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Sunshine, lollipops and sweet dreams, mountaintops

Some days, you just can’t help but stop and grin and think, “Man, this is awesome.”

Perfect weather. Helos were flying. An A-Star piloted by Barry came to pick Rich E. and I up and whip us off to Abbott Peak for a GPS permanent site installation.

I shouldn’t say the weather was perfect, because it wasn’t perfect everywhere. Skank was threatening to move in, and threatening to deny Rich and I from returning to the hut. But, the weather was perfect at Abbott.

[Approaching Abbott Peak.]

[Rich braces himself as the helo takes off after it drops us off.]

[Warm day, but Rich's breath still steamy.]

The perfect weather made me realize that even though I like being out, I generally like coming back in. The weather usually nips away at me enough to try my patience, or at least try my enjoyment. The weather at Abbott did nothing of the sort. It was like the big jovial green-clad giant who represents Christmas present in "Scrooge," the version of the Christmas Carol my mother likes to watch. Stay a while! it shouted. Enjoy the gorgeous view! Don’t you see the world stretching before you? Take off your coat and relax!

Take off our coats we did. And, I took off the layer under that, AND I took off both my outer mitts and my gloves, and worked for a good part of the time with bare hands. It was tropical. It was delicious. I had no desire to leave the site; my only desire, besides just enjoying myself, was to get the GPS site in and relax on the rock. Maybe sunbathe a bit, or have a picnic lunch.

[I look doubtful, but really I'm happy.]

[There was this really, really great rock that was super fun for climbing--and, although I have my gloves on in this photo, I clambered around on it with bare hands and it wasn't even cold. This may be my favorite hold in the world right now. Totally bomber, frictiony, niiiiiiiiiiiice.]

[Rich works to strengthen the communication tower.]

[GPS antenna freshly in place, with Mt. Bird in the background.]

As it turned out, we didn’t have time to lounge; we finished just before the helo came back for us. But, it was still splendid. We worked pleasantly at a comfortable pace, and got the work done. Three hours after our arrival, a 212 came for us, with Scotty piloting and Steve on as helotech, and took us from our paradise towards our second destination: BOMZ. BOMZ can be unruly, and was windy and somewhat miserable last time we were there, and didn’t even want us to come near this time. It was completely skanked it. Scotty attempted to drop us close to the hut, which was also skanked in, but the skank was too strong. So, he dropped us at Truncated Cones, the site on the edge of the world, where somebody would be able to come rescue us by skidoo from the hut. Out Rich, out Beth, out gear, out survival bag. On communications guys who had been setting up an antenna at Cones and needed a ride back anyway. Helo small in front of volcano. Rich and I watching from a safe distance, and helo away. Goodbye, helo, enjoy vacation.

And then, Rich and I were in paradise again. The skank had won over only on select parts of the volcano, and others thought they were in the Bahamas. Sunny, warm, and beautiful. Only no tourists. Or palm trees. Rich and I played around in paradise for about half and hour before Bill and Nelia arrived to pick us up. In the meantime, I made a snow angel, we took a bunch of pictures, Rich rolled rocks down the snowy flank of the caldera (whump whump whump whump whump crack whump), we sat on a rock and watched airborn ice crystals sparkle in the sun (“spaaaahkly’) (remember the crow in “The Secret of Nihm”?), and I slid on my butt down the hill back towards the volcano. Wind pants are good for that.

[Rich establishes radio contact with Bill and Nelia.]

[View towards Cones GPS and seismic site.]

[View up towards Cones repeater site.]

[On the other side of the Cones repeater site, Rich (carefully) rolls rocks.]

[A zoom-in view out towards the Trans-Antarctics.]

[Rich waits for our ride, as I get ready to slide down the hill.]

We were home in time for a late lunch, and in the late afternoon Nelia and I headed up to the rim to install the campaign GPS equipment on our brand new monument. Again, the trip was beautiful.

[Right on the rim.]

[Heading back.]

[View of land slump with the Upper Hut riding on top (rectangular speck), with the caldera rim and the sea ice beyond. Nelia thinks the slump is loose rock and ice which moves by freeze-thaw processes within the pile.]

When we returned, I headed right back out the door to enjoy a little more of the kind day. I walked out on the rocks behind the hut until I found a nice, small whaleback from which I could view the Trans-Antarctic mountains. Sleepiness was setting in, keeping me from fathoming the mountains at all, but life was good.

Posted by beth at December 28, 2002 10:23 PM | TrackBack