Last night we all went to bed tired but happy with what we had achieved here at MDRS. Apparently someone else was happy too. For we were rewarded this morning by waking up at FMARS, the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in Canada's Arctic North -- without having to cough up the very high cost of airfare to the staging point of Resolute on Cornwallis Island. We thus became the first winter crew ever at FMARS.

In the middle of the night, the weatherman relieved himself of his frustrations - predicting rain repeatedly and never coming through - by dumping 2 fluffy inches of snow here in Mars Valley. Not a very Moonlike scene, unless by moon you mean Europa or Enceladus! But beautiful nonetheless.

The crew was even more cheerful this morning than usual -- or at least us snow country people! In our urban area communities, snow quickly becomes gray and dirty. Out here, it will remain driven-white until it melts.

Ben volunteered to go topside, the heavy blue rope secured around his waist, to clear the snow off our satellite uplink dish so that we could get online. While up there, he scouted the horizon for any sign of polar bears. We were relieved that he didn't see any. Of course, one could always be hiding behind one of the many hills or ridges.

For now, outdoor projects are pretty much on hold. And there is a good side to that, as it gives us an excuse to turn our attention to some of the study projects we had started but not finished: a dust control study, a site management study, a Hab and periphery ergonomics study.

We are a little concerned about our exit and the incoming crew's entrance. In the aftermath of today's snow, the dirt road into MDRS is in bad shape, with a lake in the Bob's Rock Garden area. The incoming crew will be coming from Phoenix to the south. But we must travel via a now-snowbound mountain pass into snowbound Salt Lake City.

Tonight we had our last dinner together. This normally would be tomorrow. But as BIg Blue is now retired without a replacement, we have to take what opportunities are available so that we get to our flights home in time. Tonight was the Commander's turn at cooking dinner, and everybody is full and nothing is leftover. Must have been good. After dinner, I thanked all the crew for the privilege of serving with them. A finer bunch I could not imagine. Thanks William, Laurel, Steven, Guido, Leslie, Ben, and Hugh.

We did not get done all we had hoped, but we have much to be proud of and happy about.

William, Laurel, Steven, and Guido leave tomorrow noon. Ben and I will stay on to great the incoming crew and provide an orderly turnover of this great facility. Therefore, tomorrow there will be fewer reports.

Peter Kokh
Commander, MDRS Crew 45
Artemis Moonbase Sim 1