The final bits of our cargo being loaded into the DC-3 at Williams Field, Ross Ice Shelf.

Once the last of the cargo was loaded--we were loaded.

This is the location of our base camp in front of the Otway Massif in the Grosvenor Mountains. At this scale the blue arrow would be about 3 kilometers long on the earth's surface near the camp.

Kate was really happy to be at our camp site and did a little jig as the last of the cargo was unloaded from the DC-3.

Reality set in soon after the DC-3 took off--gear and cargo that had been dropped off previously had to be dug out of snow drifts and camp had to be set up. We worked from noon to after midnight the first day to get the first part of the camp set up.

We dug out our snow mobiles first; we hooked them to the sleds that had been dropped off and quickly had our gear gathered together from the various places it had been dropped.

Eric and Kate after most of the tents had been set up. This large tent is called an Arctic Oven and we used it as a kitchen and dining area.

Our tents, including the loo or dunny (tall tent on the left) on a breezy day.

We slept in these mountain tents and used double sleeping pads under our sleeping bags. The tents stayed quite warm--usually were more than 35 degrees F over night--now that is toasty!

A view of camp after we had been there two weeks.

We were very lucky to have Bamma Mellott come out to camp and help with making water and meals. She made the whole camp experience better with her great humor, help and great meals.

After dinner (and dishes were done) we worked on cataloging and boxing samples. This usually took until late into the night--but since the sun never set no lights were required.

Bamma making another great dinner in the kitchen / dining room / office tent.

Twin Otter pilot Brian Crocker enjoying Norma Licht's tater tot hotdish made by Kathy and Bamma.

Eric washing and Kate drying dishes after dinner.

Peter catching up on paperwork.

Our fearless leader Kathy. She was able to keep everyone in good spirits even though she came down with a case of bronchitis that would have knocked anyone else out of commission.

Sun glasses were a necessity outside, but when you need glasses just to read the instructions on the back of an instant soup package, then things get complicated.

We had to make all our water by melting snow--a very time consuming process. Bamma worked hours each day while she was in camp just dealing with making water.

On our first day in camp a LC-130 dropped by to leave some fuel and supplies. The following 4 photos show the cargo being dropped on the snow runway.

The plane slows down and the back door opens...............

The large aluminum palettes roll off the ramp...............

The plane can either continue down the runway and take off, or as it did in this case, it can stop for a break before taking off again.

The LC-130 stopped so that the crew could get out and walk around a bit and take photos. Peter and Kathy are in the foreground.

The LC-130 flew over a couple times before heading back to McMurdo Station.

Our tents on a breezy summer day in January near the end of our stay. Any obstruction, such as a tent, causes snow to accumulate and form drifts. Taking down the camp required digging out 2 to 4 feet of hard snow just to get the tent stakes out.

A closer view of our sleeping quarters. The lowest temperature that we experienced in camp was -25 degrees C, which made it a little hard to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning!

Kathy inspecting the area around our camp site to make sure we did not miss any loose debris after we took down camp.

Kathy with her penguin hat on for inspiration ready to get on with loading our gear.

She is smiling because she knows the first shower in 3 weeks is just hours away!

We had approximately 2000 pounds of samples to get to the LC-130 landing site--we used snow machines and sleds to move them and most of the other 12,000 pounds of gear to the site. Eric and Kate are moving boxes of samples.

The LC-130 dropped by a little early, but the crew helped us finish loading our 14,000 pounds of samples, gear, and empty fuel drums. The overall process took two very long days and two LC-130 planes to haul all of it (and us).

Eric (left Skidoo) and Peter (right Skidoo) pulling the heaviest palette, which contained our samples, into position behind the LC-130.

The snow machines were the last things to be loaded.

Kathy loaded the last one, and unlike Eric, did not upset the Loadmaster.