Transmissions from the Ice Sheet

Date: 11-30-2008
Location: Christchurch, NZ to McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Time: 10 pm
Latitude: 77°50′46.42″S
Longitude: 166°39′59.78″E
Elevation: 34m (112’)
Temperature: -5 °C ( °F)
Wind Chill: -10 °C (°F)
Breakfast: Trail mix snack
Lunch: Bag lunch: sandwich, chips, granola bar, apple, water.
Supper:
Timeline:
5:30 AM – Wake up.
6:00 AM – Catch the shuttle to the airport.
7:15 AM – Check in.
9:00 AM – Take off from Christchurch!!
3:00 [...]

Date: 11-29-2008
Location: Devon Hotel in Christchurch, NZ
Time: 9pm
Latitude: 43°31′43.04″S
Longitude: 172°37′58.15″E
Elevation: 75 m (246’)
Breakfast: Blueberry muffin & another pastry
Lunch: skipped
Supper: Veggie lasagna & a salad.
Today we spent the day in Akaroa. Tim and I had some work to do so we spent most of the day at the
hostel, but everyone else went out and had fun. [...]

Date: 11-28-2008
Location: Akaroa, New Zealand
Time: 8pm
Latitude: 43°48′15.80″S
Longitude: 172°58′4.32″E
Elevation: 3m
Breakfast: Toast & an apple.
Lunch: Chowder with mussels.
Supper: Fish & Chips.
At 11:35 pm last night we got the notice that our flight was going to be canceled due to weather. Since this weekend is the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no more flights on Saturday or Sunday, [...]

Date: 11-27-2008
Location: Devon Hotel in Christchurch, NZ
Time: 8pm
Latitude: 43°31′43.04″S
Longitude: 172°37′58.15″E
Elevation: 75 m (246’)
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, hashbrows, yogurt & fruit.
Lunch: Apple & a roll.
Supper: Lots of Indian food
Ken’s flight made it! We are scheduled to go to the airport at 12:30am tonight. Everyone is excited and hoping that our flight isn’t delayed. I again spent most [...]

Date: 11-26-2008
Location: Devon Hotel in Christchurch, NZ
Time: 9pm
Latitude: 43°31′43.04″S
Longitude: 172°37′58.15″E
Elevation: 75 m (246’)
Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, hashbrows, yogurt & fruit.
Lunch: Korean seafood
Supper: Sushi
Spent the day walking around town & buying things that I realized that I might need/want in Antarctica. Not much to report though, just passing the time. Ken Taylor was able to get a [...]

Date: 11-25-2008
Location: Devon Hotel in Christchurch, NZ
Time: 10pm
Latitude: 43°31′43.04″S
Longitude: 172°37′58.15″E
Elevation: ~10 m (’)
Temperature: °C ( °F)
Wind speed: km/h ( mp/h)
Wind Chill: °C (°F)
Animals: Dusky Dolphins!!! Also the Wandering Albatross.
Breakfast: Blueberry muffin & French bread with nutella
Lunch: An apple
Supper: Fish & rice. Chocolate cake for dessert.
Today I had an incredible experience, I swam with dolphins! We [...]

Date: 11-24-2008
Location: Dolphin Lodge, Kaikoura
Time: 10pm
Latitude: 42°24′14.08″S
Longitude: 173°40′57.40″E
Elevation: ~20 m
Wind speed: ~40-60 mph
Precipitation: heavy in the morning
Animals:
Breakfast: Musli & other leftover food
Lunch: Tuna and crackers
Supper: Fish & Chips
Last night it rained a lot! Spruce and I were sleeping in bivy sacks under a tarp and although we weren’t getting rained on directly, our bivy sacks [...]

Date: 11-19-2008
Location: Christchurch, NZ
Time: 11 pm
Latitude: 43° 31.87‘ S
Longitude: 172° 37.27’ E
Elevation: 75 m (246’)
Temperature: ~18°C (~60°F)
Animals: Herds of sheep seen from the plane, butterflies in botanical
garden.
Breakfast: Eggs, sausage and fresh fruit on the airplane.
Lunch: Thai food.
Supper: Rack of lamb ribs with roasted potatoes.
Today we arrived in New Zealand after a long series of flights. [...]

Transmissions from the Ice Sheet is a chronicle of Logan Mitchell’s trek to Antarctica as a member of a collaborative team of scientists, students and technicians who intend to collect a 3.5 kilometer ice core over a period of three Antarctic summers. Mitchell, a Ph.D. student in geosciences at OSU and part of Ed Brook’s [...]