The first step is getting all the water out of the system. Once that is done, we can flush the pumps of glycol and coil the hoses. Our team will go through buildings to remove motors that are “DNF,” which stands for “Do Not Freeze.” Most of the buildings have been warmed over the summer so that we could work in them, but now they will go cold. Electrical equipment likes temperatures of -100F even less than we humans do. Those warm-loving pieces of equipment will be removed, packaged, and stored in heated boxes over the winter.
We will gather all of the drilling hoses and put them on reels. South Pole Overland Traverse #3 will take it back to McMurdo. This is another great example of the logistical support we receive from the station. All of the hoses used to move around the drill camp are coiled at the bottom of the water tanks. That was a very physically demanding job I helped out with. I was glad to have my thermos of tea in my pocket for a break.
We will be getting lots of help from the incredible support staff here. FleetOps is using the giant digger to fill in the junction boxes and haul away our buildings for winter storage. The electricians and carpenters on station are also helping break down and box up equipment. None of this season could have happened without support from waste removal to sort and organize our trash from the year. All these services will still be needed over winter, but far fewer people are here then. There were nine carpenters over summer and only two over winter; four waste sorters, we call wasties, will go down to one. Because a lot more community support is needed over winter to fill in job gaps, Camille and Alicia might help with bringing food into the station or taking trash out of the station.
