so i’m back from lake fryxell after spending a total of nine days there.  the solar panel is supported by an 8in diameter steel pipe only sunk 4 feet in to permafrost. the permafrost is almost as hard a concrete but its a lot harder to drill because as you drill you create heat which melts the tailings then as they move out of the hole they refreeze and make the bit stick.  the array is weighs close to two thousand pounds in all and is about 14 feet square.  it took about three days to drill the hole and only one day assemble the array.

me at canada glacier

canada glacier

canada glacier

fog over commonwealth glacier

commonwealth glacier

the finished solar array with a six foot ladder next to it

the array frame put together

the main pole for the solar panel

me cutting the main pole to final height

the pole after being cut

i went on a short trip to the Erebus Glacier ice tongue to see the ice caves. there was only one cave and wasn’t as impressive as people made it sound but it was still fun. we saw a few seals but no penguins.

we celebrated thanksgiving on saturday down here. they had tons of food. including turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pies, beef tenderloin, and king crab legs(18 in long). all of it all you can eat.