper from San Luis ...

Pegasus Landing

It's still beautiful here.

Mountains near the Pegasus landing site on the Ross Sea.

Mountains near Pegasus

The Hercules LC-130, flown this time by the New Zealand Air Force.

The Hercules LC130

Me delighted to get off the Herc.

Me happy to get off the Herc

Catch-up

Last time I wrote, we had just lowered our pump down our borehole in the hopes of raising it back out again. A lot's happened since then.

Mostly, it's been a tug-of-war between us and the pump. First the pump wouldn't start. Seeing as the thing was ...

Pumped!

Among our first tasks here at Summit Station is to pump fluid out of a borehole. Typically, when climate scientists and glaciologists drill for ice cores, they backfill the holes with fluid for a couple of reasons.

Without any fluid in the holes, which can be miles deep but only ...

Welcome to Summit

Today is my second day at Summit Station, which is right in the middle of the country, up at 10,530 ft on the ice sheet.

The Big House at Summit

I'm currently snuggled in my sleeping bag rated for -40 deg F, in my tent designed for polar conditions. It's pretty cozy ...

Kangerlussuaq

Arrived today in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. I’ll be here at least until Sunday. Then I’ll be headed up to Summit Camp, where there will be about 45 other people.

The town of Kangerlussuaq engulfs an enormous airfield. The town and airfield are surrounded by shockingly straight mountain crags. The ...

Hat Tip

Nice write up in symmetry magazine today.

Recovery

Recovery

O-WAIS-is

I heart WAIS Divide

White on White

Crash Landing

Update

So behind!

Flight Ready

Hang test complete, next stop space!

Impressions

A few drawings

Going Dancing

Lots of tests outside

Broken Glasses

Sometimes there are casualties.

Tour of the Ross Ice

The lay of the land

Cancelled

Sometimes you get suited up, just to get shot down

Weddell Seals

Weddell Seals are in season

What Are We Doing Here?

How high can the universe accelerate particles and how does it do it?

Christchurch: A City in Waiting

Christchurch after the earthquakes

Anticipation

Getting excited for my trip down south

ANITAns make fireworks

Scientists and explosives

ANITA-3 Integration

How I spent my summer vacation