Day 25; February 16, 2009; Vesleskaervet, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica Average Daily Temperature: Average Daily Wind Speed: Feels Like: The last three days were entirely given over to the completion of the ITASC expedition, and all of our work in the field. After shooting the interior photographs of ICEPAC for the exhibition catalogue, and finishing each of our individual art projects, we began the complete removal of the mobile base—an exhaustive experience that took 30 consecutive hours of hard manual labor in the freezing cold. It was a significant moment, as it marked the successful end of ITASC’s four-year undertaking. It also held the distinct poignancy, that subtle sorrow, that comes…read more »
Day 21; February 12, 2009; Vesleskaervet, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica Average Daily Temperature: Average Daily Wind Speed: Feels Like: Tonight would be my last night sleeping in ICEPAC on this trip. The wind had picked up, and while ICEPAC remained calm and firmly poised against the 20+ knot winds, it was not impervious to the cold air. Deeply inside two sleeping bags, I was still tensely chilled in the biting temperature. There are few things quite as humbling and centering like sleeping in a tent in Antarctica. Out in these harsh elements, one is called to be completely present with the force of this icy, windy continent—one must stay mindful, or…read more »
Day 17; February 8, 2009; Vesleskaervet, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica Average Daily Temperature: 13.64˚ F Average Daily Wind Speed: 18.12 mph Feels Like: -13.54˚ F This morning I awoke quite early to find that the cold had seeped into my bones overnight. Just before midnight last night I had walked down to ICEPAC, intent on sleeping the night in our field camp. The sun was below the horizon, but as I ambled across the snow to our field camp, there was still enough light to guide my way. The night was clear, and the deep evening colors had seeped into the ice—everything was indigo and pink, and the softness of…read more »
Day 2; January 24, 2009; in flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town The plane arrived almost an hour early to Amsterdam, due to the 115 mph tail wind, which was fortunate because my scheduled layover was hardly sufficient to grab a quick bite to eat and reach my connecting flight in time. This is the third time in the last two months that I have been through this airport, and my hope was to find the little gourmet bakery I had enjoyed last time before having to endure the dreaded airplane food, which I would no doubt be subjected to on the very long flight to Cape Town. Approaching my…read more »
