537 Days of Winter by David Knoff

Author:David Knoff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Affirm Press
Published: 2022-05-18T00:00:00+00:00

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Just as the terrain naturally flattened out before the rocky moraine and what would have been the downhill run to the halfway point, the Blue Hägg died, unable to muster enough power to crest the small rise. We would have to abandon it there, pile into the Red Hägg and get the groomers down to halfway asap.

The blizzard was now in full force, with visibility down to just metres and blowing snow that ripped at our clothing and any exposed skin. This was not a place to hang around. We managed to park the Blue Hägg into the prevailing wind, seal up the doors and double-check them, mark a specific grid reference on a GPS unit in case it became completely buried and make haste. The Red Hägg arrived on cue and we piled in for the ride down.

Once down off the moraine line, at the lower altitude, the weather slightly improved. As we looked back to the south, where we’d come from, we could see the storm clouds and blizzard in all directions – time was of the essence. The mechanics found suitable locations for the groomers, detached the sleds and sealed the doors and compartments as best they could in the short time.

I grabbed Jarrod to run through the plan from a field safety point of view, to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

‘We get the six of us into the Red Hägg and to Bandits. We’ll be safe enough as a group to ride out the blizzard. If the weather looks okay we can draw straws and leave two there and send the Hägg home, cool?’ I said, knowing that, although it was my call, I needed Jarrod to be on board from a field safety perspective, given it was outside standard procedures.

‘So we need to put two in the back of the Hägg over the sea ice?’ Jarrod asked. We’d be driving over frozen fjords, which was less dangerous than coastal ice.

‘Given the distance,’ I replied, ‘I don’t think we have any other choice.’

Technically, we needed to call Rick for the approval to break standard operating procedures. But as we stood in the middle of a blizzard yelling in each other’s ears over the raging of the wind, all we could do was act.

‘This is our best option and we’re out of time. Safest thing we can do is get everyone to Bandit’s asap and reassess when we’re there,’ I concluded as we gathered the others, briefed them and crammed two volunteers into the back of the Red Hägg, which was loaded to the brim with gear. I wanted to get in the back myself but was slow off the mark as others jumped at the opportunity ahead of me and we headed off across the ice to Bandits.

Arriving at Bandits, we had two options. The weather down at sea level was good for the drive back to station but I did not want passengers sitting in the rear cabin along the less stable coastal sea ice between the icebergs.

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