MDRS EVA Report 005
EVA 5 Report, Sunday, December 23, 2012
Derek Pelland, Erick Tijerino, April Davis, me
Left the Hab at 12:44, returned at 16:45. We headed for Teetering Rock, went around to the right and circled it, then headed back straight across the muddy flats. Our first stop at 1:55 was directly in a line between Factory Ridge to the east and Teetering Rock to the west in order look at a petrified log pinned upright in white sandstone. (GPS coordinates: UTM 12S 518609N/4250464E) Lots of mud, ice and snow, but going slow made for easy walking. Just beyond the curve of the Teetering Rock hill going counterclockwise, we came across a flat expanse with pieces of petrified wood strewn around. At this point, all our cameras stopped working.
Erick and Derek climbed up onto Teetering Rock, planted a couple of flags (US and Guatemala) temporarily and scouted the best route for us to proceed. (GPS UTM 12S 519380N/4350174E) Meanwhile, still in visual contact, April and I found a burrowing beetle pink/gray rock that looked like a brain that was too heavy to take back with us. Erick’s faceplate started to fog up at this point and didn’t quit the whole way back. I saw signs of an animal burrow (front and back door) inside an upright rock. I found a mound of dirt and what looked to be pellet feces outside the back door.
We continued around Teetering Rock-came across multitudinous layerings and rockslides of different materials that stood out dark against the rest of the light-colored hillside. Translucent red rocks were everywhere. At one place, bright yellow soil blended side-by-side with the red soil.
We spotted cows. They spotted us. I should have counted them. Later when asked, the cow tally was 8, 10, 10 or 11-12 black cows. We headed for home at 15:30.
The moon was visible as a waxing crescent high in the East. At one point a con trail from a plane high in the atmosphere cruised past the moon.
We walked past peculiar rock formations of standing stones with the bases eroded away; flat tops and smaller vertical bases looking like café tables or Alice’s giant mushrooms. At this point, in sight of the Hab, we started picking up heavier rocks.
Five minutes in the airlock, then half an hour wiping mud off our boots. Supper was waiting, then report time. We’re weary, but happy.