One week ago, Laura was kind enough of to sign me up for a trip out to the ice caves (and the trip has since closed, due to the sea ice becoming too melty for the rest of the season). Ludo had signed up Juan, and Annamarie and Stef had independently signed themselves up too.
I waited a little while to get pictures from Annamarie, because we went into the cave together. Then I had to wait for another day in which I didn’t take enough pictures, and could post something random. That was yesterday.
The most notable happening of yesterday is that it was Giles’s official last day. But, it looks like his flight has been cancelled (by the same weather that prevents making beam maps), so he will have at least one more unofficial day.
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- Some of the deltas have confusing old Navy seatbelts. Annamarie is glad to have figured it out
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- Best. Sticker. Ever.
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- Steph, all bundled up (it’s windy out there)
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- There were only tiny patches of light out that day
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- Dawn. Before Raytheon, people were allowed to name vehicles. And have fun
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- The first group heads over to the cave
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- Steph again, now with hood
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- Castle Rock, off in the distance
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- Annamarie, in Eskimo Mode. She likes Eskimo Mode
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- Flag, Landscape
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- While I’m busy telephotoing, a skua attacks me
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- But, that lets me get some decent skua pictures
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- Shuttle Bob and Shuttle Steve (and Shuttle: Dawn)
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- Juan, in front of the Fleet Ops road-clearing escort
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- Ludo, gesturing in a French-speaking manner
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- The cave
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- Juan emerges
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- Stef follows. (Laura came after, and was super excited, but people blocked my view of her…)
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- Annamarie and I have to wait longer. Shuttle Bob guards the entrance
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- Annamarie. Waiting, with me
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- Super-exciting moment: entering the ice cave
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- Some lights shines faintly through the blue ice
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- The untouched walls are covered with delicate ice crystals
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- More crystals, and blue light
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- Going deeper, down the narrow slidey part
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- Even for Annamarie, it gets to be a bit of a tight squeeze
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- In the depths (it’s not really all that deep), it darker
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- Time’s running out, we make our way back up
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- After Annamarie snaps a shot of me by the entrance, I decide I should capture her equally haloed
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- Dangly crystals, near the entrance
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- Annamarie’s reemergence takes a while, as she’s caught up in the wonder of the cave
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- Cat
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- Sled of emergency supplies. In case we got stuck
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- Laura is satisfied with a successful adventure
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- Gorgeous shot of light streaming into the cave, by Annamarie
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- Me, bathed from behind by light (by Annamarie)
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- Me again. Standing this time. Turns out this pair were the only pictures of me I liked (by Annamarie)
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- Crystals contrasted with icicles, near the entrance (by Annamarie)
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- Long icicles, by Annamarie. These shots are why she took her time reemerging
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- Short icicles (by Annamarie) I like these icicle pictures and am sad I didn’t take any myself
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- Many icicles (by Annamarie). Good thing she took so many
Incredible! Beautiful! Thank you for sharing such a delightful adventure. I admit to claustrophobia so I rushed through them the first time. : )