The first core of the season here at EGRIP before and after pushout from the drill. Left: Steff, Julien and Dorthe. Right: Steff, Sepp, David, Grant, Tanner, Julien.

Today, after logging the borehole, we made the first attempt to drill an ice core. The drill was lowered close to the bottom, where it was left to warm to the basal temperatures near the melting point. A small but very interesting core of refrozen basal water and mud was recovered. A very unusual core!
After the difficult flight operations Sunday, the Greenlandic nature blessed us with a clear cold night (or whatever you should call it when you have midnight sun?), which is an essential ingredient if you want to quickly harden a freshly groomed skiway and get an LC130 plane airborne again. The crew of Skier 71, however, still had lots of work to do, as starting up a deep frozen LC130 takes a lot of time, and has to be done in a gentle and sequential manner. After we all enjoyed breakfast together, the crew of Skier 71 went about their business also using some of the equipment we have for engine heating here in camp. While this effort took place, we luckily also had time to show Skier crew members the drilling operations here in camp.
Skier 71 had been started up around noon, only to discover a mechanical issue with one of its skis! Hence, heating now had to be applied to this part of the plane. In the mean time we received yet another plane in our suddenly quite busy EGRIP airport. The Kenn Borek Air Twin Otter for the Greendrill project arrived, with the mission to shuttle the Greendrill crew and cargo to their planned Winkie drill site near a nunatak some 200 km NE of EGRIP. Sverrir, now had to coordinate two ground handling crews, as both planes needed fuel and other services, but with (or sometimes even without!) the right equipment and helped by EGRIP and Greendrill crews, Sverrir can make everything happen. Thus, the 2 planes were fuelled, and ready to go in the afternoon, with the Twin Otter leaving first, followed some 20 minutes later by Skier 71, getting airborne in the first attempt from our EGRIP skiway – what a difference grooming and a cold night can make. A big thank you to the crew of Skier 71 for being such good company here at EGRIP, and for their dedicated effort getting our broken Pistenbully lifted out of camp!
In the dome the day ended on a festive note, with a delicious cheesecake prepared by Astrid for Allie’s birthday. Two birthday songs were sung: Happy Birthday and the Danish birthday song which involves imitating instruments!

Weather today: Mostly sunny and temp. from -29°C to -20°C. Wind: 3-9 kt mostly from NW. Visibility: Often limited to a few miles due to fog and mist, but clearing in the afternoon and evening.

Close-up’s of the interesting first core after and before pushout.

Skier 71 offloading the broken Pistenbully in Kangerlussuaq.

First core and nature giving us a break