7 December, 2002

This is the Rekke team reporting the news from the main field party. We talked with them on the radio through McMurdo operations. The Beardmore team sends their best from their new location at Goodwin Nunataks. The Rekke team will be relaying their activities until they have all of their electronics set up.

The Beardmore team's adventure began with a C-130 take-off from McMurdo's ice runway. Everyone took turns sightseeing from the cockpit. The C-130 flight deck is blessed with a plethora of windows, ranging from behind the pilot at floor level to multiple windows at head height. The effect is like riding on a flying carpet, giving probably the best visibility out of any transport plane ever built...a great vehicle for seeing the Trans-Antarctic Mountains and the Ross Ice Shelf!

When the first team landed at Beardmore South, the tail of the C-130 dropped down and the cargo was released pallet-by-pallet as the plane taxied along the ice. Once all cargo was deployed, the plane stopped and the team jumped out and began to set up camp. Team 2 arrived a few hours later and helped finish setting up camp and preparing for the next day's journey. After spending one night at Beardmore South and touring the old station building that was left there, the team packed up and began their traverse to Goodwin Nunataks.

The traverse from Beardmore to Goodwin went flawlessly - 50 miles in 5.5 hours - eight snowmobiles - sixteen sleds - and everybody made it there right-side up! The weather was great for getting used to Antarctic camping and setting up camp went just like the shakedown - lots of sun and almost NO WIND. Maybe practice does make perfect.

After spending a night at Goodwin, the team was ready to start searching. And now for the real news: On their first day of meteorite hunting, the Beardmore Team's initial scouting resulted in - drumroll please - 21 METEORITES!!!!! What can we say? ANSMET 2002-2003 is off to a phenomenal start.

Heading for Beardmore! (photo credit: Carl Allen).