Today we awoke to a snow squall. The winds were blowing 40+ knots. It was snowing vertically and so hard it was difficult to see much beyond the ship. The wind chill was -18 degrees C and for the first time it felt like Antarctica should. Those of us who got up early to see the Neumeyer Straits were disappointed we could not see the scenery, but we enjoyed bragging about the snow and wind to our colleagues who slept late and missed it all.




At 12:30 we arrived at Palmer and relished another chance to walk on terra firma and enjoy the quiet. The weather quickly cleared and it became obvious that the glacier behind the station was significantly smaller than it had been during our last visit.




The folks at Palmer opened the gift shop for us. Some of the staff said we were more enthusiastic shoppers than the tourist boats. Most of us eagerly bought gifts for friends and family at home, as well as a few treats for ourselves (chocolate and drinks). The scientists and support staff invited us for a pizza dinner and party. There was music, dancing and a relaxing dip in the hot tub. We’ll post the pictures of the party tomorrow—now we’re ready for bed.






Position: 64 degrees 46.482 minutes South, 64 degrees 3.305 minutes West
Heading: Docked at Palmer Station
Air temp. 0.2 degrees C, Water temp. 1.954 degrees C