Paradise Bay, Antarctica, Nov. 13, 2011

Tony Crocker

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I'm in a different group today with guide Dan and Greg from Philly and Brian, a snowboarder (splitboard on this trip) from Calgary. The guides have a more complex job here forming groups than on cat/heli trips. Ski ability is likely secondary to climbing ability and fitness and in some cases those abilities are divergent.

We're finally on mainland Antarctica, with a landing at an abandoned Argentine station about 2PM. The Gentoo penguin colony is huge and worthy of some attention before we start skinning.
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Many are swimming.
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We especially enjoyed what someone called "Penguin D-Day" as numerous Gentoos came out of the water at the same time “storming the beach.”
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While skinning up we have a view of the ship and mountains reflected in the bay.
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Soon we passed Liz’ new group.
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Then we see some people who started ahead of us skiing down.
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We stop at the base of a rock about 1,100 feet up and see another group ascending toward the same spot.
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Brian snowboarding.
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We started at the base of the most prominent rock at upper left. The snow was “cream cheese” powder and skied very nicely as long as you avoided prior skiers’ tracks. After we hit the flats, we put skins back on and ascended a short ridge at looker’s right. While ascending, Andrew McLean’s group came by skiing from higher up. Nice tracks from a snowboarder in his group.
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Greg skiing on the ridge.
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The ridge rolled over into a steeper line but skiing was a bit tricky as that area had been heavily tracked. We cruised down the more mellow slope toward the landing. Total vertical 1,480 feet. Brian, Dan and Greg.
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Skiing just above a line of marching penguins.
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Just one word:

AFRICA!!!!

You gotta go...I know we are not driven by the same means and experiences on our ski destinations, but you're only missing one continent and you just did the hardest. (no sand boarding doesn't count, if it did you would have to add two month to my streak (sand and grass).

Looking forward for the rest of your TRs. Someone from TGR was also on the trip, but he didn't really post anything yet, but started the thread.

Congrats... =D> =D> =D>
 
2 guys on the cruise were more ambitious; ski 7 continents in 10 days!
http://ski710.blogspot.com/

I expect to get Africa sometime but it won't be a tail wag the dog situation given the marginal quality. I may have other reasons to be in Spain or South Africa at the appropriate time of year; if so I'll go for it. That's the way it worked for me with Australia in 1997.
 
Tony Crocker":1sdto5vs said:
2 guys on the cruise were more ambitious; ski 7 continents in 10 days!
http://ski710.blogspot.com/

How that is really impressive. Skiing for me is a variety of experiences. From scrapping to amazing days, it makes the skier that I am appreciate the good, the bad and the ugly. Working different skills; physical, psychological and emotional. O:)

Tony Crocker":1sdto5vs said:
I expect to get Africa sometime but it won't be a tail wag the dog situation given the marginal quality. I may have other reasons to be in Spain or South Africa at the appropriate time of year; if so I'll go for it.

Talking about dogs, the 2 guys from Ski7/10...hitting the East this weekend to notch North America...iiisssshhhh. Unless there is solid precipitation elsewhere, it risks being a wet one on very limited terrain on the last weekend of No Snovember. At least I'm not flying and probably going for a day trip.

http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/november/

Oh yeah, all the snow that fell on the early hours of Wednesday is virtually gone. The two beautiful snowman that my youngest daughter and I built Wednesday night was only a lump of snow this morning.

Today: Cloudy. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud near noon. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h early this morning. High 10.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Becoming cloudy after midnight. Wind southwest 20 km/h becoming light early this evening. Low plus 5.
Saturday: Cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers. High 10.
Sunday: Showers. Low plus 5. High 12.
Monday: Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low 6. High 8.
Tuesday: Rain. Low plus 3. High 12. WednesdayCloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 1. High plus 1. Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 4. High plus 1.

Normal temps for Ottawa are High +4C and Low -1.4C.

The worst part of this forecast, is that I hear some people are happy about it.
 
Great photos, Tony. Where is Warren Miller when you need him?

You sure didn't miss much in the Sierras. :-({|=
 
skibum4ever":2v8yv2ph said:
Where is Warren Miller when you need him?
A Warren Miller Entertainment crew was on the first Ice Axe cruise in 2009. There's a segment from that trip in the fall 2010 feature which was screened on the ship.
 
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