May 31, 2016

While we are waiting for high winds

Kaitlin and Malte are mounting plugs for cables, while Joel in the background excavates a trench for the cables.

The forecast of today and especially tomorrow warns about high wind speeds, and again this has stopped us from folding the balloons. We are afraid they will run away from us.
Instead, we decided to finish as much as possible of the underground cable system. It is not good with open cable excavations during blowing snow. Also in anticipation of high winds, we cleaned up in camp. So the cargo line is well organized.
Our German colleagues finished their work in the “monster” pit, the 4 m deep and 2 x 50 m long excavation. It will be backfilled tomorrow, so people do not accidentally fall in, or worse drive into them on a skidoo.

What we have done today:

1. Buried electrical cables as much as we could.
2. Finished cable well.
3. Sorting out electricals in science trench. Cleaned up in Science trench.
4. Located and opened all vents in drill and science trenches.
5. Repaired one skidoo.
6. Pulled tanks 2 and 3 to apron. Cleaned up in cargo line.
7. Groomed skiway.
8. Cleaned out in main dome.
9. German pit study concluded.

Ad. 1: We have now full power to the science trench. The two heavy cables for the drill trench now terminate inside the science trench. We still need to extend the cables for Weatherports on the SW side of mainstreet. These cables will arrive on Thursday. Then the camp cable system is complete.

Weather today: Sunny. Temp. -16°C to -26°C, Wind 5 - 12 kt from SW. Visibility: To horizon. Windy in the morning but pleasant in the afternoon.

FL, J.P. Steffensen