Working on the glacier

I have been uploading my Palmer Station videos to YouTube. On the settings (the small gear on the bottom right side of the viewing screen) select HD for the best quality.

https://youtu.be/Tp1NPgX-lcs

https://youtu.be/o3qf-HZywn0

https://youtu.be/2LAAwtxDtBs

https://youtu.be/ZY9APpIQ1bk

https://youtu.be/RzRu2j3EUlI

https://youtu.be/WdzlO1Znm6o

The radio repeater I work at about a mile up the glacier behind Palmer Station.

This time of year requires snow shoes...

...with crampons attached.

The last few months have seen fierce winds with some at hurricane force. The repeater sled used to be positioned on the two wood blocks. Now I am in the process of digging it out to re-position it with two snowmobiles.

Mt. William in the background.

Palmer Station and Bonaparte Point on the left.

Near the base of the glacier it gets pretty steep.

This picture was taken in April when I arrived. The snow has filled in the rocks nicely. Much easier to traverse snow than rocks.

The Antarctic continent about 10 miles away from Anvers Island.

Waiting for this to calve off.

Hiking up the glacier to continue digging out the repeater sled. The end of Hero Inlet is frozen over.

Mt. William on this beautiful clear day.

The continent shining in sunlight.

A selfie in front of Mt. William.

A beautiful sunset.

Another fun boating day on Father's Day

Leaving Palmer Station for a day of exploring two new islands.

Mooring the boat involves securing the bow line to the rocks which sometimes has a ring to tie off to. In this picture I am throwing out a stern anchor with a bungee line. In this way the ocean swell will not push the boat onto the rocks. 

Female elephant seals.

Photo credit this and the next one to Steve.

Humble Island has a large penguin colony during the summer. The "birders" attach location transmitters to penguins. The data is received at this field station, which is another of my work stations, and relayed to Palmer Station. 

It's rare to see a swimming seal.

Cool bergs.

Alien Heads!

Working our way through the brash ice.

A rare sighting of an Antarctic Shag.

I am calling Palmer Station to report a landing party ashore on Hermit Island.

Deep snow. 

Much easier then walking.

Kristen hiked to the top.

Photo credit to Steve.

Skuas. Photo credit to Steve.

Kristen, the station chef, and I enjoying a break and laugh.

Back at the boat.

Navigating home.

Driving the boat onto the trailer and climbing off thru the bow pulpit.

Hiking and the final departure of the Lawrence M. Gould

I have been uploading my Palmer Station videos to YouTube. On the settings (the small gear on the bottom right side of the viewing screen) select HD for the best quality.

https://youtu.be/0WG14CceP5M

https://youtu.be/nywN7Zn8cNs


A tour of Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station from my winter of 2017.  https://youtu.be/nVuNuRM4TMM

The Lawrence M Gould mooring during a blizzard. Securing the three bowlines was a bit tedious.

A hike to the end of Hero Inlet.

Another beautiful day.

A camping platform.

A snowy sheathbill.

This sheathbill has been tagged.

The end of Hero Inlet.

A cool berg drifted near the dock.

The last arrival of the Lawrence M. Gould was greeted by an iceberg next to the dock. The Gould used a series of prop washes to move it out of the way for mooring.

One of the guys carved a unicorn out of a piece of bar ice. Bar is glacier ice that has been compressed over time, not ice from a bar.

A fine group of bow line handlers. This is the last un-mooring of the Lawrence M. Gould for the season. 

The Lawrence M. Gould departing for Punta Arenas, Chile for the final time this season. There are now 20 souls left on Palmer Station. Our winter has finally begun...

The ensign from Hadar, Palmer Station's largest boat.

Dark bar ice - very old compressed glacial ice.

My room desk.

A room with a view of the Antarctic continent about 10 miles away.

A very comfortable room. Now that the ship has left we all have a room to ourselves.