These are cliché phrases for working with the military but there’s a reason clichés exist I guess. Our flight out to the ice was scheduled for 9AM and Andrew was in the waiting room promptly at 8:50. The entire team was in attendance by 9:10 with some dragging heel. Much to the surprise of no one I’m now writing this from the waiting room at 11:35 having just learned that the earliest we will leave is 3:30PM. We’ve been bumped from the morning flight thanks to high winds and blowing snow where we’ll be landing. I can’t say I’m complaining, setting up 8 tents in 30 mph winds on day one didn’t sound like a lot of fun. It does have some implications for our first day out though. The other four are in bed taking naps while I tip-tap the laptop. If we fly at 3:30 it means we’ll start setting up camp at 5:00PM and we’ll be working to get comfortable into the “night”. The night being nearly daylight of course. Forecast says there will be -30C temperatures or lower this evening. If we’re lucky we’ll be asleep in tents by 1AM. If we’re unlucky this will turn into a full day delay.
What is luck anyway?
Left: Von and Cat get some work done in the interstitial space. Right: Matt decided a nap is probably the best choice for passing time.
One of three cargo pallets that will be headed to the ice