It has been a busy week getting final preparations lined up, sourcing miscellaneous cargo items from Station, doing field training etc. It has been slightly complicated by the fact that the C130 flight from McMurdo that will bring in some of our cargo is now not going to make it before we leave. This is manageable, as we have been able to source most of what we want from station. Some minor inconveniences - most noteable for this blog being the fact that our full communications kit (and hence email) won't be with us on traverse. So posting to the blog will be limited to text messages from a satellite phone - if that proves practical: we'll see.
The lack of C130 cargo doesn't ultimately affect us at Aurora Basin, because it can and will be flown in with expeditioners once we have the camp skiway operational in early December.
So some gratuitous images now, since I won't be able to do this again - at least on traverse and at Aurora Basin.
The flight into McMurdo last week was the usual scenic pass across the Trans Antarctic mountains in Victoria Land, out into McMurdo Sound and then onto the sea ice runway at McMurdo. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy, and Mt. Erebus didn't show itself, but we still got a nice view a little before McMurdo.
Casey, as always provides beautiful scenes out the front of the station. Here is a moody view of Newcomb Bay. After a calm and warm day, the wind whipped up from nowhere!
So that's it from Casey, most likely. If we get some internet access at DDU, I may sneak in a post from there.
Postscript: Unfolding logistics in the last hour or two are casting some doubt over DDU weather, so we may be at Casey a little longer ... a final assessment will be made in the morning...
