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20

[[insert]] iron at the Derrick Mt. field. Told him to keep it.

[[underlined]] Dec. 20: [[/underlined]] 2 Helicopters out this AM. We sheduled for the 2nd one; ~10 AM. Loaded emergency kits, crampons, ice axes, personal clothing; signed on; climbed on. Wearing Parka, wind pants w linens, mukluks. Shiraishi at left window, Dean in middle, me on right. Weighed down w heavy earphones, Too-dark glasses, scarf, & camera: Very clumsy & uncomfortable - Radio noisy & too big on head. Heli lifted easily & we rose thru mts.; spectacular! After an hour the pilots put down to check something & Dean & I changed seats. I yielded head gear & felt much easier; took off scarf -- better yet. After 2 hrs stopped in rock-strewn field. I thought, at first, they were achondrites - (no crust); then founded bedded SS & quartz cobbles; All are trash rocks; stopped a 2nd time for the same. Flying back over blue ice patches I became sleepy; the sun, heat, motion, couldn't fight it -- kept dropping off. Home by 22:00 - Lunch - Slept comfortably all PM. At 5:30 T = -2[[degree symbol]]C and a giant ring around the sun.

A foot search tomorrow moraines atop Darwin Glacier 

Took a long hike to blue ice w Ed Zeller 9:30-12:00 PM. 
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 21 

Dec. 18
4 times they changed the estimated time of ^[[plane]] departure: 10 PM; 12 PM, 1AM. 10:PM and there it stood. We spent the breakfast hr looking for Cassidy who slept through it. Learned v. early however that we were [[underlined]] not [[/underlined]] going to Darwin by helicopter "It's not done." "Once again Dr Cassidy & Bresnahan is wrong!"
  
Packed our stuff - collected crampons & ice axes - mailed letters --.
Saw Funaki's meteorite  (requisitioned from pilot) & discussed potential of Allan Hills w. him. visited P.O. & store (bought nothing). Had lunch & dinner w. Bill who turned up at 9:45 to see us off from the bus stop. Just as I stepped into the van & leaned forward to zip up my bag, the tractor lurched, sent me against the doorknob & the door flew open - I saw myself tumbling head-first down steps. Caught myself & settled for long slow ride over pressure ridges 

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Dec. 21 The Solstice : Sky white - occasional snow Doubtful flying weather. A Hercules started out home & Ed Zellen & party & sev. others packed up to leave. We hoped for clearing & helicopter flight later in day: No luck. Nothing can land or take off. Its a lazy day -- I'm catching up on this diary - thinking of revising the great Marvin-Wasson ms.

A bath at 4:15 & I feel great. Shrimp and (2) lobster tails for dinner. After dinner the sky showed patches of blue, & much of the horizon was visible. Tomorrow will be beautiful.

Dec. 22. Awoke to clear bright magnificent morning -- Morning means sun in N -- Scheduled for 2nd helicopter ^[[~10:00]] flt. (Denton 1st ~ 9:00) Out to head of Darwin Glacier & moraines. Put down w emergency gear & bags. Carried Kelty packs -- mine v. topheavy and side-heavy. Field strewn w. dolemite, coarse to fine, shale, SS, even a little poor coal.

About 20 min. into search, I was inspecting trash rx to get an idea of them -- stumbled onto a[[strikethrough]]n de [[/strikethrough]] nondescript brown one amongst sev. dolemites. Displaced it in fall and turned it over. it had a rounded surface buried in snow and traces of fusion crust. But I couldn't believe it.