28 October 2009 Coring Process

Location: Lat: 71 55.927 N Long:  143 40.160 W

Sunrise: 10:18 am Sunset: 4:40 pm

****I spent the afternoon working with the ice team to help with the coring process. As usual we got all of gear on, including our survival suits. The suits are one complete water tight suit that goes on top of your clothing. It has booties for your feet and seals around your wrists and neck to prevent water from seeping in. While these are great for keeping us dry, they are also very challenging to put on and warm. Usually, I get really hot just trying to put the suit on before heading out. Once we were all dressed, we headed outside to wait (since it was too hot indoors with all of our gear on). The process started as normal - loading the crane platform with supplies and people to be lowered over the side. However, about half through the process, the crane stopped working properly. So, we set up a ladder to lower the gear and the remaining people. It was a bit nerve wrecking descending the ladder onto the ice, since I tend to be a bit clumsy. However, it was all secured very safely and we took our time and all got onto the ice safely.

We had to work quickly since we got a late start, but still made sure to finish with enough time enjoy the beauty of our surroundings with a bit of sledding and snow ball tossing!