ANTARCTICA CALLING

Posted on December 13, 2013 by bettykuffel

A Report from Expedition Base Camp on Holtanna Glacier in Antarctica

The camp is buzzing with activity and progress. Following a lot of digging and burning out numerous chainsaws by using them to cut through ice to free the trapped and damaged aircraft, yesterday was an exciting day. They were able to fire up an engine. The left wing has been straightened and the team is close to completing repairs on the right wing.

As Sue and I were talking, a DC-3T carrying a new cockpit was landing. The support plane is the same model as the one the team is repairing. An image of a DC-3Turbo, also known as a Basler BT-67 is shown. These amazing aircraft have been workhorses in air transport since the 1930’s and are now remanufactured with turbo engines by Basler Aviation in Oshkosh WI. For more information on the aircraft, go to the website at: www.baslerturbo.com. The DC-3/C-47 are conversions are used around the world. From the photograph, you can see the wheel-skis making it possible to land on variable surfaces.

Basler DC-3TThere have been no major medical issues to worry Sue. The most excitement occurred when her tent caught fire. The jet-fueled stoves have provided efficient safe heat except when very windy conditions created a downdraft and the floor of the tent began smoking.

Recently the weather has been warmer, in fact, warm enough to melt surface ice making walking treacherous. The icy winds make working outside difficult at times. Sue said the hard work has been exhausting. It must be difficult if she gets tired! Sue has amazing endurance, but after three weeks of hard work and restful sleep, she says she is back to normal. Along with her work, she is busy taking photographs and will be able to provide some exciting presentations upon her return.

The crew continues to eat delicious food that recently included squash soup, shish kabobs and lasagna. From a progress standpoint, they are waiting for a delivery of more chain saws and have yet to free the rest of the aircraft from its icy  trap.

Sue will be calling again soon with another update.

Betty

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“GOOD MORNING FROM ANTARCTICA”

Posted on December 5, 2013 by bettykuffel

A Satellite Phone Update – from the bottom of the earth

Sue surprised us this morning with a phone call from Expedition Base on Holtanna Glacier Antarctica.  A number of us had met for coffee and scones at the Coffee Traders downtown Whitefish. Technological achievements today are mind-boggling. We could converse as if she was next door. Sue sounded bright, cheery and warm!

Job Update

Their base camp is adjacent to the disabled DC3-Turbo aircraft, 106 miles inland from the coastal base of Novo. Their job is to extract, repair and ready the plane for flight to ferry it off the glacier to a site where additional repairs can be done. The twelve people in her group are earning their wages. The challenge is to dig out the large half buried aircraft after a winter of icy winds and snow following the mishap in December 2012.

Snow and ice encasement around the plane is so hard chain saws must be used to cut through the ice pack. Yesterday, they were able to expose the damaged cockpit area and approach the ice-encased engine. There heat from the engine at the time of the crash caused initial snow melt and solidified around area making removal very difficult.

They tunneled about 8 feet beneath the plane yesterday. After exposing the wings, the survey revealed damage in the mid-section of both wings that will require straightening. Three sheet metal experts are crew members. Everyone works together to dig out the plane. Sue said she is gaining muscle and endurance with each day that passes.

The three women on the crew have varied skills. The youngest is a 22 year old avionics electronics specialist. With the front of the airplane exposed, she can now begin working in the cockpit on the panel and damaged electronics. Another woman on the crew is an ice core driller, also from Whitefish, who happens to be a darn good cook and is in charge of feeding the group. Arriving two weeks ahead of the group, she prepared many meals in advance of their arrival. Sue continues to deal with minor medical problems similar to those mentioned yesterday and is digging and hauling snow and ice away from the aircraft.

The Comforts of Home

Last night, Lou served: beef tenderloin, carrots and raspberry cobbler. Many meals are hearty stews. No one is complaining about the food. Today they will receive an airfreight delivery of 2 tons of aircraft parts, other supplies and food.

Sleeping is in comfortable tents warmed via jet-fueled heaters. The temperature when she called was 34 degrees F. with 20 knot winds. She said most days are warmer and have been windless.

Yesterday they constructed a shower — yes an outdoor shower surrounded by a wind-break sheet. At least they have a shower. After working so hard, they need showers but have to get up the courage to strip under those conditions. At least they can recover and warm up inside their cozy tents.

As you might expect, Sue brought her skis – and a new kite to kite-ski. To avoid the risk of skiing into a crevasse, on their first excursion, Sue and Lou (the cook) skied along the aircraft landing area. The snow is packed and windblown. She said they had a great time and had the energy to ski even after all the work!

 If there is an urgent need to contact Sue (emergency) you can contact me through the blog and I can get a message to her.

 Until next time.  Take care and stay warm.

Betty

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THE VOICE FROM ANTARCTICA

Posted on December 5, 2013 by bettykuffel

Novo Research Base Antarctica12/2/13 REPORT FROM SUE

 Sue called home via her satellite phone connection.

The 360 degree views from Holtanna Glacier expedition site is a shimmering white desert-like setting with stark 2,000 foot sheer rock walls of light brown with pink quartz stone rising out of the white like giant fangs. Their camp is at the base of the rock walls. If you are interested in viewing this area, the following URL provides amazing photos and videos http://gripped.com/articles/antarcticas-great-climb/

 Even in relatively good weather, it can change minute by minute with sharp drops in temperature if clouds block the sun.  She said: One minute we’ll be in T-shirts outside in the sun, and then the sun goes behind a cloud, and we have to bundle up in lots of layers. At night, there’s complete silence. Every once in while, I’ll hear a boot crunching in the snow past my tent.

 The closest weather reporting station to Sue’s current location on Holtanna Glacier (106 miles away) is the Russian Novo base research station. Today at Novo, the not so balmy summer weather was clear with a temperature of 23 degrees, actually warmer than it is here in Whitefish. These are temperatures are moderate for those who like winter sports, but working outside and sleeping in tents at those temperatures for months is a different story.

 If the temperatures are similar to Novo, last night it was -2 degrees F and tonight, warmer at 14 degrees. Throughout the week, the crew may have clear skies with temperatures ranging from 27-34 degrees in the daytime to 9-14 at night. 24 hours of daylight helps provide the ability to work long hours, but labor in the cold burns many calories and is quickly exhausting. Based on current assessments, Sue reported the project is likely to stretch into February.

 Sue is experienced and hardy with years of experience in all climates, from the hottest in Africa in the Afar Region, the coldest in Antarctica and the highest in Nepal. Her years on the ski patrol at Crested Butte Ski Resort in Colorado, with Wilderness Medical Associates teaching survival skills, and when she wasn’t looking for avalanche victims with her dog Sasha jumping out of helicopters, she worked for 11 years providing care to orthopedic and urgent medical patients in a ski clinic. On this trip, she has already used some of the skills she learned in her varied jobs. Every day she has had medical emergencies including: a leg laceration, finger cuts and a blistered nose. Protection from the unrelenting sun is very important.

Along with medical issues, another job keeping her busy includes helping prepare meals. The cook on the trip is a woman named Lou. They both sound like they are having a great time so far. As news comes in, I will up date you.

 Betty

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THANKSGIVING DAY – CAPE TOWN TO NOVO BASE ANTARCTICA

Posted on November 30, 2013 by bettykuffel

In Cape Town South Africa, Sue prepared for her flight to Novolazarevskaya Research Base with some members of her team. Two  days of rest helped to reset their biological clocks giving them time to explore Cape Town, visit white sandy beaches with blue “swollen scary seas.” They soaked up the sun and sipped fresh organic juices on the wharf knowing they’d be cold very soon.

Flights from South Africa to Antarctica are dependent on weather and winds, so schedules can change without warning. She sent this photo from the airport while awaiting departure. She flew out with a group of 20 Chinese tourists en route Sue Cape Townto the South Pole. The Wounded Warriors ski group accompanied by Prince Harry preceded them by two days.

After a six hour flight across the open ocean, they landed in broad daylight at 3:30 a.m. Greenwich meant time at Novo base where the runway is a sheet of ice located on a flat windswept area surrounded by an “icy desert.” The temperature on landing was -1 C; a balmy 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Near Novo, she saw two skuas soaring overhead. These large 21 inch seabirds nest along the Antarctic coasts during the summer months of November and December. The birds are easy to distinguish because of their size and brown/beige coloration with flashes of white on their wings.

At Novo, the expedition members off-loaded their gear and boarded another aircraft for the final leg of the flight to Holtanna Glacier to join the rest of the team that preceded them to set up one tent and prepare for their arrival. The tentative plan for the second group was to reach Holtanna GlacierNovo Research Base Antarctica today 11/29.  Hopefully, tonight Sue is warm and sleeping out of the wind in her -40 degree Marmot bag.

The expeditionary job is to dig out the semi-buried large DC-3 turbo aircraft marooned on its belly over the winter after a mishap causing a hard landing and significant damage to the landing gear.

Sue’s job is varied but her main focus is medical support for the team. She will have 24 hour consultation with the ER physicians at the University of Colorado at Denver via satellite telephone. Prior to departure, she spent ER time with local physicians in her hometown of Whitefish MT and with some of the CO physicians in their new massive ER.

Years of experience teaching wilderness survival, performing avalanche rescue with her dog, extensive skiing experience, and winter survival skills, are background for this venture. Sue has been to Antarctica twice before, to Mt. Everest Base Camp five times, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro three times.

Working in the cold requires a high calorie intake. It will be interesting to hear what they will be eating. She says in So. Africa she weighed in at 61 kg, about 134 pounds, heavier than her ideal. But the extra insulation may be just what she needs under these conditions. I’ll let you know what she weighs after 2 months of working in the cold.

If you Google Holtanna Glacier you will find numerous photos and videos from extreme climbing teams who venture to climb sharp spires of granite jutting up from surrounding ice. This is the area where they will attempt to remove the disabled aircraft, assess the damage and then a determination will be made if it is repairable and can be flown out to Novo. For Sue’s extensive list of experiences and classes for 2014, check out her website at: www.suep@cboutdoors.com

We are now awaiting an update via satellite phone after they reach their camp location at the Holtanna Glacier site. The working team will be living in tents for the next two months.

Betty Kuffel, MD

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FOLLOW SUE’S ADVENTURE TO ANTARCTICA

Posted on November 24, 2013 by bettykuffel

BLOG FOR SUE PURVIS: ADVENTURER AND WILDERNESS SURVIVAL EXPERT www.cboutdoors.com

This morning, Sue left the comforts of Montana bound for the Novo base in Antarctica via Capetown South Africa. She is on assignment as medical support with a team hired to extract a damaged DC3-Turbo aircraft from the ice and snow. More information on the mission follows.

You will find periodic updates about her adventures on this blog. Our communication is via satellite telephone contact only, once she reaches the expedition base. If you would like to follow the blog with email alerts, please click on the “follow” button on the bottom right of the page. She would prefer this not be shared on Facebook, but you can share it directly with her friends and fans via email.

Weather report for Sunday at Novolazarevskaya Station, known as Novo base where Sue will be landing after a 5-6 hour flight over 4,000+ kilometers of ocean from South Africa:  High 32 degrees F, ESE w 25 mph, chance of snow 20%. It’s summer in Antarctica December-Jan with 24 hours of daylight.

Novo_locationNovo base is a Russian research station with an estimated summer population of 70. It is located at the Schirmacher Oasis, Queen Maud Land, 75 km from the coast and separated by the Lazarev Ice Shelf. The team’s work site is about 100 km from Novo. (Site at top of small map of Antarctica is Novo.)

Aviation Safety Network Report of Aircraft damage incident: December 20, 2012

Kenn Borek Air DC3-T (Basler BT-67), C-GEAI, was conducting a tour operation off Holtanna Glacier, Antarctica, with 15 passengers aboard. During the take-off roll from the unprepared surface (position S71 55.3, E008 17.9) for the return leg to Novolazarevskaya, Antarctica, the aircraft contacted a snow drift and became airborne with insufficient speed to sustain flight. The aircraft stalled and contacted the surface with sufficient force to collapse the main landing gear. The aircraft came to rest on its belly sustaining substantial damage. Two passengers received minor injuries. The crew and passengers were accommodated in tents until a second Kenn Borek DC3-TBasler-DC-3-Antarctica-1207a arrived later in the day.

(Photo of a similar aircraft)

Betty Kuffel, MD

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BOOK EVENTS

Posted on October 8, 2013 by bettykuffel

Jim long shot of classroomOn the last weekend in September, the 23rd annual Flathead River Writers Conference filled to capacity. Weather cooperated for attendees and presenters, with Author Bill Henderson, Author Gwen Hernandez, Agent Liz Kracht and Agent Paige Wheeler all getting a taste of Montana hospitality, scenic beauty and a little snow. 3 muskateers on the Continental Divide.editThe Going-to-the-Sun Road remained open for their trips to the summit of Logan Pass. We are already on to planning for next year’s conference. The recap of this year and plans for 2014 will be held at our next regular Thursday evening meeting on October 17th in the evening. Volunteers to help at the conference are welcome.

DSCF8718The Whitefish Library event sponsored for local authors on October 3rd was well-attended. Beverages and amazing healthy hors d’oeuvers were provided by the library committee. Between 6-8 pm, a number of authors read from their books.

Today, Tuesday October 8th is my first book signing at North Valley Hospital gift shop from 11 am-1:30 pm. Additional signings scheduled at North Valley Hospital are on Wednesday 10/16 and Friday 10/25, also from 11-1m-1:30 pm.

On Saturday November 2, Kathleen Lewison, MD, OB/Gyn specialist, and I will be presenting at The Springs in Whitefish. The event is open to the public. A book signing and sales of my book on heart disease will follow the educational event.

With the right knowledge and actions, the number one cause of death in women and men is preventable.Your Heart Book Cover- Finalwfontchg.2

Follow NVH on Facebook for updates on their event calendar  https://www.facebook.com/NorthValleyHospital

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Fall In Montana

Posted on October 5, 2013 by bettykuffel

IMG_1469The summer heat is gone. The past two weeks, we have been deluged with rain. The grass isIMG_1474 lush and waiting to be mowed, but winter is in the air. Only 23 degrees yesterday, a light frost blanketed foliage and we had to find windshield scrapers. The deer have been spending time in the yard eating windfall apples and with the first snowfall on higher elevations, skiers are smiling more.

Winter can be a productive time for writers. One of my prolific author friends starts a new book each January. I am not quite as industrious or organized but am busy writing again on my next book, a bio-thriller set in Montana. I hope to finish it before the end of the year.

Each morning I sit at my desk facing east and watch sunrise over the Rocky Mountains. About 25 miles away, Badrock Canyon is visible on clear mornings. Located along Highway 2 where it begins winding through part of Glacier Park, the route takes you across the mountains via Marias Pass. We’ll be driving the route again soon. October 19th, I will be presenting on heart disease and doing a book signing. The trees are entering the period of high color, so the drive through the mountains will be more scenic than usual.

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5 x 8 Your Heart book - FINAL- 2With the right knowledge and actions, the number one cause of death in adults is preventable.

bettykuffel.com

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUNRISE

Posted on September 14, 2013 by bettykuffel

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WHAT IS WRITER’S BLOCK?

For years, I have found the early morning darkness a special time of day. Sitting on the deck with steaming coffee and my constant companion Valkyrie, we talk and enjoy the birds, squirrels and deer as they begin their days.  In the cool fall mornings, added to the sounds of occasional trains off in the distance and breeze-rustled leaves are the sounds of apples dropping to feed the deer visitors.

We have two sets of twin fawns, a number of singlets with does of all ages, and an occasional buck that stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is difficult to envision living anywhere but in the peacefulness of Montana with my human and animal friends adding happiness to each day.

As the sun rises high over the Rockies, I begin writing. Now that I am retired from medicine, I have more time to write and finish projects started years ago, but the days aren’t long enough to accomplish my writing goals. Life gets in the way – like mowing the lawn, trimming the bushes, cleaning the house and – you know the rest. We all have chores that never cease, such as doing dishes . I have always been a work-a-holic but I have never, like some, said “Thank god it’s Monday.”  Now that I don’t have daily commitments at the hospital, I have  a list of objectives that will be difficult to meet.

Over the past ten years, I have written a medical murder mystery series (3 completed with 2 more outlined and many more in my head), an intrigue romance set in Alaska with a medical and flying theme, and a soon-completed a bio-thriller. I hope to submit the thriller for publication this year. The rest will be honed and edited in time. I have never experienced “writer’s block.”

If progress is slower than I’d like or the plot needs a twist, I often set it aside and work on something else such as another novel, a blog or a magazine submission. In the background, the plot twists and the characters evolve as I work on other projects. I often miss working on a particular project and am driven to get back to it, as I am today. The bio-thriller is calling to me.

IMG_0977Betty and Valkyrie

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Lenient Sentence for Serial Rapist in Montana

Posted on August 29, 2013 by bettykuffel

On August 26th Judge G. Todd Baugh sentenced the former high school teacher Stacey Rambold to spend 30 days in jail – 30 days for serial rape of a 14 yo student who later killed herself.

What was the Billings, Montana, district court judge thinking?!

First, he blamed the serial rape of a 14 year old girl on the victim, not on the male superior high school teacher 35 years older than she.

Then, after the rapist was evicted from a mandated sex-offender treatment program as part of a prosecution deferment agreement   –  the kindly judge decided the punishment did not fit the crime. In a quote in USA Today Judge Baugh said  “…but it wasn’t this forcible beat-up rape.” Doesn’t the judge know the legal definition of rape?

The judge reportedly told a CNN reporter that Rambold “is a low risk offender” and treatable.  Well, he failed to complete the program. He, therefore, was not treated. I would like to know what the psychological evaluation of Rambold entailed and into what offender classification Rambold falls.

Montana’s three tier system includes: Tier 1.Low risk for repeat, Tier 2. Moderate risk for repeat offenses, Tier 3. Risk of a repeat sexual offense and is labeled a Sexually Violent Predator.

Preying on a very young teen, a girl too young to consent to intercourse is pedophile behavior. Pedophiles are incurable, shameless psychopathic individuals who do not benefit from sex-offender treatment programs. –Especially if they don’t attend them.

Results from the California Sex Offender Treatment and Evaluation Project found no significant difference among three groups of sexual or violent re-offenders over an 8 year period. The same result was found for both rapist s and child molesters whether they received intensive treatment or no treatment.

Once classified as a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) forensic psychologists and psychiatrists agree the perpetrator should be imprisoned for life because relapse prevention treatment does not work. Is Rambold a sexually violent predator? He repeatedly preyed on a young girl, too young to give consent to intercourse. I wonder if Judge Baugh would like Stacey Rambold living next door to his grand daughter.

Judge Baugh should resign from his position as district court judge. Beware, the Judge is running unopposed for another 6 year term. Do you want him in this position?

Posted in Eyes of a Pedophile Info Downloads (PDF), Pedophile Behavior, Prosecute Pedophiles, Sexual Predator | Tagged | Leave a comment

Call to Montana Writers

Posted on July 17, 2013 by bettykuffel

Would you like to be part of the first anthology produced by Montana Inkslingers?

Fran Tabor and Terry Compton, both Sci Fi and varied genre authors formed

Montana Writers LLC

Objectives:

Print an anthology of stories of Montana covering past, present and future

E-publish and print publications of anthology – Kindle, CreateSpace and Smashwords

Increase each writer’s web presence by linking to each others web and Facebook sites

Increase traffic to personal websites and enhance book sales

Publishing  and sharing profits with each contributor

Many more details are available. To discuss this with Fran and Terry please attend the Thursday evening Authors of the Flathead meetings scheduled for the first three meetings of the month.

NOTE CORRECTION BELOW: THURSDAY JULY 18TH

THURSDAY JULY 18TH we have a guest speaker, memoirist from Idaho: Dave Erickson. He is a retired biologist who specialized in aquaculture working with trout farming.

See www.authorsoftheflathead.org for additional information. Please join us for his lively discussion.

Join the author group for the Annual Picnic at Pavilion #2 at the Whitefish City Beach on August 29th beginning at 6 pm. This is a potluck affair with side dishes provided by the group. Burgers, brats, condiments, plates, utensils are supplied by Authors of the Flathead. We have purchased an alcohol beverage permit so if you can bring beer or fine wine to drink with your meal.

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