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Week Two Summary:
- Rain. Trekking to Base Camp.
- Four good days of fieldwork.
- Waiting for the helicopter.
7.19.1989
Spent all day trekking back and forth between the stream and our campsite, one trip there and back BEFORE breakfast, man. I was outvoted when I thought we should eat breakfast first. I was really out of it for that trip. I just said I was going to walk until I either got back to camp or I passed out, whichever came first. I made it but was pretty dizzy at the end. Had breakfast AT NOON and then made another trip. Finally all our stuff was together. So then we had LUNCH around 4PM and afterwards got all our gear ready for high tide, when we boated it to Miki's Hus, the next part-way spot on our trip to base camp. The plan we followed: (1) Dick, Me, and Jen in the boat with some gear to a midpoint spot. We chilled for a while there, built a fire, dried out our feet and socks. (2) Dick goes back for Jim and more gear, brings him to the midpoint to join us. (3) Dick goes back for John and Rob and the last of the gear, takes them all the way to Miki's Hus, and then Dick comes back for the three of us. When in the boat, I get to be the fuel pump (squeeze, rest, squeeze, etc.) Great grip! Then set up camp, eat dinner at ONE AM, go to sleep.
Our rubber boat with outboard motor, tooling around the North Atlantic.
7.20.1989
Today should have been our last day before reaching base camp by night (as if night exists here, it's always light), but it didn't work out that way. SUN and blue skies this morning finally, but it was foggy again by evening. Base camp is just across the glacier from here. The possible routes are either over the glacier by foot or around it by boat (out one fjord, a little time in the chilly north atlantic in an inflatable boat with an outboard motor, then back in the next fjord). Jen, Rob, Jim, and John hiked across the glacier (called Forbindelsesgletcher - Forbindels meaning "connecting", because it connects the two fjords) to get to Skaergaard, while Dick and I took the boat around (I'm the smallest so fit best with all the gear, I have that good grip for the fuel pump too...). The other group took 2 days worth of food supplies (Note from a few days later: Rob actually fucked it up and only brought one day's worth) just in case we couldn't get through the ice with the boat. Good idea, because we couldn't. It was quite amazing, chopping away at pack ice and ice floes in the north atlantic, sitting in a RUBBER BOAT. Since it was such a cold winter the ice is much thicker now than Dick expected it to be based on past experience. So we had to turn back. Spent all day in the boat -- I'll have the best forearm muscles in all of East Greenland -- and didn't go anywhere. Dick and I are back at Miki's Hus tonight and we'll walk across the glacier tomorrow, leaving most of our gear behind for a helicopter which is coming from Iceland in about four days. That's all for today, time to sleep.
7.21.1989
Hiked from Miki's Hus to base camp today, just Dick and I. Ugh, every single one of my muscles is sore as hell. Left at exactly noon after getting everything ready for the helicopter (all the gear in the boat, boat sitting up high above tide/storm level). My pack probably weighed 50lbs , because we brought lots of gear since we don't know exactly when we'll see the rest of our stuff (and the crew yesterday left with pretty light packs). First hiked up a rocky moraine for about 1.5 hours, ugh ugh. Then UP the steep side of the glacier for almost an hour, using crampons for the slick ice. Then down the long sloping side of the glacier for about three hours. Didn't need the crampons because the snow was knee-deep the whole way. Rather difficult to get through. My choices were either to walk in Dicks too-far-apart footprints (he's a foot taller than me) or forge my own way. I alternated. We'd go about 45 mins and then stop for a 15 minute rest. I'll finish writing this tomorrow, I'm too tired now.
The front edge of Forbindelsesglescher, as seen from an island in the fjord. Base camp is off to the right.
7.22.1989
First day in field. Compass set to 31° (0 in NE quadrant). Trough bands seem to have graded-bedding, grading from dark pyroxenes and opaques to light plagioclase, with a sharp break back to dark. Has olivine, brown translucent from Fe enrichment, weathers out. Pyroxenes can look bronzed from weathering. Opaques reflect silvery. Contains apatite Ca(P2O5)4F2
needles. Mostly plagioclase.
So yesterday continued ... we get to a spot on the glacier where we leave our packs, because we have to hike in the opposite direction from base camp to get the others. We find them (Yo dude! says Jim as he is taking a dump thinking nobody's around), and at the same time so does a Greenlander boat. Some rickety conversation ensues, since we don't speak either Danish or their native language, and they don't speak English. But they know where we want to go and offer to take us. But since Dick and I left our packs on the glacier, we can't go along. So the four others who have been sitting on their asses all day get a ride on the Greenlander's boat to base camp. And Dick had been saying all day how this was going to be the worst part of the trek. Ugh. Needless to say, I was green with envy. So we start hiking again, and finally get to base camp - after much slipping on my part. Dick barely noticed because he was up ahead and (I learned) deaf in one ear. So as I was yelping behind him, slipping and looking down at the rocks and then the icy fjord below, he was just moseying along. Muscles are sore and feet are soaked (as usual). Jen sets up my tent for me and I sit around like an invalid all evening. Ah. Slept well but had a bad dream about this guy taking my car (with me in it) driving about 1100 mph through Chicago looking for Satan. I saved myself by pushing him out of the car, putting on the cruise control for 55, and playing the 10,000 Maniacs on the tape deck. Oh, during one of our 15 minute rest stops on the glacier I fell asleep and dreamed I was trying to hail a taxi but the driver wouldn't let me in because I was covered in snow. It turns out our hike was harder than the other crew had because we went through the middle of the glacier where the snow was deep but they went along the edge where there was much less snow. However at the edge there is more danger of crevasses, so they all roped together. Rob actually fell a little way into one crevasse but apparently got out okay. I think it's better that Dick chose the middle of the glacier for our route, because for two people so different in size to rope together doesn't make a lot of sense; if he falls in first (and he would, being in the lead), he would just pull me after him. So his plan was actually the safest, though definitely the most tiring.
Now up to today. Got up late, SWEATING to DEATH, sun beating down on my tent, inside my hollofil -40° rated sleeping bag. It's always either too cold (usually) or too hot, never exactly comfortable. Looked at rocks for the 1st time all trip. Saw trough bands E-K, will start sampling them tomorrow. I've been told we have to get the sampling done before Canadian Neil Irvine (as in Irvine & Baragar Igneous Rock Classification!) shows up. Bored in afternoon so went to the Greenlander's camp. What a stinking pigsty. Rotting animal flesh all around, left over from the winter when stuff is just tossed outside. Gave the kids peppermint candy and the adults showed us things to buy, but we didn't have any money. Nobody spoke each other's language so we just did a lot of standing around and smiling. I was very uncomfortable. We hiked back to camp and later two Greenlander girls (Kista, 21, and Thomasine, 17) came over. Their mother Viola wanted to invite us to coffee the next day. I had sworn I'd never go back but I guess I am tomorrow. Kista gave Jen a beaded necklace and Thomasine gave me a seal-skin bag. They had made both themselves. They spoke a little English. Tried to talk on the radio to Sødalen. Bob told us we should recharge our batteries - HA! We're doing without our large antenna for right now.
1989 Greenland Expedition Quotes, thus far:
(1) "And it's good for you too!"
(2) "Yo-Dudes!"
(3) "Thickens upon standing" (our noodles)
(4) "May I suggest you charge up your batteries?"
(5) "It's a greener!" (Rob)
(6) "Snotnose."
(7) "You're fucking crazy."
7.23.1989
Went out this morning and took five oriented samples from trough band G. Started raining in the middle, so our marker lines on the rocks are sort of faded.
Trough G, taking oriented samples. Sample must be clearly IN PLACE (not shifted from original position at all). Get as many horizontal lines on it as possible, using level. Put dip marker consistently on the up side. Also put an orienting line on rock.
RS1-RS5 are from first band: thick, mafic, and long.
RS1: Oriented to hanging cape with small line along top of sample. Three horizontal lines with dip marked on the up side.
Strike 315°, Dip 58°SW. layer sample is from one of the most prominent ones, >3-4 inches wide at thinnest, and runs almost whole length of trough. Other bands truncate along this one. Bearing, 233° away from North, marked on sample. 8cm. thick, top is exposed so erosion possible.
RS2: From margin of trough band. 2 horizontal lines on surface with dips marked UP. Direction line points to Hanging Cape and bearing is 140° from North. 8.3 meters distance between RS1 & RS2. From same layer: Strike 316°, Dip 40° S. 12 cm. thick, difficult to measure.
RS3: From nearer to middle of trough band. Direction towards Hanging Cape, bearing of 240°. From layer below. Strike 83°, Dip 19° SE. 4.9 meters from RS1 to RS3. 11 cm. thick.
RS4: Directed to Hanging Cape, bearing 135°. Strike 7°, Dip 18° E. 5 meters from RS3 to RS4. 12 cm. thick.
RS5: Directed to Hanging Cape, bearing of 80°. Nowhere to take a strike and dip. 4.7 meters from RS4 to RS5, becoming more diffuse as you go OUT along the band. 13 cm thick.
Sample locations drawn, marked on map, photo taken.
Later. came back to base came for lunch around 2:30. Still raining so I spent all afternoon in the tent sleeping and reading. We're supposed to go to the Greenlander's camp for coffee today but I don't know if we are. It's 8PM already and radio time is 10. Hope our batteries are okay. GOD DO I NEED A WASH!! This morning was woken up by John yelling "Water's hot!", boy did Jim give him grief for getting us up before Dick got up, but I think he apologized later.
Quotes continued:
(8) "Water's hot!"
(9) "Ho-dee-do, ho-dee-do, ho-dee-do"
(10) "Are you a tourist here?" -- helicopter pilot. hee-hee, ha-ha, ho-ho...
Washed my hair finally, it's still wet so I can't tell if it's actually clean. The washing wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, my hands froze more than my scalp. Time for bed.
7.24.1989
Went and visited the Greenlanders again today, was reluctant to go, but now I'm glad I did. Their house (the one we saw) was very clean inside. We took off our shoes before we went inside, as is the usual custom. What a drastic difference from outside to inside! It was also warm inside, heated by the burning of seal fat, but it didn't smell at all like I had thought it might (like it does outside). We had coffee in ceramic cups, with sugar. The sugar was in a bowl on the center of the table, probably all the sugar they had in camp (John spilled some!). The coffee was in a thermos and it was very good even though I don't like coffee much. They also gave us Danish shortbread cookies - surprised they had them still after the whole winter. Exchanged pictures, drew maps, exchanged addresses. We got Kista's and Thomasine's addresses in Angmagssalik so we can write to them there. They were surprised that I wrote with my left hand. After we left we did some field work in the afternoon and Thomasine came and watched, probably was wondering what the hell we were doing lying on the ground drawing lines on the rocks and banging them into oblivion with our hammers. Before we left she gave Dick a pair of seal-skin slippers for Skye (his daughter) but he'll give them to Sterling (his son) who they will fit better. He had been talking about his kids during coffee. I'm growing to like these people. Despite the exterior mess they live in, they are civilized and friendly.
MY FEET ARE FREEZING, as usual. I think I'm going to have to resign myself to having cold feet for the next month. Got through on the radio today, informed Sødalen we have VERY LITTLE food left and we'd like a helicopter to bring us some tomorrow if possible. Platinova's copter is out of service with a busted windshield until Wednesday, but hopefully Greenland's Air Service helicopter can stop by with some food. Would be nice so we don't have to hike back across Forbindelsesgletcher, wasting precious geology time. Well that's all for today, need to learn to do sightings!!
Trough G again.
RS6: From thinner bands, alternating felsic and mafic layers. Sighting to point 44 on Skaergaard Peninsula (SP-44). Bearing of 316°. From top to bottom: (1) mafic layer, 1.5 cm (2) felsic layer 1.0 cm (3) mafic layer 1.5 cm. Sample from left flank of trough as you're looking at it. RS6 is directly above RS3. Band 2 is 75 cm above band 1 (bottom of top band to top of bottom band).
RS7: (In three pieces) From right side of trough as you're looking at it. 2 horizontal lines, one bearing 40°. bands, from top to bottom: (1) mafic 1.5 cm (2) felsic 2.0 cm (3) mafic 1.5 cm. On right end of trough there is 85 cm between the two sample bands.
RS8: Sighting to the narrowest point (notch) on Skaergaard Peninsula (SPN). Sample from bottom of trough. Bearing of 146°.
RS9: From far right end of trough. Sighted to narrowest point on Skaergaard Peninsula (SPN). Bearing of 72°.
RS10: From far left side of trough band. Bearing of 326°. Sighted to SPN.
Trough E
RS11: Center of band. Bearing marked 31° is backwards, should be 211°. Two horizontal lines. Rock sample has two extra pieces if needed. Sighting to farther point on Ivnarmiut (I17). Sample contains whole band. On top of layer, strike 245°, dip 8° SE, 5cm thick.
RS12: left limb of trough band, two horizontal lines, one bearing 204° sighted to I17. 3cm thick.
RS13: bearing of 128°, sighted to I17. 2cm thick.
RS12/13: took Strike/Dip measurements between two sites, only available spot. Strike 287°, Dip 36° SE.
On trough E can see large surface of a band. Seems like plagioclase crystals might have a slight lineation in the direction of a "flow".
RS14: Bearing 110°, sighted to Wager's Memorial (WM), highest point on Skaergaard Peninsula. Strike 112°, Dip 46° SW, 4 cm. thick.
RS15: Bearing 287°, sighted to WM. Black arrow is wrong, red arrow is correct. Strike 80°, Dip 21° SE, 3 cm. thick.
RS16: Bearing 120°, sighted to WM. Strike 295° (nearly horizontal), Dip 42° SW, 1.5 cm. thick.
7.25.1989
Back at Trough E, taking one more sample from the lower band. Seems the axis of the trough is somewhat curving. About 10 ft between upper and lowers bands sampled in trough E.
RS17: Bearing of 273°, sighted to Wager's Memorial. Sample is in three pieces. Strike 304°, Dip 35° SW, Thickness 3.5cm.
Tend to be more sulfides in troughs than other places. Malachite staining.
RS18: Sample from ferrogabbro just to right of Trough E. Sighted to pt 1280, bearing of 337°.
RS19: Sample from ferrogabbro just to left of Trough E. Sighted to Wager's Memorial. Bearing of 127°.
Trough K - seems to have more copper and less apatite than the others.
RS20: Sighted to Hanging Cape, bearing of 317°. Sample is in two pieces. Dark mafic band, seems to have grading upwards to lighter more plag-rich rock. Put a B on bottom of the bottom piece. From right flank of trough band. Strike 57°, Dip 21° SE, Thickness 2 cm.
RS21: Sighted to Hanging Cape (HC), 2 horizontal lines, one bearing of 111°, from left flank of trough band. Strike 74°, Dip 24° SE, Thickness 1.5cm.
RS22(A - lower piece): Bearing of 108°, sighted to Hanging Cape. Strike 91° (E-W), Dip 28° S, thickness 2.2cm. Two pieces, both oriented, from axis of trough band. Bearing on 2nd piece (RS22B - upper piece) 110°.
RS23: From left flank of trough, sighted to Hanging Cape. Bearing of 260°, two horizontal lines. Strike 103°, Dip 27° SW, Thickness 2cm.
RS24: Sighted to Hanging Cape, bearing of 94°. Lots of copper staining on crack surfaces. Sample contains mafic layer as well as grading to lighter upwards. Strike 81°, Dip 22° SE, Thickness 2cm.
RS25: From ferrogabbro on right side of Trough K, at about same level as Trough Band previously sampled. Sighted to Hanging Cape, bearing of 120°.
RS26: From ferrogabbro to right of Trough G. Sighted to Hanging Cape, bearing of 255°. Two horizontal lines.
Somewhat difficult to measure thicknesses because of the grading upwards, tough to find boundary.
Well -my- field work is mostly done, thanks to the help of everyone else and the absence of the helicopter. We need the helicopter to bring the boat so we can get to the field sites that are not walkable. All I need to do is measure Troughs K and E. We've been expecting a helicopter to come any day, especially today since it's been beautifully sunny for a change. But no helicopter and our food supply is rapidly dwindling. One should come tomorrow at the latest. Hopefully in the MORNING so we can have breakfast. We'll talk to Bob on the radio tonight and find out what's what. Kent Brooks and a field student are also expected out on the helicopter. Neil Irvine is expected in a week or so. 24 days until we get back to Sødalen. The days are passing fairly quickly and its nice here now that it's sunny. I hope it stays this way. Did laundry in a melt pool this evening so at least I have clean underwear and a semi-clean shirt. I wonder how long it'll take them to dry. And I'm running out of chapstick because I keep putting it on my nose and ears to keep them from burning since my sunscreen is at Miki's with EVERYTHING ELSE I OWN. I wish that helicopter would get here soon.
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Well, no helicopter today. We had tea and lunch stuff for dinner. Kista and Thomasine came to visit this evening... "talked" about school and our ages. They were surprised that I'm 20. At one point they pointed to me hands and my face and said (in perfect English) "beautiful". What a compliment. I don't quite understand about the hands though, perhaps because I'm so pale (not my face anymore though). They're leaving for Angmagssalik on August 5, 13 days before us!! Two little kids also followed them over, so we played Tag and some games, one similar to London Bridge and one like Blindman's Bluff. Then the radio wasn't working at all, so we don't even know if a helicopter's coming tomorrow WITH FOOD. Hopefully in the morning. Jen and I volunteered to hike back to Miki's Hus to get food if we need to. Ugh. But Jen needs her Fig Newtons and I need other various supplies. Tried kippers for dinner tonight, much better than I had expected. Now I'm curious to try my sardines. Boy are my ears sore.
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