On 2 Oct 2007, I managed to enroll in one of the Sea Ice classes held during WinFly. The following photos were taken during the course. Most of the photos got pooled together, so I'm not sure who took many of the following photos.





The class was nine or ten people, and we used a single Hagglund to get off the station and out onto the ice. Photographer unknown.


The class teaches one to identify potentially dangerous cracks in the sea ice and to measure the thickness of the ice so as to determine what weight and type of vehicle can be driven across an ice crack or thin ice area. The person shown in the left of the above photo is drilling a hole through the ice, and the person at right is measuring the thickness of the ice. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


Our class was scheduled to take place the prior weekend, but severe weather necessitated a reschedule. The weather on the 2nd wasn't particularly cold or snowy, but the winds were gusting to 40 knots. Photographer unknown.


We took thickness readings on the Cape Evans road, and by the end of the class we were at Cape Evans. We then had the opportunity to drive a little further north, to get a closer view of Barnes Glacier. Photographer unknown.


Leaning backward into the wind in front of Barnes Glacier. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


While checking out the Barnes Glacier, someone spotted motion way off in the distance. We drove closer to find nine emperor penguins waddling in a line off in the distance. Photographer unknown.


We got out of the Hagglund and walked closer to the penguins, making our way between cracks in the sea ice. We stopped to watch, and the penguins saw us and turned our way. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


They made their way toward us, waddling or slidding on their bellies. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


The wind was cutting through our coats, and someone discovered that kneeling on the ice reduced the exposure to the wind. Soon we were all kneeling in line with the wind. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


The penguins continued to waddle our way. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


Waddling. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


Waddling. Photo by Branden Thorpe.


They finally stopped, and stod around checking us out.


Standing around. Photographer unknown.


Standing around. Photographer unknown.


Me and penguins. Life is good. Photo by Branden Thorpe.

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