tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22354423368277934772024-12-18T19:19:43.670-08:00Adminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14558741839760748594noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-44117655083214404012011-03-24T11:05:00.000-07:002011-03-24T11:57:42.893-07:00We reached land safely on March 18 after having gone back across the infamous Drake Passage, around the treacherous Cape Horn, and back up the Beagle Channel. Leaving our Antarctic Family was very emotional for everyone. We shared our email addresses, Facebook info and telephone numbers with our friends from around the world on the dock then we all headed for the airport to get on our individual flights. One of the Chinese Team members is going to write an article in the Hong Kong Newspaper about Michelle and I renewing our vows entitled "The Romance of Antarctica" in Chinese of course. Our flights back to Canada were thankfully uneventful with the minor exception of me leaving my jacket on the security belt in Buenos Aires. The Buenos Aires Airport Manager located it in Lost and Found will be sending it to me next week. This entire experience was life changing and I can't wait to share it with all of you through presentations, slides, and videos. This is just the beginning. Now that we are back the real work begins. Stay tuned......Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-3850219553739236302011-03-17T08:49:00.001-07:002011-03-17T08:55:06.765-07:00Wednesday March 16<br /><br />Today we spent the day on the ship crossing the Drake Passage, heading to Cape Horn. It’s interesting how you learn to do things with one hand because the other hand is holding onto a wall, handrail or a bar to hold yourself up - because you’re doing the Drake Shake. We’ve listened to several lectures on the ship and our expedition leader, Graham, and one of our cameramen, Kyle, took out their guitars and we sang songs until supper was served. Although the Drake was fairly calm, over half our team was sea sick and stayed in their rooms. Michelle and I haven’t been sick yet… must be our Maritime blood.Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-59069612935406125822011-03-16T13:46:00.000-07:002011-03-16T13:46:53.006-07:00Tuesday March 15<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgUDEmo0vFZJOIf00DQd4pma8R008MRGtw-wRoLqC7NfTOjWh7eOShUWfsRura_7FT_u_g7yJZxd9ujnUBjHAnX97jXzUfR9qf2GW_2Is2TXD3fuso-hKYJY8lGalkthDErNAKBXxVGoY/s1600/IAE+2011+Brochure_Page_14_Image_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgUDEmo0vFZJOIf00DQd4pma8R008MRGtw-wRoLqC7NfTOjWh7eOShUWfsRura_7FT_u_g7yJZxd9ujnUBjHAnX97jXzUfR9qf2GW_2Is2TXD3fuso-hKYJY8lGalkthDErNAKBXxVGoY/s200/IAE+2011+Brochure_Page_14_Image_0001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today was Canada’s day to shine. I led Canadian team with the guide from 2041 and the film crew on an environmental assessment of the cleanup work that Robert Swan’s team completed at the Russian base. The deliverable from this will be the completion of a report that Robert will present at the World Earth Summit in Rio, in 2012 - to acknowledge the work that he and his group have completed. <br /> <br /> In addition, we completed an inspection of the Russian tank farm that included a visual inspection of the tanks, collection and field analysis of soil samples for hydrocarbons and taking some preliminary measurements to allow us to complete a site plan. We also did a visual assessment of the former landfill that the Russians used for disposing of their domestic waste and garbage which included taking measurements on the dimensions of the landfill. We did all this in the span of 2 hours, on which Robert Swan commented that it was “an incredible tribute to our experience and organization.” <br /> <br /> After completing our work, the Canadian team went to the eBase for a tour of the building and an explanation of the various technologies used to provide renewable energy for the facility. This information will be used in our presentations to the schools when we get back to Canada. Tomorrow, we head back across the Drake Passage…Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-45772597203991316072011-03-15T10:52:00.000-07:002011-03-15T10:52:19.227-07:00Monday March 14<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="121" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584362509035838018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBglmchJyEO1bsexK8mR6bqcWpwaTmNYDHL5c12-BD8xVtKQyuYlDtICqDQcrXwvoBz2LJLFUpif4-7xJuW9hOhbxy3PJ5sx3aI4nwu5MNTFRxIFCDBF3A04LUDUCWXcbsAeJ8JnPFAyy/s200/JCL_0461.jpg" style="height: 121px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" width="200" /></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today, the Canadian Team did a joint presentation on our plan for Bellingshausen to the entire expedition team. We had tons of questions and lots of interest in what we are doing. In the afternoon, we went to Deception Island, Antarctica. This is the site of an old whaling station. It's located in a crater of an ancient volcano. The beach has black sand which is made up of volcanic ash. As we walked along the beach, about two feet from the edge of the ocean, we dug a shallow hole in the sand. Six inches below the surface and only two feet from the edge of the ocean and the water bubbled. It was the strangest thing I've ever seen! There is a hot spring under the entire beach.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="121" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584362661304951762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp-OsHf3-89OPnJQ9Y9jg82GZNGWBX_PgwjNXa_JEFEf_4mFzO-9HoN4HhatVtC8DME4y0tWrvtU8XHUUuWC-O7gBeCdi42608MFOllQukHUchBea2K9WRUUXEKLgeypKCGVFMK476D_5/s200/JCL_0563.jpg" style="height: 121px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" width="200" /></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>We did an extreme hike today up the side of the volcano against 100 k/hr winds. It pushed everyone to the edge of their endurance, we worked as a team and it was a great leadership exercise. In the evening, we saw a film on the 2041 eBase in preparation for our trip to Bellingshausen and the eBase tomorrow.<br /> <br /> Tomorrow is Canada's day to shine, as Robert puts it. I will lead the Canadian team as we go ashore to perform the assessment of the Bellingshausen cleanup of the Russian fuel tank farm and former landfill area. We're all very keen to get started!Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-14764911305394690652011-03-14T14:07:00.000-07:002011-03-16T09:22:36.649-07:00Sunday March 13<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584019847446969570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a_-nZ6zW9DMLfTkLTEjJ8BEOqbuFpDVWRkKTz3YING_aLhXeCfzuE3QAKapi2rUX647yRc1fXJmbn9DJwQ-k9CocQTgnd4VlMcUDp22ajKm2DVGdkeUkcUDuilU9-J14CEOSPoYaG4um/s200/JCL_0696.jpg" style="height: 121px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></div></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today was the most amazing day! We took a zodiac to Brown's Bluff where we were met by seals, all kinds of them. Arriving on shore, we snapped pictures like crazy of the seals and the beautiful scenery, icebergs and glaciers. After a hike up the mountain, Michelle and I renewed our wedding vows in a wonderful ceremony conducted by our friend Jason, an ordained minister and a member of&nbsp;the 2041 staff. The ceremony was attended by all the expedition staff and participants from around the world. John Locke from the Washington Post was our wedding photographer – how cool is that?! And the 2041 film crew taped the whole thing. After the ceremony, our ship blew its horn twice to signify the approval of the ship's crew. This place will hold a very special memory forever in our hearts.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1em; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f3RDzS6i5TnYnYU4qRxw71g7ECWjv7SnCzFIFKyBC0h5trz0QTYpuDV2P6QsxhyYDelXuA2tqP11SUaAl5DTqJtZ8tz0WX0-LJk2piARfWQ29AizQGr6wwomE393_A_FBb8x4mG_gmAT/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f3RDzS6i5TnYnYU4qRxw71g7ECWjv7SnCzFIFKyBC0h5trz0QTYpuDV2P6QsxhyYDelXuA2tqP11SUaAl5DTqJtZ8tz0WX0-LJk2piARfWQ29AizQGr6wwomE393_A_FBb8x4mG_gmAT/s200/Untitled-1.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></div></td></tr> </tbody></table>Later that afternoon was the Polar Plunge for anyone who wanted to participate. Not being one to pass up a&nbsp;challenge, I dove off the side of a zodiac into freezing cold Antarctic water. I don't think I'll forget THAT feeling of instant numbness and then the feeling of 'what the heck am I doing?!'<br /> <br /> In the evening, Robert Swan gave us a riveting lecture on public speaking. At supper, the kitchen staff prepared a wedding cake for me and Michelle. They sang a song while they brought the cake out and it was divided up amongst all the participants. We had a great evening!Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-16059165628509071662011-03-13T09:33:00.001-07:002011-03-14T14:14:17.202-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">Saturday March 12<o:p></o:p><br /> <br /> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583607083318397378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YFSrKIpB114om3oW7fr9kFdcBC424kTfDGmprpSbxYXf4Quq-lLZemB5y0sSyg-lmMXE-VHfIsv1ep8iVPysyvkaUnkHBFCnH_OnGmOIiCYsmPa9TqyKnA_E7fGgSLjlJKS4gpllvs6S/s200/DSC18632.jpg" style="height: 121px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Today we had lectures in the morning. In the afternoon, we went on shore for pictures with our corporate flags. This was Flag Day -we all had a blast! Then we went whale watching. This was one of the most amazing experiences yet.<br /> <br /> </div><div class="MsoNormal">We spent an hour in a 16’ zodiac floating around icebergs and sea ice with the engines turned off with four 60’ Humpback whales swimming around and under our boat. The sound of them calling when they surfaced was amazing. They were so close that a couple of times we could actually smell their breath. We got great photos and videos. In the midst of whale watching, we witnessed a massive avalanche on a nearby mountainside. We also were close up with several large Crabeater seals. What a day!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div>Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-61068013237022858502011-03-12T08:40:00.000-08:002011-03-14T10:03:19.050-07:00Friday March 11<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSizF8kGcsbt5XVqkZeNL0vkIGie8WIwkuxbZD6g2sEnK3CdsKN0q8LKj_3ThUOpaO0jfy1teb2qn5qsPhMNBoQTIJgvpwlki4Lp9mKCllaWPsGgN3TXxz48ql31zXbvNQxGYzjcNek1yv/s1600/DSC_06915.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583409604475834690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSizF8kGcsbt5XVqkZeNL0vkIGie8WIwkuxbZD6g2sEnK3CdsKN0q8LKj_3ThUOpaO0jfy1teb2qn5qsPhMNBoQTIJgvpwlki4Lp9mKCllaWPsGgN3TXxz48ql31zXbvNQxGYzjcNek1yv/s200/DSC_06915.jpg" style="float: right; height: 121px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today we woke up, had breakfast and we spent the morning preparing our gear and having safety briefing for our camping adventure. In the afternoon, we hiked to the summit of a large mountain on Cuverville Island. It was absolutely amazing. We hiked 230m in elevation from the ocean level to the top of the summit. At the top of the summit it was snowing. There was a light snow coming down and we had a real good time with the team and did some reflection. We talked about Scott and Amudson all the way up the hill - that was our assignment. Our teambuilding and leadership assignment was to get everyone on our team to the top of the mountain safely.<br /> When we returned back to the ship later in the afternoon, we had a lecture on climate change. After supper, teams that were going out camping tonight left the ship on zodiacs and landed on the continent at our campground where we had our tent set up, at around 7 o'clock. Daylight is gone at about 8 or 9 o'clock. It is a beautiful night with temperatures around -1 or -2 degrees. I will be sleeping outside in my sleeping bag, looking at the stars. <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583411212991622418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvswIxnNq2BIzK-Ep906AlNSxezzHj91ggkXkpfmYcVtcG5DAFL0_b6c22VdYZybeS47T-Vu8Z0qOEhZKXMrpi7hCCjPOQWhydr4E0J1ugv3K-bgCK6lubF2xs0UJeKd0_KaKncRkfG9y/s200/P1010003.jpg" style="height: 121px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 200px;" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>As I lay here in my tent, looking up at the stars, the silence is deafening and is only broken by the sound of thunder. But the thunder is not coming from the sky – it is coming from the edge of glaciers breaking off at the shoreline and crashing in the ocean. Absolutely amazing!<br /> Every night, we've been watching the incredible videos taken during the day… 2041 is posting these exciting videos of our trip at <a href="http://expedition.2041.com/2011">http://expedition.2041.com/2011</a>.Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-11450142774041225352011-03-11T09:33:00.000-08:002011-03-11T09:39:54.105-08:00<div>Thursday March 10<br /> <div><br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitszZqeVb9jcAGrQU6vGE3Xtf8DVgbM6NzaYuGJ-ww1azxeydu9Cb3JfjNUteP-Z5U0xIVxq9k43Ag-NCKswLaEpRmLKfA7C399JzZ6I29XWyvjopSopuixfxwiLQIbaoHegahqBCwljzb/s1600/gentoo+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitszZqeVb9jcAGrQU6vGE3Xtf8DVgbM6NzaYuGJ-ww1azxeydu9Cb3JfjNUteP-Z5U0xIVxq9k43Ag-NCKswLaEpRmLKfA7C399JzZ6I29XWyvjopSopuixfxwiLQIbaoHegahqBCwljzb/s200/gentoo+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today we spent the morning in a Gentoo penguin colony, hiked up a large glacier, and got to slide down the glacier. I have never seen so many penguins in such a small area yet on our trip. In the afternoon, we hopped in the zodiacs and went searching for whales and seals. We encountered lots of seals but no whales today. We spent about 30 minutes with two large Crabeater Seals that gave us quite a show very close to our boat.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcIP2TpDgEA0GyM7psqQ-S8Sr_6ZV_2jxew6dT_G_tbgmGPkQ2PufXcSLoevjCgXVGPgZZObo2o4AGvGTzP-vsiMGsly5iVf8OOy_8KWVeKsOdhepvWBPCqhHUIyf2MN37u-3flFl8YzQ/s1600/pancake+ice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcIP2TpDgEA0GyM7psqQ-S8Sr_6ZV_2jxew6dT_G_tbgmGPkQ2PufXcSLoevjCgXVGPgZZObo2o4AGvGTzP-vsiMGsly5iVf8OOy_8KWVeKsOdhepvWBPCqhHUIyf2MN37u-3flFl8YzQ/s200/pancake+ice.JPG" width="200" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table><p>We also saw pancake ice in some of the calmer areas and two very dramatic glacier calving episodes. Calving is when the leading edge of a glacier breaks off and falls into the ocean. I got one of them on video. Michelle has gone camping on the ice with her team tonight and I will go with my team tomorrow night. In the evening, all of our teams left on the ship watched the movie "Carbon Nation" and had a very interesting group discussion afterward. 2041 is posting interviews and exciting videos of our trip taken by a real film crew at <a href="http://expedition.2041.com/2011/">expedition.2041.com/2011/</a></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-86474204748050442152011-03-10T15:43:00.000-08:002011-03-11T09:42:44.820-08:00<div>Wednesday March 9, 2011<br /> <div><br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV74YPeY_nQKg033XjoroMo2Bd_P6h7524GG8jvX4kI5fn3HzlmRv7Fw33tHKMBH_gUYKHCtGkw1wj0KyZptTadN4iGc5NMZzApSdFvWsTDcetUn2HSDSZcDAArsHCa2VTrhQhImLWyoN8/s1600/emperor+%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV74YPeY_nQKg033XjoroMo2Bd_P6h7524GG8jvX4kI5fn3HzlmRv7Fw33tHKMBH_gUYKHCtGkw1wj0KyZptTadN4iGc5NMZzApSdFvWsTDcetUn2HSDSZcDAArsHCa2VTrhQhImLWyoN8/s200/emperor+%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today we awoke passing through the Lemaire Channel. It was a beautiful site! It was kind of like traveling through a huge fjord. High mountains and the vertical rock faces towered u<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCgGNyPkOqJ86vw8M78b_347xUqpDNY01bHLbeA6Bt_XrCgyJiByp-9QNOIUfhIPE4bAa5UE0e7qfVwSQDXldCaeYrMPRLvC2D6GJO0kIn4JpMzkXgd6_Ypv9X_VjhKVphsN6Nktzz4Cv/s1600/IMG_1973+%2528Large%2529.JPG"></a>p out of the water about 15 meters from the side of our ship. Ice sheets and glaciers reached the sea between the mountains. After breakfast we received a short briefing and hit the zodiacs for our first landing on the Antarctic continent. We, as the team leaders, went ashore first to review our plans for each of our teams when they hit the shore of Peterman Island, about 15 minutes after us.<br /> We had our first up close encounter with penguins and seals. It was absolutely amazing how comfortable they were around humans. We were not allowed to get any closer to them than 5 meters, but if they approached us it was ok… and they did. Most of us got within a few meters when they approached. We got to see a Leopard Seal up close hunting penguins near the shoreline and actually saw a Leopard Seal catch and kill a small penguin. It was a visual reminder of the natural pecking order of the food chain in Antarctica. After a great morning of exploring Peterman Island, we headed back to the ship for lunch. After lunch, the wind had picked up to about 60 knots so our shore landing at Booth Island got postponed. During this time Robert Swan presented Part Two of his Leadership on the Edge series, where we learned about integrity, admitting your mistakes, nobody is inspired by negativity, don’t always do big things, patience – if people don’t listen don’t panic, don’t give up, when things go wrong - control what you can control. We learned to tell our story in just one minute and that the best way to truly make a difference is through sustainable inspiration.<br /> By 3:30, the wind had reduced to 30 knots and we went ashore on Booth Island for a hike to the summit. We hiked, past seals and through penguins, under severe wind conditions up the snow covered mountains. The feeling of reaching the top was great!<br /> Remember to go to the 2041 site because there are some great videos that are posted daily, including interviews with our team. </div></div>Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-9225794231082575312011-03-08T09:56:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:23:02.369-08:00Monday March 7th <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxhAQgDxUwfPyeI9ZZeVG8XegSlCCwmQ5jBqCrZANKyCQ5oK9uh-tOfVLzFniZGRLEFcmGSTYh2SX1D3uYVEE9Hsoo05UACdUacrwBRvR8GvBuGGdfVYYoNiPYobtNoFx6Ij9jv7-_MP/s1600/blog-pic-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rxhAQgDxUwfPyeI9ZZeVG8XegSlCCwmQ5jBqCrZANKyCQ5oK9uh-tOfVLzFniZGRLEFcmGSTYh2SX1D3uYVEE9Hsoo05UACdUacrwBRvR8GvBuGGdfVYYoNiPYobtNoFx6Ij9jv7-_MP/s200/blog-pic-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>We woke up this morning firmly in the middle of the Drake Passage. Sea swells were HUGE and it was impossible to get from our room to breakfast without holding on to the handrails. Before we went to bed last night we were given instructions not to leave anything loose in our cabins. Put everything away. Now we understand why! Approximately 25% of our team has been sea sick all day. Michelle and I are okay and are actually enjoying ourselves. <br /> Today we listened to 3 very interesting lectures about the History of Antarctica, Marine Animals of Antarctica and the Antarctic Ice. Michelle was interviewed for the expedition video with a full camera crew. Very exciting.<br /> The Drake Passage is certainly earning its name as the Most Treacherous Seas on Earth. The Captain says we are making good time and that the sea conditions are very good. I can’t imagine what it would be like in bad conditions!Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-70463395845156478232011-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:17:14.290-08:00Sunday March 6<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1h3A8efqFVd6pWZmQcNu2cXWqpwWH8Pq4LDZZG8yXCFOf8_iClfe8tgPJOVynmkX0jHsepg6nB-MSQVehjqv20vDgqqknyPjXGm7GvZf5bbGFK1Nn5PByrGZKw0cczfobp9OJ4H_XUVV/s1600/JCL_04801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1h3A8efqFVd6pWZmQcNu2cXWqpwWH8Pq4LDZZG8yXCFOf8_iClfe8tgPJOVynmkX0jHsepg6nB-MSQVehjqv20vDgqqknyPjXGm7GvZf5bbGFK1Nn5PByrGZKw0cczfobp9OJ4H_XUVV/s200/JCL_04801.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Today we set sail for the Drake Passage. All team members were asked to show up for 7 am, with equipment packed and prepared for our voyage on the Drake Passage. From 9 – 11:30 am we listened to more lectures. Sea sickness was discussed in detail. At noon we were shuttled downtown for lunch and to pick up any last minute supplies we needed. Michelle and I decided to renew our wedding vows while we are in Antarctica so we picked out a ring with a stone native to Argentina. We returned to the ship for 3 o’clock sharp. At 3:30 it was photo time. We got some great photos of Michelle and I with Robert Swan in front of our ship, Sea Spirit, holding the Focus banner, Maxxam banner and the Canadian flag. It was lots of fun and we got some great pictures. We got unpacked in our rooms and went to the conference area where we met the Captain and crew. This was followed by a safety briefing and an evacuation drill that seemed very realistic. We left Ushuaia, headed for Cape Horne, at 6 pm hoping to make the Drake Passage by midnight. Lots of people were already sick before we even left the Beagle Channel.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0Kd0BZHvcxB8T3tsIsWj7pOWg_6ytmndMDhSICfSIt2oNt5x3lpdhVd3J6mey5jfoIuuymu9Hs2mvUEVMbwRtRFHrVtUD7nGzqtF9ZLZIFPASdUCICp2WU3Jr8aW_GsaiAUxsC9XmEKJ/s1600/JCL_0776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0Kd0BZHvcxB8T3tsIsWj7pOWg_6ytmndMDhSICfSIt2oNt5x3lpdhVd3J6mey5jfoIuuymu9Hs2mvUEVMbwRtRFHrVtUD7nGzqtF9ZLZIFPASdUCICp2WU3Jr8aW_GsaiAUxsC9XmEKJ/s200/JCL_0776.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></td></tr> </tbody></table>Robert Swan gave us an inspirational lecture on leadership talking about his treck to the South Pole and the adversities he faced. Some of the key messages were: don’t forget your dream, tell each other the truth, trusting everyone on the team is essential, listen to each other, don’t forget humour, leadership isn’t always from the front, don’t be a ‘what’s next’ person – celebrate what’s now, leadership in tricky times is doing what you said you would do, clear vision makes decisions easy and constant vigilance. Quote of the day: climate change is too technical for politicians and too political for technical people.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwn9MA9NSPO5fjKElHl53mNR05GkSsEqRugcF4ael6D_ICTN6wxXxnkxr-1zdUxhMo5boSceUKmMh_4yLqWDA9bNGAxDZ8okGio-EXMHrjlNz9ObE1GY7sVlYynG70qIS3x109CNCCwAdd/s1600/Bruce+in+Ushuaia+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwn9MA9NSPO5fjKElHl53mNR05GkSsEqRugcF4ael6D_ICTN6wxXxnkxr-1zdUxhMo5boSceUKmMh_4yLqWDA9bNGAxDZ8okGio-EXMHrjlNz9ObE1GY7sVlYynG70qIS3x109CNCCwAdd/s200/Bruce+in+Ushuaia+-+Copy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Captain agreed to perform a ceremonial renewal of vows for Michelle and me. And as it turns out, one of the expedition leaders is an ordained minister and he says he would love to help with our vows on the ice.Susan Paquinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12966078540207262298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-65175400887133796992011-03-05T19:22:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:07:44.623-08:00<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jjrnrjzPol_qv-eyfc9kNw4e0qvTw_APyaPoHT_ior_7ze-OVOjNnDdA-4zpVM5gmjqdO1EGlT3lmTn9OUjDv1zFY_2Oviunt76zEh4W-z2TD6SQ5Or-1pbQpx4a9-BRZMA9v1G6C4mG/s1600/DSC0605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jjrnrjzPol_qv-eyfc9kNw4e0qvTw_APyaPoHT_ior_7ze-OVOjNnDdA-4zpVM5gmjqdO1EGlT3lmTn9OUjDv1zFY_2Oviunt76zEh4W-z2TD6SQ5Or-1pbQpx4a9-BRZMA9v1G6C4mG/s200/DSC0605.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Image from expedition.2041.com</span></div></td></tr> </tbody></table>The Martial Glacier Hike was incredible. We split into our teams and headed up the base of the Andes Mountains to the base of the Martial Glacier. We were given a map to follow to ensure that we didn't get on the wrong trail. On the way up the mountain each of us got to spend time with other team members and get to know them and their culture in a relaxed yet challenging environment. We had to work together as a team, recognizing the strengths and weakness of each team member to achieve of goal of reaching the Martial Glacier after climbing a mountain in the Andes. Half way up the mountain we had to stop and erect a polar tent as fast as we could in very windy conditions to simulate the same situation in Antarctica. After approximately 3 hours we reached the base of the Martial Glacier to find out that it had receded to the point that we could not reach it. This was our first evidence of the effects of climate change. The realization that in 5 to 10 years there would no longer be a Martial Glacier. This was a very powerful visual message that affected all of the teams. Another 2 hours to get down the mountain and we were back at the hotel. In the afternoon we listened to Lockheed Martin present a session on their role on the Expedition to test a portable wind turbine that Robert Swan will use in 2012 to return to the South Pole relying 100% on renewable energy on his hike. THis was followed by a lecture by a major Asian Power Company that has been rasked with retrofitting the Antarctic E-Base with Wind Energy and Solar Panels. Robert Swan also outlined the role of the Canadian Team in leading the Assessment and Remedial Action Plan for the tank farm at Bellingshausen Station on this expedition. Tomorrow we will board the ship heading to Antarctica. I am unsure of the communication capabilities on the ship so updating the blog may prove to be a challenge. I will attempt to call information in via sat phone to Focus Staff in Victoria to update the Blog and as a backup 2041 will be posting daily Blogs on "Expedition.2041.com" .Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-26998156930919043372011-03-04T17:57:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:04:24.521-08:00<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMmkNoST2GYgU5oBuhbR4Yz2YhE9HDnHLEQhDch9LLB00lY_KYCdcTQsvgEPK9ojzCSoNl5U0Thusb1_xbL3QotMwdKcsYiRikqaItnOKgwyhE9IQpeTmrt6PQi4E3X0lFO7YpC2AgL4u/s1600/JCL_0239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMmkNoST2GYgU5oBuhbR4Yz2YhE9HDnHLEQhDch9LLB00lY_KYCdcTQsvgEPK9ojzCSoNl5U0Thusb1_xbL3QotMwdKcsYiRikqaItnOKgwyhE9IQpeTmrt6PQi4E3X0lFO7YpC2AgL4u/s200/JCL_0239.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Image from expedition.2041.com</td></tr> </tbody></table>This was the first day of our Leadership on the Edge Training which started with an inspirational speech from Robert Swan followed by a Safety Lecture leading us all to believe that we were not going to survive Antarctica (those safety guys). We then broke up into Teams that were deliberately picked to mix cultures and countries together. On my team we have members from India, Hong Kong, United States, and the UK. I was elected to be the Team Leader (I think it was the grey hair). Our first assignment as a team was to develop a set of values and culture that suited our team. The foundation of our Team was RESPECT. Respect for ourselves, our teammates, and our environment. We then attended a lecture on layering in preparation for our Glacier Hike tomorrow and our Expedition. This was followed by a lecture on the importance of hydtating in the dry Antarctic desert. Our day ended with a real Argentinian Barbeque down by the ocean. We had salad, lamb, chicken, and beef and it was amazing. We were told to go to bed early to be well rested for our hike tomorrow. Stay tuned for our Martial Glacier Hike tomorrow.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-30770546805409027932011-03-04T11:38:00.000-08:002011-03-04T11:44:33.759-08:00We finally arrived in Usuaia last night at about 6:30 pm. We were met by the entire 2041 Team at the airport. Our bright yellow luggage was a big hit. Got checked in to the hotel and went through a rigourous equipment cheque by the expedition leader. We had a great dinner with folks from India, USA, and Hong Kong. What agreat feeling being here. We just finished a full day of safety briefings, and broke up into teams that we will keep for the entire expedition. Lots of team building and leadership training today. Tomorrow we hike the Martial Glacier as a warm up for Antarctica. Stay tuned for details on my blog tomorrow.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-18558733805618574882011-03-02T17:57:00.000-08:002011-03-10T08:44:29.097-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPVCMtPdU1Y9ULKuCkoOPzopMgSmDwrZvX73q_Xb-RahWSgHIfp2ZBOpZpAJ-d06VstRizgltyxt997XzchfL8Iy8uELcCEHxbpydw9uaNsnkGhbennMPTFcGKJpuQGBDlXkQrdlRAZTR/s1600/Bruce+in+Buenos+Aires+with+Michelle+beside+MacDonalds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPVCMtPdU1Y9ULKuCkoOPzopMgSmDwrZvX73q_Xb-RahWSgHIfp2ZBOpZpAJ-d06VstRizgltyxt997XzchfL8Iy8uELcCEHxbpydw9uaNsnkGhbennMPTFcGKJpuQGBDlXkQrdlRAZTR/s200/Bruce+in+Buenos+Aires+with+Michelle+beside+MacDonalds.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>It was 30C in Buenos Aires today. Michelle and I took Bruce the Moose sightseeing around the city. We visited the National Government Building, a couple of museums, and lots of shopping. Tomorrow we fly to Usuaia in Southern Argentina to meet up with Robert Swan and the rest of the team from around the world. Our flight leaves Buenos Aires at 3:10 PM and is scheduled to arrive in Usuaia at 6:35 PM. Michelle and I are geeting very excited to meet everyone and climb the glacier in Usuaia. <br /> <br /> We took lots of photos of Bruce today around Buenos Aires so check the web site.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-22836041500839441272011-03-01T19:29:00.000-08:002011-03-01T19:36:31.356-08:00After successfully enduring the red eye from Toronto to Brazil and spending the entire day at the airport in Brazil trying to reunite with our luggage and overcome yet another overbooked flight fiasco we finally arrived in Buenos Aires at 10:00 pm. Michelle and I have seen enough airports to last us a lifetime but are very anxious to explore Buenos Aires tomorrow. Some of the Canadian Team will arrive today then we will all fly to Usuaia to hook up with Robert Swan and the rest of the team on Thursday. Bruce the Moose is in good spirits and will come touring with us tomorrow so watch for photos of him in some interesting locations.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-74215279265561219492011-02-28T15:12:00.000-08:002011-03-10T08:38:20.317-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkFWiSnGuymC4jm0CCE0ar1FlSmN6JNi_WNKwoWUlT7XfkrgeMWruJPjGv-emFjy0xOoB6gZKxXFZhbCohgkdW4yl_gASIwwNrvw-_8UOKCv5Ku-y7SXcm5eZyjmu8KejzCTHJk-vctfi/s1600/Bruce+in+Toronto+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkFWiSnGuymC4jm0CCE0ar1FlSmN6JNi_WNKwoWUlT7XfkrgeMWruJPjGv-emFjy0xOoB6gZKxXFZhbCohgkdW4yl_gASIwwNrvw-_8UOKCv5Ku-y7SXcm5eZyjmu8KejzCTHJk-vctfi/s200/Bruce+in+Toronto+003.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Since we left Edmonton to get to Antarctica yesterday its been a series of weather delays, missed connections, delayed flights, and lay overs. Bruce the Moose is still smiling he seems to like Pearson Airport in Toronto more than Michelle and I. Due to a 2 hour delay in Edmonton due to weather and mechanical problems we missed our connection to Argentina last night. As a result we had to overnight in Toronto and got to the Hotel at 3:00 am. We were booked on a flight at 4:45 pm today but that flight was overbooked so they had to re-route us through Brazil. Our flight leaves Toronto tonight at 10:35 pm and we arrive in Brazil early tomorrow morning to catch a connection to Buenos Aires Argentina. We have 2 days in Buenos Aires before we fly to Usuaia on March 3 to meet up with Robert Swan and the rest of the team.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-22918415342107285852011-02-26T08:38:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:29:48.778-08:00It's now Saturday and we are running around tying up last minute details. Thanks to the great work of the Focus Geomatics Team we are leaving with the Satelite Phone and GPS so we can track our voyage and feed the information back to the web site. Thanks to Dwight and Chris for rounding up the phone on such short notice. Yesterday we picked up video camera and a charger kit with international adapters. We also had to get our last set of shots.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrybcSdGN_74f2YxYEVkodAHXTfxshD5_UGrMYZaFM1rmX0CRHSIOlJ9YL6ZZwaR652QrrUhXRgElxKep0Z9En329pAF5FkzKwsdf6hM8CnWmqcASx7STzFTo6oVuaj7fZLfAdp4ofXQD0/s1600/IMG_2099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrybcSdGN_74f2YxYEVkodAHXTfxshD5_UGrMYZaFM1rmX0CRHSIOlJ9YL6ZZwaR652QrrUhXRgElxKep0Z9En329pAF5FkzKwsdf6hM8CnWmqcASx7STzFTo6oVuaj7fZLfAdp4ofXQD0/s200/IMG_2099.JPG" /></a></div>Bruce (our Focus mascot) arrived on Friday from Victoria and got introduced to the Edmonton Office. He told me he liked the climate in Vancouver much better than Edmonton so I'm not sure what he will think of Antarctica. I picked my sister and brother-in-law up at the airport yesterday, they are looking after the kids while we are away. The kids are excited that they are here (not sure if that is good or bad). Tonight we start the job of packing and making sure we have everything. Our flight leaves Edmonton at 4PM and we expect to arrive in Argentina on Monday (hopefully with our luggage, you know Air Canada). The next Blog will be coming to you from the other side of the world. Usuaia is 4 hours ahead of Mountain Time.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-30905154581277387042011-02-22T08:24:00.000-08:002011-02-22T08:34:40.827-08:00We are now counting down the last week before we depart for Antarctica. It seems like all the things that we have been putting off to details are becoming very important. Make sure we have our passports, bring the sea sickness pills, do we have all of our gear ready, are the kids really going to be OK, what happens if the kids need to reach us immediately, how will the environment team make out in my absense, and am I forgetting anything else? The Global Newscast last week brought lots of attention to the expedition and I have been getting lots of questions since that aired on February 17. It's exciting and a bit overwhelming all at the same time. I am still waiting for some supplies to arrive so I won't feel completely ready until everything in in my hands. 6 days and counting!Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-64459750116223215872011-02-11T07:57:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:32:22.377-08:00As we get closer to our departure date our little Canadian Team is getting noticed locally and Nationally. Through the great efforts of our own Focus marketing team and our terrific Canadian media correspondent Todd Latham (Actual Media Inc.) our Expedition and specifically our Canadian Team is attracting some very notable attention. Initially Michelle and I were featured in a local newspaper article which you can read in the News section of this web site. Then we had a National Press release (see News tab) which produced an article in the ESAA Newsletter (also under News tab). Even more exciting the Alberta Minister of Environment and the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs have endorsed our involvement in this Expedition and the Discovery Channel and the National Post are interested in covering our Story.<br /> <br /> Stay Tuned as we count down to departure and ramp up for the Expedition.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-56309630187111783292011-02-10T07:31:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:34:19.464-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dMBc3gK5y6_AIO94VDV1b08ggaO-Ue8J1nGmbBZcZsbbs_FlK9Ya9QZr6wTRHetCNeoYg7e8L0TTrEkEzIZVKlQQnJo3Kju9-jwWagPIPbtkTj12mkMHPL6-x27k4ddMIz_PtyMS2fA7/s1600/expedition_jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dMBc3gK5y6_AIO94VDV1b08ggaO-Ue8J1nGmbBZcZsbbs_FlK9Ya9QZr6wTRHetCNeoYg7e8L0TTrEkEzIZVKlQQnJo3Kju9-jwWagPIPbtkTj12mkMHPL6-x27k4ddMIz_PtyMS2fA7/s200/expedition_jacket.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Well after a solid 4 hours of dedicated time in an outfitting store I can tell you. Here is a list of things I am bringing above and beyond the normal clothes you would bring on trip.<br /> - 1 Parka<br /> - 2 wool/synthetic blend thermal underwear (tops and bottoms)<br /> - 3 pairs of thick wool socks<br /> - 4 polypropopylene/wicking breathable T-shirts<br /> - 5 pairs of thin quick dry socks<br /> <br /> Bet you thought I was heading for the partridge in a pear tree!<br /> <br /> - 1 pair of fleece pants<br /> - 1 fleece top<br /> - 1 waterproof jacket and pants (Goretex)<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24M_sxEZdo6xWOABAeIGXcGVynVvbA-3Tcg-hdz7MjuRPyFiDn3yM1BnzMG3DzP8V59YqXKc-ZzkN3RaKLsW4JTQew6B48-TkOVDV2CtRKcg_gwSBblrGXHJULFFGqB8bRDXMQgU9yTIg/s1600/icegauntlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24M_sxEZdo6xWOABAeIGXcGVynVvbA-3Tcg-hdz7MjuRPyFiDn3yM1BnzMG3DzP8V59YqXKc-ZzkN3RaKLsW4JTQew6B48-TkOVDV2CtRKcg_gwSBblrGXHJULFFGqB8bRDXMQgU9yTIg/s200/icegauntlet.jpg" width="162" /></a>- 1 warm hat with ear protection<br /> - 1 neck warmer<br /> - 1 pair of water proof gloves + 2 pairs of glove liners<br /> - 1 pair of gaters<br /> - 1 pair of waterproof hiking boots<br /> - 1 watch<br /> - spare reading glasses or contacts<br /> - polarized sunglasses<br /> - Sunblock (50 spf or higher)<br /> - lip balm<br /> - Personal Medical Kit<br /> - 1 par of collapsible walking polesTyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-10805852571217519602011-02-08T21:43:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:26:36.015-08:00Today we had a conference call with a past Canadian expedition participant and got to ask questions about what we can expect. In general the weather will range from -10C to +5C but it feels much colder when you are on the water. Glove liners and gaters are a must to stay dry and warm. The Drake passage does get very rough and people that have never been sea sick got sea sick on this expedition. Seasickness patches and ginger seem to work the best. Numerous expedition members experienced a very strange post expedition phenomenon where they thought they were seeing expedition participants in strange places for several days after the expedition was over. Apparently the food on the ship is exceptional. There will be National Geographic Cinematographers and photographers on the expedition with us. I have been asked to present a session at one of the on-board workshops on the challenges of environmental remediation is remote arctic locations.Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2235442336827793477.post-80397826485495104182011-02-02T14:50:00.000-08:002011-03-10T09:24:11.214-08:00The wheels are now in motion for the expedition and picking up speed. My wife and I have our shots, travel arrangements booked, travel insurance in place (I never had to get remote evacuation coverage before hmmm!), and are just getting started to round up our gear and equipment for the expedition. Layers are the key. Our Focus Safety Department has been very helpful in sourcing gear for the trip. The newspaper article has had an amazing response. Michelle has been asked to speak at a teacher's conference, an Edmonton Youth Group, and several schools when we get back. I have been asked to speak at an environmental conference in Frederiction New Brunswick and at Remtech in Banff.<br /> <br /> Stay tuned we're just getting started!Tyler Barkhousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10371503034107833667noreply@blogger.com2