Sigurdfjell

Finally, I got up on the helicopter to Sigurdfjell with Guillermo, Amy, and Hans.  It was awesome!  The weather and clouds came in fast, though, and the copter had to come pick us up about 20 minutes after they dropped us off.  On the way back, we flew over the glacier, it was almost like skiing!

Loading the helicopter.

Flying over mountaintops

Hans and Guillermo on the edge of a ridge, Sigurdfjell.  The fog is coming in!

Amy on a bed of Devonian Sandstone, lots of clouds!

Now where was I... initiation?

So, I am behind, but first a word about the team building that was.... initiation!  In an elaborate ceremony, we were given our task.  To create new lyrics for and perform to one of two songs by a Norwegian band, see links for our choices:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYXP19e5KM
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEJGk8qfAgI
We chose the second one.  It was a true team building process, and the lyrics will never be revealed in public :-)  Nor will the pictures, however, I can put one or two up from the party afterwards, held by the Ny Alesund community:

Oslo by night - interlude

Ok, I am all out of order here - but let me say:

If you want to go where "everybody knows your name" (I wonder who is too young for a Cheers reference) then always know that no matter what country you are in, an Irish pub is an Irish pub.  On the way home from my late dinner (I decided I needed an 8:15-9:00 PM nap) I saw that there was a live band playing in the Irish pub on the street to my hotel and I could not resist paying the $80 kroner (~$16) to go in.  Who can resist an Irish pub, with live music???  There I met John, Roger, Maya, Desiree, and... er... I don't remember his name.  i got there around 11:15 PM intending to only spend an hour at very most, but the band was good, the company fun, and I stayed until 2:15ish.  I love hearing live Irish music, seeing people so damn happy dancing around to it.  So I made new friends and I am pleased with my independent self.  However, no pictures were taken, and since I am a visual person I feel remiss.  I have a lot of blogging to catch up on, particularly in the realm of helicopter rides, and, more importantly, initiation!!!  So, I should leave you at least with a lasting visual image - here, let me dig one up:

This is the most incredible view of the mountain as we came out of our newbie conspiring session around 1:30 AM.  

Glacier boat trip

Boat trip to local glaciers.  We couldn't get as close as the previous day, but it was still beautiful.

Ice berg and rocks

Ice Cave in glacier

Contemplating the glaciers....

Nearly a perfect sunset, except the sun never sets.

Men in Black pictures

Heading off to initiation, which promises to be a disaster!  Embarrassment for both the newbies and the oldies is imminent.  But first, check out our MiB pics!

The whole team.  Yes, that is an ice pick I am carrying.

The Goddard Girls!

A little closer

On standby for helicopter... again!

The friendly neighborhood Reindeer

Snow in August!

I have not been so great about updates.  Much has happened, it snowed here (big time, several inches), but it has melted by now.  It must be 55-60 out, its been a beautiful day.  However, I have not made it into the field yet.  Three times now I've been prepped to go out on the helicopter (we go in teams of 4) but Monday and Tuesday found the weather very poor for flying.  The pilots fly by sight, so its very important that they not take risks in clouds.  So Tuesday several of us hiked to a glacier to get some samples of algae that live on snow.  It ended up being a 7 hour trip.  The actual walking time was only about 2 hrs each direction, but there was a long stop for sampling and many little stops on the way back for people to ooo and ah at flora and fauna.  Still, its frustrating to not get to see the sites that the samples we working on come from, geological context is important.  I could be doing the work I do in the lab here at home.  Its the field that this is all about.

Little glacial stream

Yesterday was quite exciting, too.  We had an electrical malfunction that blew two circuits.  When we got to the bottom on the problem, it was a crappy surge protector that had melted down.  In the end, the only casualty was my baritron, which monitors pressure in my vacuum system, but believe it or not I can still run without it, making sure I pump a long time on the system and hoping there are no leaks :-)  It was quite scary though, hearing the snap crackle pop of electric current and smelling that awful burnt ozone smell.

Tonight is apparently "initiation," an AMASE ritual that in the past has involved making the newbies do anything from breakdancing to making up limericks.  We'll see what happens!

View from glacier, look at that geology!

On the glacier, sun changing position, circling the sky.

Y

Some of our team, no doubt looking off into the distance for polar bears.

Dave, a photographer and one of our safety people, on polar bear patrol.

Once again, 5-6 hours of sleep expected.

So I really should not be updating.  But let me do so anyway!  The first few days here were pretty busy.  Setting up instruments in the lab, learning to shoot, and taking and intro hike. Let me 'splain.  No, there is too much.  Let me sum up.