September 23, 1975: Tuesday

We put all the non-essential gear into 504, decide to set up a tent at the drill site and sit around for twelve hours. Have a bit of a problem getting the snowtrack started. We had to heat up the engine with a little Primus stove, and even more of a problem wedging six people and equipment into it. Halfway across the Point, we incur another flat tire. We get out (at last). Oh, our aching bodies, tortured from pretzel positions. We walk back while Dave Hope drives the snowtrack. Finally the tire and tube fall off the rim. We abandon it and walk back to the hut. We fetch some rope and a box (in case we have to carry the generator back to get 504 started). We wind the rope around the rim so it doesn’t jump the track. The rope unravels. They tighten the track by hand and very slowly it returns to camp. We plug the generator in, to heat up 504. We try to start it. No luck. It’s late and we’ll try to start it in the morning.

We eat “hoosh,” which is a bunch of junk thrown into the pot by Dave. Mostly lerps with some stuff from the Kiwi’s food box. We learn some Kiwi things, like “cake of chocolate,” “biscuit” for “cookie,” “torch” for “flashlight,” “ta” for “thanks,” and “doovery” for “doohickey.” I start to read The Cornerstone by Zoe Ouldenbourg, a French novel about the Middle Ages. It’s interesting. About the old double standard between men-women and noble-peasant.

We talk about school systems. Dr. Treves has tenure. It becomes a stock phrase. Also we have to keep our options open. One of these is to forget about the hole and go home tomorrow to return some time later, with only four people. Dave and I will stay home. I feel put down, confused, like I provide no useable help out here. I must find out if it’s true. But then, I’ll be in charge of the lab. Have to put up our short-wave radio that Chief Penafeather is going to give us.

Sam stays up all night to watch over the generator. I take the alarm clock to bed to relieve him at 4:00 a.m. He decides to stay up.