Snow Management

With only 2 weeks of our winter season left, work has begun in earnest to ready the base for the return of the first plane, bringing with it the first summer personnel.
The Dash 7 is estimated to land on October 9th 2017 marking the start of the Rothera summer season.
The work needed to be done is by no means a walk in the park with every department not only fighting against the clock to get their work areas ready for summer, but also the weather. The high winds, freezing temperatures and the major snow fall we have experienced over the last couple of weeks has made it almost impossible to walk from building to building, let alone carry or move equipment and supplies, with the biggest problem being snow management.
With the weather having calmed down within the last couple of days has meant that the vehicle mechanics and operators have been able to get out to start clearing the runway, while others have been busy digging out doorways and creating paths, steps and tunnels through the snow and drifts to give access and safe passage to and from buildings. With snow clearing now in full swing we have to be very careful where we walk as some drops are 5 feet or more.

The view from my window today is very picturesque, a beautiful sunny day with everything covered in a blanket of fresh pristeen snow and the snow blowers working hard to clear the runway.

the snow blower hard at work, driven by Mabell (Matt Bell)

These next photos will give an idea of what it has been like on base with the weather and just getting out and about. Most of the pictures were taken in nice weather as the bad weather shots did not turn out very well, but you will get the picture ! They are in no particular order, just nice pictures of snow accumulation and clearing taken over the last couple of weeks.

My walk back home after watching a film in the big tv room

lots of snow falling

Walking across for dinner, still snowing and gusting approx 30 knots

Bradders and Jen Doc having to negotiate a steep mound of snow

to get onto the foot bridge

Another night of strong winds and more snow, gusting up to 65 knots

Looking back at the route taken to get back to my pit room. 

You know you have to dress well to get to work when you can

just see people walking past your window with shovels

Very blowy with flags marking danger points

Still more snow and very windy

Snow now almost covering buildings

Bradders, one of our field guides, checking on the skidoos

Fuchs House and Admirals building in bad contrast with just 

enough exposed to be able to make your way home.

Red flags marking the doorway to Admirals

A real blustery day and Ben Robinson fighting his way from the 

Bonner Lab south station, to NBH for lunch. with 65 knot winds

temperatures of minus 30 C, bad contrast and zero visibility, it's

a good job Ben knows the general direction to the dining room.

This photo donated by Ben 

The footbridge to NBH, with snow now deeper than the hand rails

The snow is rising at the back of NBH too, with no access to 

ground level from the kitchen

Fuchs House with a path to the door

Admirals middle door has access once more, with a lot of digging 

having taken place. A good job by all involved!

With steps cut into the ice 

View from my window looking north at twilight

View from my window looking south at the lovely sunsets 

starting to appear

View looking over Admirals at the clouds over Reptile Ridge

Steps cut into the snow giving access from the footbridge of NBH

Denzel operating the excavator to dig out the north of Admirals  

I don't think i will use this exit

Or this one!

When the wind stopped blowing and the snow stopped falling. I was lucky enough to be on a day off with glorious sunshine and very little cloud, so i took the opportunity of getting out and about and just wandering around base to see what snow had accumulated, being very aware that i could at any given time sink into a drift or a deep hole. Therefore, with radio fully charged and on my person, warm clothing as it was still minus 20+ and my camera in hand i ventured out. The next few pics are of the base practically under snow.

Ben Keitch our Electronics Engineer checking wires and cables 

for damage

The chippy shed

Just the tower above the snow

Mucky, one of the plumbers checking for damage

Rio off to the Genny shed

Wind scoop around the garage

Maz our Meteorologist walking the same height as the roof of fuchs

At least we can still see the drums

Outside my window

Admirals north door stopped from getting buried by wind scoop

Icy railings

in the windscoop looking towards NBH

Looking out to the icebergs 

Great sculptures 

The tower above a snow drift

Tunnel dug out by Joe in order to get to his room

South end of Admirals

Looking towards the Bonner, south station with Jenny Island 

in the background 

View from NBH looking north at the bergs and mountains

Slippery slope to the footbridge

Fuchs House and Admirals building on a clearer day

Red flags mark the hand rails 

Jen Doc digging out the Incinerator

Having to move a lot of snow in order to burn our waste

Once the digging is done, her work can begin

Will moving snow with the JCB and bucket

I love the ice cliffs in this light, the sun brings out different colours

and makes them glisten

View of NBH with the sun behind it

The seven Dwarfs off to work, many hands make light work

and if you are going that way, take a bin or some rubbish

to the span

Ben bringing up the rear

So good to see everyone helping

Will and Denzel, discussing where they need to cut the road,

making sure they don't hit the railings 

The first weddell seal of the season, basking on the ice edge

Amazing clouds that look like the mountains

This was a walk around the point with Theresa our Dive officer

Beautiful day with snow covering the sea ice

A bit more cloud in the sky, which give the mountains a different look

Sea Ice surrounded by pools of water which melts the snow 

Impressive Iceberg

Two shadows on ice as we walk round the point

Nice and sunny today but still very cold with the temperature 

at minus 28 C. My beard has frozen

But not as frozen Zac the boatman's beard when he went on his winter trip.

This photo was taken by Steve Windross field guide and was

put on the info screen as photo of the day and titled, 

"Santa on his winter trip"

Theresa on our walk round the point

Nice day for a cup of tea on the balcony

So with most of the doorways on base dug out, roads and pathways cleared to most buildings, the next biggest job for the vehicle mechs and operators is the clearing of the runway. This started a couple of days ago and has been quite a challenge for the guys as the snow on the runway has to be 4/5 feet deep and probably more on the apron to the hangar. It has been slow going for the snow blower, but little by little they have made steady progress and are well on the way to having it cleared.

This was Taken from the kitchen and i watched Will all day 

going back and forth clearing the north side of the runway

stopping only for lunch and to refuel. Then working late to 

take advantage of the good weather and the wind blowing in 

the right direction

The next day (Saturday) mabell took the snow blower out to work on the south side of the runway

Mabell at the controls

A quick hello

Then into Fuchs House to collect some flags

The flags are to mark along the runway

Once the flags are secured, it's on with the job in hand

Making his way to the runway

Denzel pushing snow off the apron

Three vehicles in operation, the Excavator, Bulldozer and JCB

While the snow blower starts on the south runway

View from my pit room

It shouldn't be too long now before the runway is clear, giving a suitable landing strip for the Dash 7. Hopefully the weather won't hamper things too much and the runway can be kept in good condition.

We are all looking forward to the first plane in 2 weeks, not necessarily to see more people but hopefully to have a fresh supply of fruit and salad, I can almost taste it!