Receiving cargo, cacheing fuel, and getting the bugs out

Well, knowing our science and safety gear was still yet to arrive in town, we started today knowing we wouldn't be actually getting on the ground in the field.  The good news is that the delayed cargo arrived around 10:00 this morning.  This meant that we could get things ready to go for tomorrow.

The bad news was that weather was not good enough to allow for a flight to put in our fuel cache.  But we set to work, setting up a mock-up of a ground stop to get our system dialed-in.

Here, Thomas sets up GPS stations for precise location measurement on the ice.  As it happens, the mosquitoes in Ilulissat can be large, numerous, and persistent- note Thomas was the only one of us well-prepared with a bug net!  At least the mosquitoes are relatively slow...

Photo by Adam LeWinter.

Once all of our science gear was unpacked and checked, Daniel, our pilot, called.  The weather had lifted enough for him to make an attempt to put in our fuel cache.  After lunch we got into safety review- we practiced tying into the rope, belaying, tying off a fallen colleague, and rigging up hauling systems.

Then, after some grocery shopping Thomas made us a great dinner- and the weather was good enough for us to enjoy it out on the deck!  Daniel had been successful in his mission to place the fuel, and arrived back in town in time for dinner.  I realize now that this is the first picture to show the crew, so now's a good time to introduce them.  From left to right:  Adam LeWinter, Daniel, our Air Greenland pilot, Kathy Young, science support coordinator in Ilulissat and a friend of mine for over 10 years, Joanna Millstein, and Thomas Overly.  It's a great crew, and I feel privileged to be working with them.

If the weather holds for tomorrow, we will attempt our first science day- looking forward to getting on the ice!