Archive for the ‘Photo-of-the-Day’ Category

Photo-of-the-Day – 13 June 2008

Friday, June 13th, 2008

We had amazingly lovely weather today – only -9°C and not a breath of wind.  Truly, compared to the recent -20-something with heavy winds we’ve been having, it felt balmy.  Despite the darkness, Sanki and I decided to get out and have some exercise.  Taking cross-country ski’s, we went over to the winter depot to check on the containers and caboose stored there.  It was interesting skiing in the darkness, with only a slight glow on the northern horizon despite being around midday, but the exercise was good and the skis treated us well.  With almost no visual references and no contrast, we really sensed every ripple in the snow and ice through our skis as we glided along.

Photo-of-the-Day – 21 May 2008

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

The snow melter is invisible, buried by years of accumulated snow, but we throw fresh snow and ice down the hatch daily to make water.  This picture is taken at midday in May, with the winter sun just below the horizon.

Twelve o’clock midday in May – with the sun just below the horizon, the landscape is bathed in beautiful purple and blue light.  A full moon watches as we throw fresh snow down the hatch of the snow-smelter, to make water for the base.

Second photo – just for fun – is me out getting some exercise, skiing across to the winter container depot and back.  With low ambient temperature and a frigid wind from the southern polar plateau, my eyelashes froze within seconds of removing my goggles.  Over my left shoulder, snow-snakes consisting of fine ice and snow particles blown by the wind streak northwards towards the horizon, where sunlight reflects off small wisps of cloud.  Wind-chill tables vary significantly, but the official Canadian tables put the perceived temperature today at -55°C.  Brrr!  Those lovely long lashes make me look like a chilly camel.

Little rays of sunshine

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

According to the best calculations possible, we were due to see the last of the sun for the winter on May 14. However, due to the fact that Vesleskarvet is elevated above the surrounding ice sheet (and hence the horizon), it catches the sun for a little longer. The past few days have been overcast with snow, but today dawned beautifully clear (albeit a little after eleven o’clock), and more importantly with only a gentle wind. Although it was -23°C, the lack of wind made it possible to spend time outside, and being a Saturday a few of us headed out for some R&R. We took a pair of skidoos and a sled around to the wind-scoop on the western side of Vesles, from where we could watch as the sun made it’s brief traverse along the northern horizon. The sunrise merged seamlessly into the sunset, with the glowing orb never lifting itself off the distant ice.

Antarctica takes on another personality this time of year. The searing stark white of the summer sunshine is replaced by a landscape with infinite folds and contours, and every imaginable shade of pink, purple and blue. The low rays and stretching shadows delineate features never seen before; sunrise and sunset last for hours as the sun slips obliquely across the sky. Textures innumerable appear in snow that seemed uniform before and ice crystals glint everywhere. The personality of the land is unmistakable; a beautiful lady, she shares her finest with us before fading elegantly into the long hours of night.

As we travel back to the base the sun is a memory, but the moon rises steadily over our mountain home, fair and clear in the pure air.