29 November Homeward Bound

My last post.

I'm currently sitting in the United Lounge, in the Newark airport.  We arrived at 1:30 p.m. and our flight doesn't leave until 10:00 p.m.  That's a long wait.  I've tried watching the football game, sitting in the chair reading, lying on the floor with my parka wrapped around me.  All that and there are still four hours to go.

It will be good to get home.  To start making the arrangements for the next trip, Alaska in January.  Sure wish there was a warm trip on the schedule.

I hope you've all enjoyed this post as much as I've enjoyed writing it.  I'll let you know if I'm inspired by another adventure.

PolarPatti signing off.

28 November

So, packed and ready to go.  Almost time to start the process of getting all the various people checked out and to the airport.  Hoping that Barrett's flight comes from Ny-Alesund so that he can catch the flight with us.  Also hoping that Lamar makes it home with his revised schedule.  An hour between flights, in Paris, is not optimal.  I don't know why Delta always offers that schedule.  Looks like Barrett won't make it today.  Since the airport is closed on Saturday, may not get here until Sunday.  Of course what they'll probably do is just put him on the regularly scheduled Monday flight - maybe.  Arrgh!

It has certainly been an adventure.  You wouldn't think you could get used to total dark, but you do.  You stop looking outside to judge the time of day.  Probably good that I get back to GSP at midnight, so I have time to adjust.

There's already talk of coming back next June after attending a meeting in Tromso.  It is certainly a beautiful place - from what I've seen in pictures.  Not sure how it would be with hordes of tourists, though.

We have become big fans of Flightradar24.com.   Nice to see that there is actually a plane headed your way!  We'd like to see them launch CAPER from Andenes today but not if it impacts our flight plan.

Yay!  We actually made it off the island.  A harrowing stop in Tromso and then on to Oslo.  They're still holding Barrett captive on Ny-Alesund but hope he'll get back to Longyearbyen today.  It's not an easy place to get back from, that's for sure.

So, I head to Newark and then Greenville, this morning.  Miguel has already left, since he had a much earlier flight.  It will be SO good to be home.  I suspect the cats will be very happy to see us.  

27 November

Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful that we launched the rocket, successfully, and aren't still counting like CAPER is.
I'm thankful that I didn't ever meet a polar bear (and use that rifle).
I'm thankful that Miguel got to visit me here for a few days.
I'm thankful that I am going home tomorrow.  Well, to Oslo at least.  Home will be the NEXT day.

Woke to ice again this morning.  The guesthouse driveway was so slippery that when I drove down it, I just slid with no way to stop.  I aimed at the ditch on the corner just before the road and caught just enough to stop before sliding into the road.  Just getting to the car door is almost impossible.  Not surprisingly, the charter flight from Ny-Alesund has been cancelled for today.  Sure hope they get back tomorrow morning before the afternoon flight to Oslo leaves.  If they miss that flight, the next flight out is on Sunday afternoon.  Lamar is scheduled to leave today so I'm watching to see if HIS flight out is cancelled.  Not officially cancelled but they're making him wait at the airport in case there's a later flight scheduled. Cancelled.

We're all wishing we had some Yaktrax.  They probably have them in town but it's so icy we can't get there to buy them! 

A lot of work today, trying to get camera equipment back for shipment home.

These two were next to the guest house

Only a small number are hunted each year and you can certainly see that they feel safe around people.

Tomorrow, hopefully, we'll start the trip home.  I'll believe it when I see it.

26 November

At dinner last night, of course the Svalbar, we were trying to convince Miguel how hard we've had it up here.  The stove timer, no heat in the bedroom, controlling apartment temperature by opening and closing the bedroom door, walking on ice, 100% darkness, wind-rain-snow-ice all in one day.....  He wasn't buying it.  Must admit that it's been a pretty comfortable place to be.  Everyone here has been very friendly.  There's no crime, so you can walk around without worrying.  At home, at night, you'd always be a little more cautious.  Well, when it's dark all the time, that would just not work. 

Have yet to see any police presence.  I did notice a booth marked Politi, at the airport, but have never seen the window unshuttered. On the Facility Opening Hours list that I have, the police are listed as working Monday to Friday, 08:30-15:30.  There is an emergency number listed for out of office hours.

You can't be born here - there's a hospital, but they're not equipped for difficult pregnancies.  You HAVE to fly to the mainland.

You can't die here - they discovered that people who died and were buried didn't decay.  They now require that you be buried off island.

Population is 2040 and there are 3000 polar bears.  If the polar bears wanted to take over, they pretty much could.

There's one place to get gas, in front of the one car dealership.  One pump for diesel and one for gas.  I've been here for two weeks and am down to a quarter of a tank.  All those darned airport runs!

The drive out to the airport, for the one flight, is always exciting.  Everyone passing each other to get there first.  I finally figured out why.  Here, you can park and leave your car right in front of the terminal.  Since getting down the hill to the parking lot involves dragging your suitcase down a snow covered ramp, it makes sense.  Clearing that ramp does not seem to be a priority.

We had a charter lined up to bring everyone back from Ny-Alesund.  Well, now the forecast for Ny-Alesund on Thursday is heavy snow so it's uncertain that the charter will fly.  Sigh.

We were told, today, that summertime here is a madhouse.  Thousands of tourists from cruise ships, many flights coming in and out 24 hours a day.  The locals try to find something to do elsewhere.  Sounds pretty awful!

Here's a nice link to the C-REX writeup on the NASA website:  C-REX launch

Here's another blog written by the best photographer in the group:   Leaf litter

The world's northernmost alternative newspaper icepeople

Almost walked into this guy, on the way to UNIS for lunch!  Sure wasn't afraid of us.

It can be kind of spooky, when you're walking in the dark and hear the "crunch, crunch, crunch" of something walking.  Always a relief to realize it's only a reindeer.

Turned in my Game of Svalbard game card and picked up my prize - a neck scarf with the logo of the game on it.  Entered the drawing for a trip for two to Svalbard (hopefully, in the summer).  I can now claim the title of "Queen of Svalbard"! 

25 November

Plan for today is to go back up the mountain to pack up our equipment then pick Miguel up from the airport.  A lot has happened in the two weeks we've been apart!

It only took us about an hour to pack up.  Crates labeled and ready to ship back to Andenes, to catch the slow boat home.  Successfully changed all the return tickets (before Rick left on vacation, thank goodness).  Having an excellent travel agent is priceless.  He's used to our crazy schedules, at this point.  We NEVER come back on the day our reservation is booked for :)

Charter flight is booked, to get our people and equipment back from Ny-Alesund on Thursday.  There's talk about coming back and launching from there, in a couple years, so it will be interesting to hear the details about the place.

Miguel arrived safely and spent the whole afternoon in a Skype telecon Mission Readiness Review for the Alaska launch, in January.  I guess it's good to be busy but sheesh.

We're wondering what we should do for Thanksgiving.  Can't recall seeing anything even vaguely turkey like, here.  Considering the fact that the stove only works for 30 minutes before shutting off, you'd sure have to be right there if you were cooking a turkey!

Christmas lights going up in town and decorations appearing in stores.  It's obviously a big deal here.

Just a couple days to tie up all the loose ends.  Looking forward to that 7:45 layover in Newark!

24 November

We had a successful launch, today!  Braved the icy roads and made it up the mountain.  Exciting to see clear skies and aurora then ten trails in the sky.  Everything worked perfectly, at all the camera sites.

Celebration dinner tonight at Huset, the fancy restaurant in town.

It's been a long day and it's only 3:00.

Here's an example of what we were photographing.  That's Jupiter, furthest left.

My afternoon has been spent trying to get airline tickets changed (two down, three to go), packing up the equipment that goes back on the NASA plane (since we will need it for the January Alaska launch), trying to get Barrett back from Ny-Alesund (flights are only on Monday and Friday and there's no room for his crates on Friday), and trying to stay awake.  If I take a small nap before dinner, I'll never wake up.

Had an amazing five course dinner at Huset. 

Came home and crashed.

23 November

Woke up this morning to a world covered in ice.  They put a little fine gravel on the roads but everywhere else was extremely treacherous.  It rained off and on all day and is very windy.  With the temperature dropping overnight, it will make for an interesting drive in the morning.  Wouldn't you just know that Monday is not only the first day of the launch window but also the best weather in the foreseeable future.  We'll get up that mountain, one way or another!

With icy walkways and high winds, I felt like an ice boat.  The wind would just slide me right off the side of the walkway.  Envied the natives with the ice cleats on their boots.  I actually have some....at home.  Right where I need them. 

So, lots of last minute instructions and strategizing.  We're about as ready as we can be.  Hope we launch and get some excellent pictures!