22 November, 2003

Trip to Cape Royds

During yesterday's sea ice training, our instructor drove us out to Cape Royds. While it was a bumpy ride in the Pisten Bully, it was well worth it!

Today we leave for the Dry Valleys. We'll be gone for about 6 days and I do not know if I'll be able to post.

6. This is the closest I’m allowed to get to the penguins. Only scientists studying penguins can get near them. I’m not even allowed to pick up any stray feathers.

2. Shackleton’s hut. This hut was established in 1908 as a winter base camp during his second Antarctic expedition (on the Nimrod). The party had hoped to reach to the south pole, but fell short by about 100 miles when the last of his ponies fell in a crevasse, causing them to lose their supplies.

3. Me outside Shackleton’s hut. Unfortunately we were not allowed to enter. For pictures inside the hut check out former TEA Bruce Smith’s website: ../smith/11.22.1999.html

4. Cape Royds is also the location of an Adelie penguin rookery.

5. Nearly 4,00 pairs of penguins make their nests within the site off the hut.