Antarctica 2010

After getting an initial briefing at base camp, we headed out to the mandatory checkpoint stop about a half-mile away. Our group had won the drawing the night before, so we were first on the helicopters and first on the ice. Turns out, it wasn't great to be the trailblazers... with no footsteps to follow, we had to carefully pick our way through the slush to the checkpoint. Just to get that far required a lot of effort. It was sunny, windless, and very warm (45 degrees). We gathered at the checkpoint, got further instructions, then began the long walk to the colony which you can see in the distance. Sami, David and I were the first to get going, so we were unaware of what transpired at the checkpoint moments after we left.... here's the story..... <br />
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We'd booked our trip through Cheeseman Ecology Safaris, a great family-run company located near our home. Ted Cheeseman accompanied his 19 travelers on the Snow Hill trip. Just the day before, he organized a get-together for his group so we could all meet each other. On adventures like this, the participants are a highly self-selected group, so it's always fun to hear everyone's stories. The Cheeseman group was no exception. Ted was with us at the checkpoint along with about 7 other members of his group. One of those, a single traveler who'd been on many trips with Ted, had been struggling in silence at least since leaving the helicopter nearly an hour earlier. His dream had been to go on this final KK trip to Snow Hill Island. He got to live his dream and to at least see the emperor colony before collapsing. His name was Rocky and he died a few minutes later.

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After getting an initial briefing at base camp, we headed out to the mandatory checkpoint stop about a half-mile away. Our group had won the drawing the night before, so we were first on the helicopters and first on the ice. Turns out, it wasn't great to be the trailblazers... with no footsteps to follow, we had to carefully pick our way through the slush to the checkpoint. Just to get that far required a lot of effort. It was sunny, windless, and very warm (45 degrees). We gathered at the checkpoint, got further instructions, then began the long walk to the colony which you can see in the distance. Sami, David and I were the first to get going, so we were unaware of what transpired at the checkpoint moments after we left.... here's the story.....

We'd booked our trip through Cheeseman Ecology Safaris, a great family-run company located near our home. Ted Cheeseman accompanied his 19 travelers on the Snow Hill trip. Just the day before, he organized a get-together for his group so we could all meet each other. On adventures like this, the participants are a highly self-selected group, so it's always fun to hear everyone's stories. The Cheeseman group was no exception. Ted was with us at the checkpoint along with about 7 other members of his group. One of those, a single traveler who'd been on many trips with Ted, had been struggling in silence at least since leaving the helicopter nearly an hour earlier. His dream had been to go on this final KK trip to Snow Hill Island. He got to live his dream and to at least see the emperor colony before collapsing. His name was Rocky and he died a few minutes later.

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