May 22, 2024

Camp population shrinking

Flashbacks to Sunday/Monday. Left: The crew from Skier 71 of the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing kindly provided a group photo of the entire crew on snow at EGRIP in front of their impressive LC-130 aircraft. Right: Sverrir and three Skier 71 crew having an impromptu meeting in the open to determine the best way forward.


After reaching a peak of 35 people in camp Sunday/Monday, we are suddenly down to 17 this afternoon, after waving goodbye to 4 more Greendrill colleagues going to their Winkie drill site by Twin Otter.
Indeed, the Twin Otter cargo and PAX shuttle missions are going well, with Winkie camp population now at 8, and much cargo already in place.
If weather permits the coming days will see the final cargo and 2 Greendrill crew depart EGRIP along with the Twin Otter, and camp population will decrease to just 12. We will miss our Greendrill colleagues, but not for too long, as they will be pulled out through EGRIP in mid-June. Hopefully bringing with them many precious samples, good stories and pictures from the Winkie drill site, that is situated spectacularly next to a nunatak in NE Greenland.
During last evening and into the early hours today, Martin worked on the drill, to make it more resistant to the conducting properties in the liquid mix near the bottom of the bore hole. Nevertheless, the two drill runs of today had similar issues as the unsuccessful run yesterday, and during the second run the pin to the motor shaft broke.
It was decided to go back to bore hole logging tomorrow, in the hope that the drill at least had cleared a passage to the deepest part of the bore hole for the logger.

What we did today:

  1. Two drill runs with lost penetration and without core recovery.
  2. Continued preparations for our intermediate depth drill system in white garage.
  3. Received, refueled and loaded Greendrill cargo on the Twin Otter two times.
  4. Cleared main street in camp of sledges and cargo.
  5. Cleared two big sledges of snow.
  6. Re-established active ventilation in the drill trench.
  7. Cryo-egg and Cryo-pølse preparations.

Weather today: Sunny and temp. from -34°C to -21°C. Wind: Turning from SW to WNW in the evening and decreasing from 4-7kts to only 2kts. Visibility: Unrestricted.


FL, Bo M. Vinther

Martin, David and Julien showing their appreciation for their new brightly colored long body short legs drill suits, while Steff in the background seems to be unfazed by the commotion.