It's Time to Leave Already?

5 February 2014
Although we've been working hard to dry, organize, and pack up our science kit so it can be transported home on the ship, we have been taking advantage of the area to have fun. Others have been out skiing or snowboarding. If the weather improves, there will probably be the opportunity for a bit more hiking and climbing on a nearby ridge. We took a short field trip to a crevasse on the hill above base. This crevasse is more like a show cave in slow-moving ice. It changes a bit each year, but they keep opening it up and setting up ropes so people can see it each year, so it's pretty stable and relatively safe. We geared up with some waterproof outer wear, mountaineering boots and crampons (little, sharp pieces of metal attached to your boot so you can walk on ice), harness and ropes so we could get into the crevasse and attach ourselves to the ropes inside, and helmets to protect us from falling icicles and other miscellaneous bonks on the head.

It was absolutely stunning inside the cave! The blue color inside made it feel even more like a dream. It felt very much like a cave as we were lowered down a steep incline through a relatively small opening at the top. Inside, it had various ice formations inside with full-length icicles that reached from floor to ceiling, rows of skinny icicles, and areas where new crystals were growing in beautiful shapes on the outside of icicles. It is impossible to capture in photos, but I tried my best!

We're out of time, but we've all got more plans of things we'd like to do before we leave. I guess those will have to wait until next trip... unless our flight gets delayed. Nothing is final here until it happens and plans are only guaranteed to change. Being ready to take advantage of opportunities as they arise is the best way to enjoy life here. Although it also provides the possibility of creating your own opportunity if there's something you really want to do - everyone is flexible and there are always people willing to try new things.

Saying goodbye to Rothera will be hard. I think I will miss the little things the most. We were on gash (cleaning duty in the communal areas like bathrooms and kitchen) and washing dishes while we watched icebergs move past the window. I walked 10 minutes down the point and took a panoramic picture that contained at least 15 seals (three different kinds!) and 5 penguins with a background of rocky outcrops, mountains, and ice. Although it's started getting darker at night here, I've enjoyed ~20 hours of sun each day (although the temperature is also dropping on base, so not quite tanning weather!). Not to mention the daily penguin hazard: almost tripping over penguins that like to hang out near the living areas :) We head out tomorrow - backto the 'real' world, ready or not!