December 11 – Arrival at Vinson Base

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We’re reporting to you now from Vincent Base. It’s the 11th at about 2pm.

We didn’t get out of there quite as quickly as I had led you to believe yesterday from Patriot Hills. We relaxed at Patriot Hills for awhile, took some tea and soup in Fran’s kitchen, visited a bit. Then we got off quite quickly for Vinson Base and the Twin Otters.

It’s just a beautiful hour and twenty minute flight, the expanse of Antarctica was just blowing us all away. Our noses were pressed against the glass of the Twin Otter, watching the expanse as it went by. But unfortunately we got ground fog and clouds on the Branscomb Glacier just before we arrived and we had to turn around and go back.

But today we got a report from Vinson Base that it looked pretty clear and we took off and enjoyed the same beautiful flight again and now we’re digging in at Vinson Base.

Twenty-four hours of light here, and except for some of the clouds I was talking about that gave us a little delay in our Twin Otter flight, amazing weather, still air.

And even though it was about -12C when we arrived at Patriot Hills (and I’m sure it’s colder that that here now at Vinson Base) I’m standing here bare handed with hardly any large clothing on at all…

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