Tuesday, December 16, 2008

North Slope news: 16 Dec. 2008--update

An email update from Cameron sent at 2:05 pm AST:

"Well it's still a waiting game as some roads are cleared; till then we're still laying in our sleeping bags, eating, reading and getting fat! But it will be worth the wait; since the points of this expedition are (a) to fly the paraglider at Iko Bay, (b) to take film, sound and video recordings of the winterscape, and (c) reconnoiter a site for the 2009-2010 SCUBA dives beneath the sea ice, our objective is to get to Iko Bay as easily as possible, not to makegreat distances on foot pulling our sleds, as we've focused on in other wild places. So, we're taking every opportunity we can to be dropped off as near as Iko Bay as possible; we might get half way there if the roads are well-cleared.

An interesting aside; in the space program a real catastrophe is "LOS", or Loss of Signal, that is losing radio contact with a spacecraft crew. Here my personal LOS crisis would be Loss of Spoon, which I endured in Iceland some winters ago. To prevent this possible calamity I have tied my spoon to my feed pot with a length of string. We exist in crude and primitive ways here.

On a more serious note, the weather is indeed perfect, clear, about ten below zero (which is about 80 degrees below room temperature) which prevents you from overheating while dragging a sled, and I am hopped up and thrilled, anticipating leaning into the harness and getting underway. There are fresh arctic fox tracks in the snow just outside the door. Who knows what we'll see this time out.

Lights in the sky indicate Santa Claus is sending out a number of sleighs, possibly as reconnaissance for the Big Night. A Holly Jolly Christmas and Happy New Year to All! -- Cameron"

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