12 July 2009 Waiting for a Plane

Our 4am alarm was fifteen minutes too early...Trine and I packed our gear, rolled up our sleep kit and had everything nearly ready to go when we got word that the plane was delayed due to weather and visibility. We had to decide whether to pull out the gear and go back to sleep or go ahead and walk to the Big House. The idea of hot tea and a potential flight was too tempting!

So despite a hopeful wind we still sit here at 9am Greenland time waiting for word of a plane. From the information we receive after each half hour weather report the flight crew still has possibilities for flying until around noon. After that they have to change crews and we're probably on a different schedule. Still, we wait and feel hopeful with games of Trivial Pursuits, catching up on email and journals, visiting with each other and enjoying cups of strong coffee and breakfast choices.

Joe Spollen had his own perspective of the day... read on to hear about it!

Today began at 4:00 a.m. to an ominously foggy view of the camp causing the postponement of the 7:00 a.m. flight back to Kanger. Some chose to go back to the tents for some additional sleep. Others felt that retrieving and setting up their packed sleep kits was too much of a hassle. These folks headed for the Big House and kept busy playing board games...for 7 hours. Others kept busy reading, eating or working/playing on their laptops. I have to rely on second hand information here as I chose to go back to sleep. I got the most sleep I've head since arriving in Greenland!

This brings up a question; is fog at 10,000 ft. altitude really fog or is it a cloud?

Waiting for the fog to lift the clock eventually reached lunch o'clock. We ate while keeping an eye on the weather conditions outside.

After seven plus hours of board games some people started getting restless. A game of arctic ultimate Frisbee started up between the Danes and the Americans. The Americans thought they had the advantage. We were wrong. Final score: Denmark 3, Americans 2. Peter and Dan tried their hands at arctic golf. As a viewer I can tell you it looked pretty ugly. But, now they can add another item to their list of lifetime achievements.

A rumor of a predicted clearing spread through camp. We got word that the Air National Guard was sending a plane. Later in the day we heard the sound of a plane overhead. It continued for a while but couldn't land. The official announcement came during dinner; no flight today. A general sense of disappointment was felt but I think we came to realize that Summit Camp is not the worst place to have a layover. We ate some more, continued some mixed pairs (American and Dane) board games and settled in for a mellow evening in the Big House.

Our immediate future will be determined by a quick view out the window tomorrow morning. Let's hope for the best.

Joe Spollen Niskayuna High School