special note

Sunday February 1 I board the Laurence M. Gould for the long voyage north. Posting from the icebreaker is pretty unlikely, but faithful visitors can expect the days to be filled in once I'm on land again.

The "birders" use my favorite notebook in a more typical way.

Kirstie records bill length and body weight of Giant Petrel chicks on Humbolt Island.

a last field drawing before packing up to board the icebreaker and head north

ice bit stranded at the Old Palmer channel

Another descent into a crevasse, this one with long vertical ribs running down a chasm which fell away maybe 50 ft into ever deepening blue. Such a different light from the previous one, and the small icicles at the top glistened crisply.

glacier face

point 8

marble may be more accurate than plaid

We went down into a crevasse on the glacier today.

It was a stunning space ribbed with brilliant blue icicles raining down so much water that it was like being in a shower. The "Rite in the Rain" notebook held up, although it is rather buckled now. No sketch could capture that place, certainly not made hanging from a harness while pelted by water.

sometimes the layers of ice make the most amazing stripes

glacier plaid from Old Palmer,

a place that's always got something to offer

and

a new tack on lichen plaid

still working on lichen plaid, but coming up with boiled wool

small rocks blown by the wind land on the glacier, warm up in the sun, and melt tunnels down into the ice

as fresh cracks appear on the glacier behind Palmer Station, the flags demarcating the safe hiking area have been moved 

crenellations atop Marr Piedmont

back to Breaker Island

my favorite place for lichen plaid

birds that live on cliffs lay eggs which are more pointed on one end

these eggs roll in tighter circles

Skua egg, Bonaparte Point

searching for icebergs yesterday in fine weather

stranded off Old Palmer

lichen plaid

Breaker Island

a day of bergy bits in the brilliant sunshine

a day of glacier plaid

quick berg in the rain

Mt William from Jacobs Island

Rock drawing with penguin.

The snow,  mist, brume, spray, rain, drizzle, and fog cleared up long enough to break out the water colors.

shortcut to plaid

Wrestling with glacier plaid.

Glacier face at Sheathbill Cove, Old Palmer Island.

Rocks on Torgersen Island.

Brash ice in Arthur Harbor.

Arthur Harbor

From the "Rite-in-the-Rain" all weather notebook.

Brash ice.

A day on the water learning boating skills and knot tying.

A hike up the Marr Ice Piedmont - the foothill of the Marr Glacier - which sits directly behind the Station.

The ship has arrived in the early morning hours at Palmer Station. We wait offshore until docking can begin at 7:30.

Smith Island rises from the twilight sea like a mirage, marking the end of The Drake.

From the bridge.

We spend 2 days in the Drake Passage.