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Spitsbergen Report No. 11
June 21st 2002
Snow melt and Farewell
Even in the Arctic the summer begins some day, or the snow doesn't increase any more in average, respectively.
On a warm Sunday it suddenly began to drip everywhere, then to murmur and finally to flow.
But before the return of the bare ground a couple of snow activities were left to enjoy.
For example the dog sled tour that Regines sister had made possible. In radiant sun shine and guided by Ellen we drove
through Bolterdalen with four dogs each (called amongst others Saddam and Ali). To round off this 'look and say'-like
("completish" in German) experience we were allowd to wear nice dog fur hats.
The "Completeness" culminated in scenes of fraternization and full identification.
But the Alaskian Husky Baccus should better be left alone. No photo date can compete with wine.
On the way back from the east coast the snow on Rabot-glacier has scarily become brown.
Even the breath of the spitzbergian winter doesn't last forever. A true shock after more
than seven month of doubtless snow cover.
The sun rising higher and higher doesn't only change the light conditions directly
but also favours indirectly clouds and winds absent during the real winter.
The ordinary view from Adventalen towards Longyearbyen (weakly to the left) gets estranged.
Malte and his vehicle fade away.
This scooter didn't have to experience the snow melt. A forgotten handbrake
made the mobile catch fire and burn. This photo was taken one day after the incident and
its departure to the eternal scooter-hunting fields. The heat of combustion made the skeleton
sink into the snow. The melting hole was immediately filled with drift snow.
In Colesbukta I saw for the first time again unfrozen sea mud. Just on the verge of
the high tide coast line some anchor ice is left. In the sea life has already begun to trive.
More norwegian than on May 17th it presumably doesn't become in Norway. All the Norwegians
wear their Bunad and fashionable variations of their national flag. The children's
circus also performed something, as I did with fire.
In the beams of the midnightsun it's perfect conditions for barbecueing and partying.
Still sitting you can see Ingeborg (Norway), Aili (Greenland), Marianne (Norway) and
Stefan and Niels from the southern part of Germany.
Alan (UK) und Rüdiger (Saxonia) go special ways of improvisation.
Mari from Finland is taking it a bit easier.
Unmoved by this the snow has stroken up its swane's song. Strange enough it already begins
to thaw a couple of degrees before the zero degrees. But it doesn't melt but disappears without any track.
The remnants, as depicted here, are some kind of a peculiar framework of porous and easy-to-disintegrate-like ice.
But temperatures keep on rising and finally you can also find liquid water.
Soon the poor soil shows up again. In the foreground you can spot little saxifraga blossoms.
The mild spring weather also wakes up the "Biergarten"- and breadtime culture from hibernation.
Here it's Malte with carefully blacked beard at the flank of Gruvefjellet.
In the exuberance of spring you can feel like having a little swim in the fjord.
But that might be a little hasty.
In the background, by the way, Lance is resting. It's the same vessel that took us into the ice of the Greenland Sea.
And with this dynamical picture I close my reportings, as will leave this franzy island in two
weeks already.
Thank you very much for the friendly interest that the ten reports were met with (and perhaps even the eleventh),
it was great fun to write and program them .
See you some day in the real world,
Yours Niels.
P.S.: And if somebody still hasn't gotten enough, you can have a look at the
Epilogue that describes my journey back and the
first steps resocialization.
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