Catching up...

[jay]

Here are some links:

(webcam to site)
Shows part of base camp, updated every few minutes. It is currently snowing heavily.

DAME discussion on the HMP site
Talks about why and what my project is doing here.



We went out yesterday miorning on an initial scouting traverse on ATVs to last year's drillsite, as well as one looking over Lake Trinity (named after the college). Here's Pascal waiting for someone to restart their ATV, plus our camp dog Qimmiq (who followed us):



Since the Iqualuit government committee responsible could not reach agreement on grating us access to Inuit-owned land (including last year's drillsite) before Thursday, I decided to go with the backup Trinity site here:


We returned in the afternoon with a convoy of 6 ATVs following the Humvee, which was loaded with the drill and other equipment. This year seems colder and wetter than usual... more snow, and the ground hasn't dried-out much. So the truck became mired twice... here's the first time, crossing a stream:


Finally, six hours and another miring later, the tent was up and the drill and tables and equipment and sensors installed therein:

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

How do you get the truck out of something like that? I presume the ATVs aren't much help.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

We wade into the stream, get out a shovel and pick-axe, and dig a trench 8' long and about 15" deep... loop cables around a similar-sized board... place it in the trench at a sloping-backward angle and pile lots of rocks on it. In the stream...making a deadfall anchor... then turn on the vehicle's winch to pull itself forward and out.

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

I <3 geeks

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

muddy ones... ;^)

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

*grin*

well, you *are* camping in the fucking arctic.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Excellent! (Didn't realize the truck had a winch. That helps.) It sounds...time-consuming.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

About a half-hour to dig and place each trench... the second time stuck, it required four successive attempts, each moving it a few feet further along.