2013 Happy New Years!

Happy New Years from the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica!
Last night I quietly rang in the New Year with a small group of friends, sitting along the western face of the Canada glacier. As the clock hit midnight there were no fireworks, no loud music, no screaming crowds, just the steady sound of water tricking off the glacier. I couldn’t think of a better way to look back and be grateful what 2012 brought me, and to look forward to the good times of 2013.
We have officially hit summer here in the Dry Valleys. On clear sunny days, the weather does not drop below freezing and can even get as high as 45 – 50 F! It is pretty unbelievable that I am experiencing warmer weather than my friends and family back home in the north eastern continental United States. I assure you that this is not exactly Florida, but the warm weather is very welcome following a very cold November.
Along with the warm sunny weather comes stream flow! Nearly all of the streams in the Dry Valleys have been faithfully and predictably flowing, which makes for looong, but stimulating work days. I’m sorry for not posting as often as I’d like, here on my blog. Unfortunately, this writing is not very high on the priority list, behind field work, data analysis, and more academic writing. I hope you can understand.
I hope everyone out there was able to enjoy a safe and happy holiday season, close to friends and family. It’s pretty rough being so far away from home during the holiday season, but I assure you I had a nice enough time here in the Dry Valleys.
Best wishes,
Adam
Helo inbound over Rae’s Ridge. Lake Hoare Camp, Antarctica