Walking to the field of ventifacts

Sunday morning at Lake Hoare--the one day off for most people in Antarctica. The winds have changed direction----they are the Katabatic Winds coming from the west off the Antarctic Ice Field beyond the Dry Valleys. In the winter they can be fierce--today not too bad. The sky was quite blue when Meghan (a field safety person here to help with glacier study, Becky--Lake Hoare assistant manager, Luigi, microbiologist  and I set out to see the field of ventifacts. A ventifact is a rock sculpted by the wind. The winds have carved these stones in different places all over the Dry Valleys.

We headed down Lake Hoare, on the lake itself, stabilizers on our feet. Then back through the fabulous Defile-the narrow passage along the Seuss Glacier and then UP! and UP! and UP! Scrambly loose rock and sand, goatlike Meghan and Becky were far ahead, Luigi next--me dragging behind. At the top--finally the rocks pictured here--Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth --in a landscape. It was warmer and warmer until the top when the perspiration form all the effort combined with the wind as chilling. I love hand warmers--my frozen finger tips were mad warm by putting these little packets in my gloves. We wandered from ventifact to ventifact--taking pictures, commenting on their resemblance to crocs and lion heads and dinosaurs.

Going back down was much easier--of course, back across the lake and home to Lake Hoare camp. As it was Sunday, Rae was off from cooking duties and in the traditions since I have been here Luigi made pasta for the twelve people here tonight.....my last night here in at Lake Hoare. Tomorrow a late afternoon flight back to MacTown.