Christmas Eve Part 2

I am writing again today.  As I mentioned before I have some down time today that I am trying to kill.  My brownies turned out pretty good, so I think they should be a good addition to my beers for an x-mas gift.  I just used a box, but I added some broken up oreos to make them a little bit more original.

I also got the courage up to go for a run here.  The wind really wasn't too bad after I warmed up.  The hardest part about running here isn't the wind or the cold, it is the soil here.  The soil is just loose sand and gravel, and if you have ever ran on sand you know what I am talking about.  I was concerned about sweating, however the cold, and the wind kept me cool, and the air is so dry here that the sweat evaporates before it becomes a problem.  I feel great and I am glad I got my lazy ass in gear so I can begin running routinely down here.

Me and one of my teammates went out to do some exploring and break up the monotony of sitting inside.  We set out on the ATV for the camp across the lake.  You can see the camp from our camp, and it would be a quick drive if you could shoot right across the lake.  However, this is not the case.  I may have mentioned earlier that in an ATV you have to hug the lakeshore because this is where the seasonal ice is, which is also the smoothest ice on the lake.  The middle of the lake has ice that has been melted, carved by wind, and blasted by sediment for a long time which makes it extremely rough, and unnavigable by ATV.  We drove to the other camp and checked things out.  No one was there at the moment, so we rummaged around in the food and snacks, but didn't find anything worth our time.  We then went to go check out the dead leopard seal that was discovered a few years ago here.  It looks pretty cool, and pretty recent compared to other dead seals that we have seen.  The skin looks so fresh that you feel as if it could jump up and chase you.

We hopped back on the ATV and headed back to F6 to get some lunch and prepare for our trip to Lake Hoare.  I really enjoy the fact that our ATVs are Polaris Sportsman 500s like the ones we have at home.  It just reminds me that anything tough enough for a Minnesota winter wont flinch down here haha.  Here is a picture from the back of the ATV that may remind you of Minnesota aside from the topographic relief...

It is still unclear whether we will get a helo flight or not to Lake Hoare, but I am learning that we live on a different schedule down here.  The weather dictates whether you can travel or do your job any given day, and if you can't do what was planned, well you just wait and blog to your friends and family.