Finally, the weekend before Thanksgiving, the sea ice got blown out from around station and the boats were able to hit the water. Palmer's research is marine-focused, and there are a half-dozen scientists here who have been waiting out the sea ice so they can get out in boats to collect samples, count birds, and so on. But since there are boats, we can also use them for recreation purposes when the scientists don't need them...or if they don't need all the seats.
Which is what happened the weekend before Thanksgiving. The BoatHouse guys were racing all over the place in the solas, dropping a group of "birders" (scientists here to count and study the bird populations on various islands around Palmer) off at one island and then moving them to another, in between trips to drop off emergency caches at various islands. And so with three other scientists, I was able to hitch a ride just across the little inlet at our dock to Bonaparte Peninsula. It was crazy how refreshing and amazing it felt to be just three minutes away from station and hanging out on the rocks for a couple of hours, appreciating the moss and lichen and seals and penguins swimming by, and the very lovely, mild day.
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