TRANSPOLAR SKITREK PROGRESS REPORT #17: May 21, 1988 Prepared by Rich Ensign, N8IWJ, AMSAT Science Education Advisor For Use With The AMSAT Teachers Guide "Exploring The High Arctic From Your Classroom" The thirteen members of the Amateur Radio supported Transpolar Skitrek Expedition have made excellent progress this week as they near the coast of Ellesmere Island, North West Territory, Canada. On May 20th they were just 273 km from their destination. They plan on coming ashore on Ward Hunt Island, just to the north of Cape Columbia. The moving group will have one more supply and science stop before the trek ends. All is well with the skiers as they continue southward and the weather moderates. Temperatures they are reporting have risen to a balmy -10 degrees Celsius. The skiers position as of Saturday, May 21st was latitude 85d 28.8m North and longitude 77d 09.5m West. The Soviet ice island NP-28, one of the principal comminications bases for the expedition, is now experiencing rapid break-up. The past week saw it split into 4 pieces. The crew is now seriously considering abandoning the station as it continues its southward drift. Continued fracturing has shrunk the airstrip to less than half its original length. Barry Garratt, 4K0DX/VE3CDX, Canadian communicator on the "island" lost part of the communications gear on Saturday, May 21st, when the HF linear amplifier fell into the sea as a lead opened up. Temperatures at Resolute Bay, NWT, Canada, are now often above zero. The last Canadian communicator, Rick Burke, V01SA, has now arrived at Resolute. Rick, you may remember, spent a month in the Soviet Arctic back in March as the trek began. Transpolar Skitrek Expedition Progress Report #18 will be issued on Friday, May 27, 1988. The following is additional information to be added to the Skitrek Rpt. #17. Those who contacted the group at the North Pole should be aware of the following QSL information: If you contacted EX0VE QSL to: Leonid Labutin (UA3CR) at Box 82, Moscow. If you contacted CI8UA QSL to: VE3HBF (good in call book). The following individuals who operated at Resolute have their own cards for contacts made to them. All are good in the call book. CI8HO (VE3HO - Garth) CI8JH (VE3CKF - Kip) VE8CPU (VE3CPU - Joe) Additional details on North Pole 28: The ice island is now in 5 pieces, all with cracks and fissures. Whole buildings have been lost. On Friday the crew had just finished removing the gear from the radio shack and had it piled up on the ice beside them when the ice opened up underneath them. The ICOM 761 was lost but it is not confirmed that the linear amplifier was as well. Barry himself slid in but quick handhold grabbing saved him. He lost 2 of three cameras and a lot of film. A lot of other communications gear was lost as well. Thankfully, no one has been injured yet. TRANSPOLAR EXPEDITION POSITION/CONDITION REPORTS VIA NORDSKI COMM & HF MAY 15 TO MAY 22, 1988 RPT# PRIOR. DATE/TIME(GMT) LAT (N) LONG REMARKS ====================================================================== ======= 15MAY88 10:37 86d 36.0'N 75d 39.2'W SARSAT/COSPAS 3rd day of rest & science after air drop ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 59 000 16MAY88 11:02 86d 37.3'N 75d 48.4'W SARSAT/COSPAS last day of rest before trek resumes pilot reports solid ice to south ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 17MAY88 11:29 86d 22.1'N 76d 28.3'W SARSAT/COSPAS trek resumes temp at Resolute +2C ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 18MAY88 10:17 86d 06.4'N 77d 25.1'W SARSAT/COSPAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 60 000 19MAY88 11:37 85d 56.1'N 77d 06.4'W SARSAT/COSPAS about 20 km progress Resolute temp +7C ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 20MAY88 10:44 85d 41.7'N 76d 54.8'W SARSAT/COSPAS 27 km progress 273 km to Ward Hunt Island and end of trek -9C Major ice openings at NP-28 ICOM gear lost and Barry gets wet too! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 21MAY88 11:42 85d 28.8'N 77d 09.5'W SARSAT/COSPAS 29 km progress 30 minute delay at a lead temp -9C to -11C ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 22MAY88 10:22 85d 15.8'N 77d 04.9'W SARSAT/COSPAS Temp -8C Ice quite rough with small areas of open water. Came to a large lead at end of todays trek. May use boat tomorrow. Resolute temp. -3C NP 28 temp. -10C ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- TRANSPOLAR SKITREK / PROJECT NORDSKI COMM - SKI TEAM POSITION LOG ----------------------------------------------------------------- Daily reports are made by the team to communications support stations on Sredniy Island, USSR, Russian ice station North Pole 28 and Resolute Bay, Canada via amateur radio. These reports are relayed south at 1500z in the 20m amateur radio band on 14.121mHz USB. Reports are automatically taped at W0RPK and reduced to daily information notes for continuing logs. DAY/TIM UTC LATITUDE LONGITUDE REMARKS ----------- --------- ---------- ------------------------------------------- 22May 10:22 85d15.8mN 77d04.9mW -8dC Rough ice-problem with lead 24km 21May 11:42 85d28.2mN 77d09.5mW -10dC 24km 20May 10:44 85d41.7mN 76d54.8mW -9dC 273km remaining to go 27km 19May 11:37 85d56.1mN 77d06.4mW -11dC 300km remaining 20km 18May 10:17 86d06.4mN 77d25.1mW 17May 11:00 86d21.3mN 76d29 mW Trek now underway again 16May 11:02 86d37.3mN 75d48.4mW Drift movement only 15May 10:37 86d36.0mN 75d39.2mW Drift movement only 14May 11:47 86d37.5mN 75d19.9mW Resupply successful - Drift movement only 13May No movement - stopped for resupply aircraft - 1st attempt failed 12May 12:12 86d39.7mN 75d38.6mW Approximately 400km from finish 10km 11May 10:28 86d44.7mN 77d32.1mW Approximately 358km from pole 22km 10May 11:36 86d56.6mN 79d20.3mW 09May No report available 08May 10:48 87d25.4mN 81d13.9mW 07May 11:54 87d43.5mN 81d31.5mW 06May No position report 05May 11:41z 88d14.4mN 81d13.6mW 04May 10:15 88d31.7mN 81d07.3mW -5dC Open water could become a prob 28km 03May 11:58 88d46.6mN 81d41.8mW 02May 11:29 89d05.6mN 86d03.0mW 01May 11:49 89d18.6mN 90d17.4mW -10dC wind 25km/h vis 4km light snow 36km 30Apr 10:32 89d37.9mN 94d29.8mW 29Apr 10:30 89d48.2mN 106d55.0mW 28Apr 11:21 89d51.1mN 109d53.9mW 27Apr 90d00.0mN Official Canadian/Russian meeting 26Apr 16:00 90d00.0mN The North Pole 25Apr 10:12 89d56.6mN 147d18.8mE 6km to pole 22km 24Apr 11:13 89d46.4mN 107d25.7mE -25dC 24km to the pole 28km 23Apr 89d30.9mN 87d54.9mE -20dC 46km to pole ETA 25Apr 18km 22Apr 12:39 89d21.2mN 80d26.2mE -20dC 64km to pole 21km 21Apr 11:33 89d11.9mN 89d20.6mE -22dC Wind NE 43kts bad conditions 20km 20Apr 11:05 89d00.0mN 95d42.8mE -30dC Now estimating pole on 25Apr 25km 19Apr 11:58 88d45.8mN 94d31.6mE -35dC 140km to pole 27km 18Apr 11:10 88d33.9mN 91d47.9mE -30dC 27km 17Apr 11:00 88d20.3mN 91d28.9mE -32dC 185km to pole 25km 16Apr 10:30 88d08.9mN 90d44.6mE Movement due only to ice drift 15Apr 10:35 88d10.7mN 91d48.2mE Movement due only to ice drift 14Apr 11:45 88d11.4mN 95d09.9mE Movement due only to ice drift 13Apr 88d11.4mN 97d07.0mE Air drop coordinates 13Apr 10:42 88d10.4mN 96d45.2mE Start of trek before air drop 15km 12Apr 10:49 88d02.7mN 95d34.9mE -30dC 235km to pole 37km 11Apr 12:06 87d42.4mN 94d55.7mE -30dC Estimating pole April 24-26 18km 10Apr 11:37 87d32.6mN 93d29.5mE -30dC 272km to the pole everything ok 34km 09Apr 10:38 87d14.2mN 91d48.4mE 08Apr 11:55 87d00.2mN 91d03.5mE -28dC Best single day progress 37km 07Apr 10:08 86d40.6mN 92d38.6mE -28dC 600km total 369km to the pole 26km 06Apr 10:57 86d26.3mN 93d18.3mE -40dC Lots of ice everybody ok 27km 05Apr 11:01 86d12.4mN 92d07.2mE 421km to go to the pole 22km 04Apr 10:39 86d00.7mN 91d44.5mE -37dC 22km 03Apr 11:49 85d48.8mN 92d20.5mE -36dC Everybody ok 02Apr No position report 01Apr 11:12 85d23.2mN 93d40.0mE -37dC Slept in before starting 8km 31Mar No change 30Mar No change 29Mar 11:38 85d18.9mN 94d55.3mE -35dC 2nd air drop a success - stopped 24km 28Mar 10:26 85d07.1mN 95d17.4mE -38dC Open water a problem 12km 27Mar 10:48 85d00.1mN 95d31.5mE -45dC clear wind light good ice 31km 26Mar 12:15 84d43.1mN 95d50.5mE -42dC Clear wind NW 2-3mps 2days prog32.4km 25Mar No position report 24Mar 13:00 84d25.6mN 95d58.2mE -37dC wind 40km/hr snowstorm 0km 23Mar 13:00 84d28.9mN 96d12.4mE -33dC Strong head winds 20-40km/hr 15km 22Mar 13:02 84d19.0mN 97d02.9mE Everything good ice, temp, progress 28km 21Mar 13:00 84d03.5mN 97d40.4mE -39dC ice excellent few leads&hummocks 21km 20Mar 11:40 83d51.8mN 97d27.4mE -36dC wind 1-2mps good ice & spirits 26km 18Mar 13:00 83d37.9mN 97d21.7mE -31dC no wind or open water good cond 22km 17Mar 13:00 83d11.7mN 97d26.6mE -35dC SE wind 3-5meters/sec 24km 16Mar <1st air drop successful on 14MAR > 15Mar 13:00 82d58.7mN 97d28.9mE 14Mar <17Mar for R&R and experiments > 13Mar 11:16 82d52.2mN 97d19.8mE -42dC wind 3-4meters/sec 24km 12Mar No position report 25km 11Mar 11:36 82d28.8mN 97d13.0mE 10MAR 11:58 82d16.9mN 97d24.6mE -45dC 20km 09Mar 12:30 82d09.3mN 97d47.0mE -30dC 12km 08Mar No position report 20km 07Mar 12:23 81d56.6mN 97d15.1mE 17km 06Mar No significant progress - Open water - Very windy - camped early 0km 05Mar 12:44 81d35.8mN 96d52.4mE -21dC Snow wind 33meters/sec 14km 04Mar 11:13 81d32.3mN 97d 0.0mE -28dC 20km 03Mar 11:24 81d21.2mN 96d12.8mE 7km 03Mar 07:31 81d15.0mN 95d50.0mE Starting point on Cape Arktichesky