We landed in front of the Common Wealth Glacier and thus began the next part of our adventure, with a trail-less path down from the Common Wealth Glacier to New Harbor. This glacier ends at the Taylor Valley. Its vast expanse rides up the hill and disappears beyond the tops of the mountains that line Taylor Valley hiding its true size and dimensions. Cliffs of ice a hundred feet high mark the abrupt end of the glacier. Snow and ice that seemingly looked as if it was flowing off the top, and now frozen, created the illusion of a waterfalls that had been stopped in place. Why did the ice so abruptly end here, one could only wonder? Along the sides of the mountain, scarps or ridges aligned at a certain elevation, almost like nature had constructed a contour of elevation. However, these were formed by when the Earth laid in the throes of the last ice age. A time when although the ice could still not breach over the mountain highs that lie west of here, the ice sheet instead traversed across the entire Ross Sea extending its ice across its entire expanse, burying it and was sufficient in its mass to reach its deep bottom. Then with ice’s great enormity, it slid up this valley pushing boulder and rock alike to form these ridges along the side of Taylor Valley. Our walk down to New Harbor took us along the streambed, now mainly frozen but with hints that the deep freeze of wintertime was finally coming to an end. Areas of thin ice and actual water seeping through, gave the slightest glimpses of Spring˙s arrival. It was a pleasant journey down hill. However, for me, I was anxious as I awaited to glimpse upon the area where I will be co leading my first expedition in Antarctica, New Harbor.
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