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[[underlined]] March 11, 1985 [[/underlined]]

Windy & snowy all night. I woke several times - listened & cuddled in sleeping bag until I realized I was cold and so put on my sweater. I felt snow packed against my tent well to about a foot & a half. I wondered if this would be the last night I would ever spend in a tent on an expedition. I think it highly likely. My alarm went off, as planned, at 5:15 and I spoke to Tony. She said: "I'm not going in a zodiac in this wind -- simply not going to do it. I'm afraid of them anyway and [[strikethrough]] it is [[/strikethrough]] I won't do it in this wind" We doubted that a zodiac would be in by 6:00 a.m. & stayed in bed. Sure enough, Mike came by about 5:50 and said we should go thru our ordinary breakfast routine -- they would contact the Duke again at 8 o'clock. We dozed until 7:15 and then discovered that the oatmeal box I brought in last evening was full of packets of hot chocolate. We snacked on triscuits and Tang & this & that. Mike had said it looked fine but windy. I was out by 8:00 & went to listen at radio tent. They didn't rouse the Duke at all while I was there. We were ready to settle in for a[[strikethough]] n [[/strikethrough]] morning, a day, a week, when Bill & Mike came by rousing us out. We were to strike our tent & the cook tent & be ready for the 2nd & 3rd zodiac. 

It was a cold, blowy morning with thin, slushy ice on the bay. The tide was in. We packed all our stuff in our duffel bags, rolled up our sleeping bags etc. We were out in good shape early. Phil came by w. a TDS to carry our stuff away.

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Then, 5 or 6 men began digging up our tent poles, cutting the ropes, and down it went. We never dreamed that our full evacuation could take place in only one day. But when 2 zodiacs appeared at our icy "loading dock", all the rock boxes went into the first one with room left over. It was astonishing how smoothly things went. With great stashes of things ready to go, we soon had to rustle up some more - striking tents, clearing out the big tent, buring boxes & cans & opened foods. I retrieved my camera from bottom of my orange bag and photographed the process. But I wasn't much use for lifting & hauling, and gladly rode away on the 3rd zodiac. Bill was scheduled to go with me, but he was too busy at camp. Tony & I and Scott rode over on a pile of tents.

The crewman pointed out to Bill that the bay was icing up. Indeed, we rode part way w zodiac on ice & propeller in water. It was a long ride, but what a welcome sight was the big, red  Polar Duke -- riding normal to the shore, out well beyond Cockburn Island. When we arrived the ship appeared deserted. Nobody on deck or cabins. We circled up to ladder 3 or 4 times before anybody noticed us. We were there well ahead of their expectations. As we arrived, Tony called out that she wanted a shower -- yet we found we could have lunch & had it first thing -- Turkey soup (hot & wonderful & enough, but I had also ordered chili & was given a plate piled high with it -- and had to dump out all but a few forkfulls). 

We were all expected to help w the unloading, & Tony did so all afternoon. So did others - Jeff was in before I settled in & so were several others. However, I goofed off. I would

Transcription Notes:
"buring" probably a misspelling of "burning"