November 22, 1975: Saturday

Up to the lab early. Trying to line up gear to go out to 1A for two days.

Vince the monitor is very paranoid about his piston corer.

Peter, Bob, Kathy, Bio-Mike and I go out to test the eight-inch drill. Have to find a new bit for it. Works pretty good.

Load things for helo flights, eat a quick lunch, and go to the helo pad. Dr. Treves reads us the Press Release.

Follow Dr. Treves around. Heard Bachman-Turner Overdrive in the Ship’s Store. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Then Kathy and I realize we have to get ready to go at six.

We have a problem. Peter thinks he’s the boss. But he’s not going out, which is impractical. Vince wants things done his way, which is also impossible. Bio-Mike knows the most about the equipment. Dr. Treves tells him to be in charge, but he’s not very authoritative.

I cannot give orders. No one pays attention to me. And it gives me pains to think everyone is going off in all directions, when I know good and well that we can’t possibly do everything.

Kathy was griping because I carried something heavy instead of her. I told her to go get her things for the trip because I thought she said she wanted time to round things up. But Peter insinuated I meant that girls always take longer to get ready.

I think I’ve found something important here.

Well, I cut plastic tubes to fit the core.

And Bio-Mike rounds up miscellany.

We leave. Dr. Treves tells us to be careful and have Mike Wing accompany us for safety. Cal got really mad when I asked him to tell Dr. Treves to call the helo hangar. Katsu told me, but I didn’t have time, so I asked Cal, who got really mad. Didn’t say anything, just growled and left the table by telling Nartsiss he was sorry he couldn’t continue the conversation.

I think that was the low point today. My own psychological inadequacies piling up to unnerve me. Sometimes I wonder why.

Rich Sluys flies us up over the Earth Science Lab and around Observation Hill.

After we get to 1A we unload, load some stuff for Leon, and gather together our oceanographic equipment. Kathy and I do ice deflection. It’s up almost an inch and one half.

I misunderstand Kathy’s oceanographic methods.

So it’s up and away, down to SW 2. That’s about 0.9 Power Wagon Miles (PWM), our new unit of measurement. One tenth of a PWM is a Thingie.

She sets up a line towards the Ferrar Valley Extension. We’re supposed to go out two kilometers. She’ll keep us on line by radio contact and measure the distance with the ski-doo and a measuring wheel.

In the middle is a huge pressure ridge. About this time Dr. Treves calls for ice deflections. It’s a bit of a hassle. We get over the ridge. Two kilometers is almost on the Tractor Train Road.

We drill the hole and lower the weight and cable. After 360 meters we realize we’ve gone too far. They pull some of it up by hand. We winch it in when we come across a kinky coil.

Kathy and Bob spend half an hour trying to determine where the bottom is. Mike Wing sits in the truck and reads the paper. After they discover bottom, we break the cord on the winch and have to raise it by hand, reeling the bar on the back of 590.

This Ferrar business is Peter’s idea. Just in case we drill next year. Well, I’m not working for DVDP 76-77, yet. And I don’t really feel like doing their work, if it ever gets off the ground. I guess I’m in a sour mood.

I drive the ski-doo flat out, as fast and hard as it will go, brief case across my knees, hat in hand, wind against my face, fingers cold, releasing tension through speed and noise.

I do some spins by the Jamesways and roll the ski-doo. I needed that. Gupwell and Max chew me out about the noise. I don’t really care.

Walk over to the seal hole with Kathy. She says for me to get some sleep. So does Bio-Mike. I explain I don’t like the idea of people working while I don’t. She says that I remind her of herself so much, it’s not funny.

We reach the Jamesways again, so I’m not able to comprehend that enigmatic statement.