We finally arrived at Summit Station around 5:00 PM yesterday (5/14). Weather concerns at both the Kanger and Summit airstrips kept us grounded for two extra days. Conditions must be optimal to land and take off again on Summit’s snow runway and bringing cargo planes into the station is a complicated affair.
Our arrival brought the local population to 31. There can be as many as 60 people on site at any one time during the summer, but in winter, the station is usually occupied by 6 people. The first hour or so was busy, but cautious. Safety at a high altitude, remote field station is the first priority. The paramedic took down our vitals and urged us to take it easy, drink lots of water, and watch each other for signs of altitude sickness.
We ate dinner and settled in to our sleeping quarters. Most people on the station in summer (including me) stay in tents called Arctic Ovens. Arctic Ovens act like greenhouses during the day, rising to temperatures exceeding 60 F. Even though the sun does not set at this time of year and at this latitude, it is low on the horizon during the “night” and temperatures drop considerably. The nighttime low was -22 F last night and without the more direct influence of the mid-day sun, the tents lose there heat rapidly. A good sleeping bag is one of the most important thing you have on site!
Today we spent our time organizing our science gear. We are also working with the construction crew who is building our new facility to make the particular modifications so that it can house the instruments (holes in the roof for instrument ports, workbenches, added structural support, etc.). Early next week we will begin moving the larger instruments in. Then we will concentrate on the more detailed work, such as networking the computers to a central workstation.
We have other responsibilities at Summit besides science. The station is an isolated community and must work together to keep in running order. Everyone pulls there weight with the responsibilities in the common quarters (dish washing, cleaning, shoveling, etc.). Though everyone pitches in whenever they can, each day a particular person is assigned “house mouse” duties. It’s a day off from their non-essential normal duties, where they lead in the house chores. It is my turn on Monday.
Before I end today, I thought I’d give you an idea of the general layout of the station. There are a number of buildings on the site including “The Green House” (long term and winter crew quarters), “tent city” (the Arctic Ovens), a workshop, “The Big House” (kitchen, dining, and common room), a workout room, and a couple small science facilities. These buildings sit in about a thousand foot radius just southeast of a three mile snow airstrip which is used by the C-130s and sometimes Twin Otters to ferry crew and cargo between Kanger and Summit.
If you would like to learn more about the station or check current conditions you can visit: www.summitcamp.org
The Big House
An Arctic Oven with a sense of humor.