Transmissions from the Ice Sheet

Name: Logan Mitchell
Date: Dec 28, 2008
Location: WAIS Divide
Time: 10pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759m
Borehole depth: ~800m
Temperature: -19.6° C
Wind speed:  4.3 knots
Visibility: Unrestricted
Clouds: very few on the horizon
Wind direction: 293° Grid
Relative Humidity: 77%
Barometric Pressure: 29.23 mm Hg
Precipitation: None
Animals: House Mouse (see below)
Breakfast: Pizza, fresh salad (!), melon (My breakfast was last night’s
dinner at 6pm yesterday)
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with [...]

Date: Dec 25, 2008
Location: WAIS Divide Galley
Time: 7:30 pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759 m
Borehole depth: 700 m
Temperature: -16 °C
Wind speed: 2 knots
Visibility: Unrestricted
Wind direction: 040° Grid
Barometric Pressure: 29.06 mm Hg
Precipitation: None
Animals: None except the dead ones we are eating.
Christmas Eve dinner: Roast Duck Breast w/ Sweet Mandarin Comfit, Beef
Tenderloin, Green beans, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Cauliflower
Breakfast: Leftovers [...]

Date: December 20, 2008
Location: WAIS Divide
Time: 3:00 pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759m
Temperature: -26 °C (-15 °F)
Wind speed: 8 knots
Visibility: ~5 miles (8 km)
Clouds: Overcast
Wind direction: From the north
Precipitation: Light snow
Animals: None
Breakfast: Fried grits, “fancy fruit” muffins
Lunch: Pizza of many different varieties
Supper: Flank steak, chicken and veggie noodle soup, baked potato
wedges, pastry with fruit, chocolate cupcakes
Hi there [...]

Date: December 18, 2008
Today is snowpit digging day! A group of 4 core handlers (including me) and 5 camp staff went out to dig a backlit snowpit. A backlit snowpit is actually two snowpits dug right next to each other with a ~2’ wall between them. Then, you climb in one of the pits and [...]

Date: December 17, 2008
Location: WAIS Field Camp (Science Rac Tent)
Time: 11:00pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759m
Temperature: -23.9°C
Wind speed: 3 knots
Visibility: Unrestricted
Wind direction: 319°
Relative Humidity: 77%
Precipitation: None
Animals: None
Breakfast: frittata & Finnish coffee cake.
Lunch: Chicken breast, lentil soup, fresh baked bread, wild rice, and
chocolate birthday cake.
Supper: Seafood scampi (mussels & shrimp), orzo pilaf, mixed vegetables,
and crème brûlée.
Today was [...]

Logan’s father, Pat, sent us this Google Earth map of Logan’s travels (We added the white lines between the arrows). Logan sent Pat his GPS coordinates on the ice sheet, and Pat fired up Google Earth to create the map – it gives some spatial perspective to Logan’s journey, which, in Pat’s words, “is further [...]

Date: 12-9-2008
Location: WAIS Divide, Antarctica
Time: 11 pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759m
Animals: Arctic Turn or Snow Petrol
Breakfast: Eggs and hashbrowns
Lunch: Cheese sandwiches w/ calmative olives
Supper: Ribs, vegetables, and Thai fish soup.
I woke up to another perfect weather day. There was no wind to speak of and bluebird skies all day long. In the morning Marie, Susanne and [...]

Date: 12-8-2008
Location: WAIS Divide, Antarctica
Time: 11 pm
Latitude: 79°28’1.2”S
Longitude: 112°5’6.0”W
Elevation: 1,759m
Latitude: 79’°S
Longitude: 112.085°W
Elevation: 1,759m
Breakfast: Skipped
Lunch: Meatloaf, lentil loaf, mashed potatoes, and turkey sandwich.
Supper: Trail mix on a plane & an apple.
Timeline:
5:30 PM – Check in and take a shuttle out to Willy’s Airfield.
6:00 PM – Board plane.
6:30 PM – Take off.
6:40 PM – Loadmaster (the guy [...]

Just wanted to let you know that I made it to WAIS safe and sound.  The weather and food here are fantastic.  Its hard to believe that I’m on top of an ice sheet in the middle of Antarctica.  It still boggles my mind, even though I’ve been thinking about it for so many months. [...]