I have not written a log in a couple of days. I pulled my wrist and it became extremely painful to type. It is much better now and I will write my final log today, as tomorrow is press day and then I will be heading back to Denver.

Today we did our last official EVA today. Sam, Steve and I went on a mapping trip to Factory Butte. We laid out the trail with the GPS and also worked on finding an easy way through the wash area. The wash is very difficult as the dunes are comprised of what feels like talcum power. The wheels spin easily in this material and the ATVs can get bogged down quickly. We were successful in finding a path but there were still several places where I would not want a novice rider to go.

Once in the valley floor we proceeded quickly to the trail up the cliff. Before we proceeded up we took a secondary trail that went further up the valley. This trail ended at a waterfall area with a deep pool of water at its base. This is a very beautiful place. We stayed for awhile and then took some samples and moved on.

When we came to the trail Sam went ahead and filmed Steve and I going up the ("Billy Goat trail") steep part of the train and then again in the valley of the big boulders. Then we proceeded straight to the Factory Butte where we took GPS waypoints and more samples. We stayed there admiring the butte for awhile and then headed back the hab. The repeated traveling over the same route has created a trail of sorts. Hopefully it will remain until next season.

Sam has a joke about our crew. It would take just six weeks on Mars for us all to be dead. We have three members now with injures. My injures were sustained before I got here but Penny and Ephimia have succumbed to the rigors of Mars. Ephimia over did her part in setting up camp for the overnight EVA and the next day was in a lot of pain.

Penny had cracked her rib on an EVA the second day. It was a freak accident as the place where she flipped the ATV was on a gentle turn on the road. It was a combination of the gloves and boots being too big for her and her loosing her balance. She is much better now and a total trooper. She still managed to get her science done.

I am about 75% functional but have had a lot of pain in my wrists and knee. The EVAs do my knee in. I should say in the hab but can't resist exploring this terrain. I can't imagine how it would be for an injured crewmember on Mars.

The Hab continues to function well. We have had no blown breakers on the generator and have been up to a 19-amp draw several times. The new generator has arrived but we chose to store it until next season as it take several hours to hook it up an also it runs on LP gas. Our low-tech toilet works well. With the new generator we will have the power to run the Incinolet but might choose to continue with the current set up as the odor is much less now.

The kitchen is functioning well now that we don't blow the breakers when we have more than one appliance on at a time. It has been very hot outside but in the hab the temp is cool. We have put the fan in the roof port a couple of times and that does the trick.

Water consumption has been low. About 30-40 gallons a day. We have been taking few showers. This works for us as we have such a sweet crew. Ha ha.

Speaking of the crew we have had no fights, arguments or sulking. This crew gets along beautifully. We have heated discussions at the dinner table. They are passionate but never mean or selfish. We have developed a mode of communicating that is real and to the point. A strong bond has developed among these relative strangers and we will continue to be friends for a long time. Ephimia is administering the final debriefing of the crew. These debriefs take one hour and are very comprehensive. Ephimia has collected a lot of data from this crew and its isolation. She plans to publish a paper on her findings.

The following is a summary of our mission goals and our success at meeting those goals.

Science and Exploration Objectives:

1. To discover and reliably detect surface indicators of subsurface mineralogical and microbiological activity (desert varnish and other surface rinds)
   
   We made a good start in this. We were able to locate enzymataic activity capable of detoxifying organophopros nerotoxins. We were able to determine this same activity was clearly associated with micorbiological components of the rock and soil samples. We were able to make cultures of some of the phophros samples.
   
   We located a variety of unusual and distinctive surface colors and textures that may be associated with microbological activity. Further analysis of collected samples and living cultures will be preformed back in our labs on Earth. Attempts will be made to date the various components of rinds and varnishes.
   
   
2. To quantify microbiological activity levels using exoenzyme assays, for example organophosphorous hydrolaise. Yes. See above.
   
   
3. To continue the geologic and biological characterization of the local area.
   
   We collected close to 100 samples and recorded their locations with GPS and pictures. We also did several recon EVAs and discovered routes to the Goblin Valley and also the Factory Butte. We also found a route to the Muddy River where it enters the Coal Mine Wash. We have recorded all these routes with GPS and located them on the maps.
   
   
4. To test Mars surface operations as specified in NASA documentation with integrated elements of science, exploration, and environmental constraints.
   
   This crew followed a NASA blue book plan for the Mars Reference Mission plan very closely. We conducted this sim with the highest fidelity possible. The crew never went outside without a suit on and conducted all our activities under the sim protocol. We made several discoveries that will be reported to NASA. The obvious on was the trouble that we had keeping to the schedule. According to Ephimia this is a common problem at the ISS.
   
   
5. Exercise, food and psychological human factors. We found it very hard to keep to the exercise schedules. When crew members went on EVAs we considered that exercise. Kelly and Ephimia were the most successful in doing exercises. We stuck to our food regiment. It wasn't hard, as we had no other food. We found that the food preparation time became a problem. This diet provided enough energy for the crew. Some members experienced some discomfort in switching to this diet. Others experienced excess gas. With some modification this diet has potential.
   
   Ephimia says she has more data than she expected to get on human factors. The isolation this crew experienced was a source of information for Ephimia. The way we settled the problems and difficulties showed a cohesive and well-adjusted crew.
   
   
6. To develop systematic exploration tools for use in and around the habitat, including GIS software, maps, and exploration logs in consistent units and coordinates. This is an area that we got very little done. Although we logged all the EVAs and coordinates we didn't get to using the GIS software.
   
   
7. To collaborate between the habitat and remote groups of scientists, engineers, and musicians under constraints of delayed communications and limited data transfer rates.
   
   This is an area where we had great success. We were able to communicate with the musicians around the world on a technical and emotional level. We shared music and collaborated on songs. Several of the songs that we worked on brought back comments like, "That is exactly what we had in mind." Ect ect. Sam, Kelly and Frank worked hard on making our soundtrack for a Mars Mission and we now have over 20 songs to pick from. We also worked with Mission Support in a constructive way. They carried the ball several times for us. We had some miscommunication that was mostly on our part. We were grateful for all the help that Mission Support gave us.
   
   
8. To examine the interrelation between crewmember personalities, tem interaction, stress effects, and their impact on mission-relevant factors (ie. Productivity, safety, meeting mission objectives/science, etc.) This goal was met by Ephimia and will be in her report in great detail.
   
   
9. To work as remote liaison to disseminate video and other information about crew activities to Earth and to characterize a documentarian's role within a planetary exploration crew. Sam did a wonderful job of documenting this crews activities. He is a technical genius and very sensitive to our needs and expectations. You will see this crews adventures on National Geographic Channel next month.
   
   
10. To assess the effect of a vegetarian macrobiotic diet on the crews health and productivity. This goal was met and examined. See #5.

This is the end of my reports. I have enjoyed this stay with these wonderful people and will remember it all my life. I have made some strong and fast friends and shared my life with people that I trust. That I was elected captain of such a professional and highly trained crew was an honor. Did we accomplish real Mars research? Maybe yes, maybe no but we really tried. It was hard suiting up at midnight to fill the generators. The diet we experimented with was less that filling many times. Filling out the daily logs was often a pain. Several times we stayed up through the night working on our projects. We laughed, we cried and we gave a little blood to this effort. I am moved by the time, effort and money this crew put into our stay here. I don't know if we will make a difference or not but no one can fault us for not trying.

My hope is that we made some progress towards the Mars effort. We gave it our all and this became a real mission to us all.

Over and out.

On To Mars!