story that is a topic in ever Happy Camper and refresher class nowadays.
There were flying snowmachines, 100 knot winds, and essential camp
failure. That team had a lot of bad luck working against them during
that storm which in the end left their camp half destroyed as ski-doos
flew like bingo wings through the air and grenades of volcanic rock were
aloft. That experience has given the Fosdicks a badass reputation,
though this season has been quite mellow.
Before she left Fawna told me her side of that story. Being the humble
and understated person that she is, Fawna's recollection was very
matter-of-fact, and made the storm seem quite a reasonable affair to
have experienced. The truth is that its hard to desribe the
freight-train sound the wind makes at gale force speeds as its beating
on a tent wall.
This morning we received a forecast for winds that should exceed 70
knots over the next few days. The forecaster called the storm system
"robust." All that said we have had a few forecasts for high winds this
season and nothing much has materialized. The weather forecasters in
Charleston are starting to sound a little like the boy who cried wolf.
This morning Brian, the forecaster I spoke with said, "I know it looks
good now where you are but it will change." Today was crystal clear blue
skies and no wind to speak of. We were digging in tshirts around camp.
As I write this it is 11:15 pm and everyone is tucked warmly into bed.
The barometer has been steadily dropping since dinner and the sky is
filling with high cirrus clouds. To the north and east the sky is
certainly darkening. There is no question that a storm will be upon us soon.
We are camped on the windward side of Mt. Lockhart, which we call
"Icefall Camp" on account of the massive icefall that occasionally
provides some frozen pyrotechnics. On the satellite image of our camp,
the glacier looks like a large soft marshmallow of snow, as compared
with the rough-hewn snow and ice surfaces that populate most of the
Fosdicks. We are hoping the wind here will be smooth rather than
turbulent. Our tents are anchored as well as they can be, camp is
fortified, and our Kindles are all charged up for the duration.
It should be another one of the "normal" Fosdicks storms and will
involve a few days of tent time. But who knows. It could end up like the
other storms of the season and be mild, or our camp location could be so
good (read: lucky) that we don't get too much wind at all. I think it
will be somewhere in the middle. Luckily we are behind on our booze
consumption and way ahead of schedule with geology work. Tomorrow is a
well deserved sleep-in which will be followed by pancake brunch and
bloody mary's.
We'll let you know how it all goes...stay tuned.
Danny
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