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Trapped at Williams Field - Day 1
The day began
almost as any other, although
we knew that the weather was looking rough. The ANITA guys
finished working on their electronics and we were finally ablet to get
their pressure chamber reintegrated
into the gondola. The NSBF weather man
had said that it looked as if a low-pressure system would be hitting
the area around 6:00 PM, so we were planning on leaving a little
earlier. However, by about 11:00 AM, the snow was coming down and
blowing so hard that it was hard to move easily between buildings.
MacTown weather soon called a condition 2 at
Williams Field, whereby Tina, our camp manager, made a call to check
and see whether or not we could be rescued before the weather got any
worse. Since the weather was getting worse by the minute, the
decision was made in town that it would be too risky to try and get a Delta out to pick us up. By the
afternoon, condition 1 was called out at Williams Field and we soon
learned that we would be spending the night.
Dave Sullivan and the NSBF crew got together all the
gear and sleeping bags for the 40 of us trapped out there and plans
were made for where to sleep. Moving up to the galley for dinner
became a very difficult task and it was mandated by Tina and Dave that
we only move in groups and that we call before we head up there.
The constant winds and snow had begun ripping at the
seams of the galley Jamesway and there was almost not a dry spot to be
found. The weatherport had begun to spring leaks here and there
too, including spots between the floorboards where snow geysers had
begun to spout. Sleeping was going to be difficult.
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