STILL MORE OF "THE ICE"

This was taken at MAAG (McMurdo Alternative Art Guild) last night.. Will have more to add
as soon as I download some pictures.  Amazing weird, original, sometimes rather sick, whimsical
exhibits.

This is a sign I made for my WISSARD folks.  Yep, they actually have a posted spot
out on the road where I turn to go in about a mile to the drilling area.  Humor is kind
of weird down here.  I'm beginning to fit in!!!

The "outhouse" at WIS Spot.

The inside of the "outhouse."  The can under the "urine only" you take out and
pour it into a hose that connects to a container outside.  All the conveniences of home.

On Saturdays one of the chefs comes out and we have a barbecue.  When it's sunny out (like this day was) you can almost imagine you are at a ski  lodge (well, almost!!!!!)

This was taken at the Xmas Party in the heavy job (equipment repair). Still can't believe they can get the place so spic and span.  The gal with me is Kat, a fellow shuttler who married a Kiwi and lives in

Christchurch.

Can't seem to put the printing where I want to!!  Anyways, skiing out on the way to LDB (Long Duration Balloon).  Beautiful day.

Voila, gingerbread house.  Better picture later!!!

Lone little Adelie penguin wandering around town.  We managed to herd him down to
the pier...so maybe he found his friends...We're not allowed to touch or interfere with them.

They are so cute, you just want to cuddle them!!!!

.THis was taken when the WISSARD traverse left yesterday.  13 Challengers pulling these modules.  Biggest traverse attempted.  I feel so honored to have been a very small part of this happening. More pictures later.

EVEN MORE OF ANTARCTICA

This is the delta that I drive.  Looks pretty clean here.  They are from the ''70s and '80s and we have three of them (effectionately called Tina Maie, Gale, Dawn)  They can carry up to 21 pax.

Don't know if this picture was photo shopped or not but it sure is cute.  Haven't really seen any Emperor penguins this season.

This is a shot I took from a walk on the pressure ridges.  They are awesome.  They are formed by the tides pushing the
ice up against the land mass at Scott Base  (the Kiwi base)

Another shot of the pressure ridges.  The ice is so blue.

The two pictures above are taken at "Happy Camper."  This is where we go out and

practice living on the ice for two days....This is an actual Scott tent that the campers

can stay in or you can see the smaller single tents.  You practice finding lost people

in a white out.  Everyone puts a bucket over their head and works together to

figure out a way to find the poor victim (group effort).  Sometimes there is an acutal

whiteout and no bucket is needed.  You build ice walls and and we used to build

quincies (sort of like an igaloo that we slept in).  Now I just have to take a

5-hour review....lucky me.

This is a new van we got this year (I believe 15).  Some hold 11 and some 14 (really
swished in).  Very powerful and can plow throught the driifts on the road to the
airfield.  The vans now are filthy.  It's mudsville here.  We try to powerwash them
occasionally if the temperature is above freezing.  A losing battle.  Notice the little
triailer.  It really bumps around...backing up is a real art!!!!

The big old C-17 out on the ice runway.

This is a Basler (which is a retrofitted DC-12, tail dragger).  The planes behind
it are Twin Otters (all from Ken Borock out of Canada)  They can go to all the field camps and
drop off supplies and scientists.  They hop all over the place............

This is a Herc or a 130 that goes to the Pole and some other camps.  They can land with skis...amazing to see.

So you think my job is classy, eh?  I carried this "stuff" around in the back of my
van until we finally found out where to "Dump" it. This comes in from the field
camps.  The last container on the right is labeled human waste.  Yuk....

MORE ANTARTICA

Here I am at CDC (clothing distribution center) in Christchurch before getting on the C-17 for the 5 hour flight to "the Ice."  This is after 2-1/2 hours from Denver to Los Angeles, 12 hours
to Sidney (as in Australia ) and another 3-1/2 hours to Christchurch.  I did have a day rest
for training and picking up my gear.

Waiting in front of our hotel (still doing major construction after all the quakes) at 6:00 a.m.
for our van to take us to "de plane" for the ice.

Still at CDC watching the video to prepare us for flying and checking out our clothing.

Now I am sitting in the pax terminal at the center watching yet another video before
taking a bus out to the C-17.  It's a longggggg process.

                                                     This is the C-17 that I came in on.

Here we are in the C-17 for the 5'ish hours flight time to McMurdo.  Usually we have about 10
rows of  "regular" airplane seats, but there was too much cargo so we got the side seats.
At least we have a regular bathroom!!!!  I've flown where we had a bucket (granted a big one!!)
with a shower curtain around it.

My room when I arrived.  There were only two of us and I had the bottom bunk.  My roommate left two days ago and it's been fun being alone.  Will send you a new  picture of how I decorated the place.
Martha Stewart eat your heart out.!!!!!

This is one shot of the pressure ridges (caused by the continental ice shelf and the sea ice and the land meeting)  .  That is Mt. Erebus in the background.

 

McMurdo

This is me in the cockpit of the C-17 on the way to McMurdo for my eighth season. I left home on the 28th of November (2009) and spent a day and a half in Christchurch before deploying on the 2nd of December.

Here is a view from the cockpit of the "countryside. It's very barren but absolutely magnificent.

More magnificent scenery . Mountain with glacier going down the side.

This is McMurdo. The view is from the ice runway (where we landed) looking back at the town. Mt. Erebus is in the background. It is the southernmost active volcano approximately 40 miles from McMurdo. McMurdo Station is located on the southern end of Ross Island, an island of volcanic origin approximately 45 miles wide and 45 miles long. It was established in 1956. McMurdo provides the logistical and operational support to all Antarctic Continental science and support activities.
Closer view of Erebus taken from the road out to Pegasus, the runway we're using now which is about 15 miles from town. By estimation Mt. Erebus is about 12,540 feet and 23 miles from McMurdo. The 130s (only plane with skis) fly pax and supplies to the South Pole (800 miles away). Fuel is delivered to outlying field camps as well. There has been a Pole traverse (3 years in the making) where tractors haul fuel to the Pole. Quite an undertaking.

This is a view of Pegasus Airfield. Yep, it is way out there. I drive out there (about an hour's jaunt - 30 minutes in a van) carrying crew and maintenance people and various other positions you need to run an airfield.

Down below is me getting stuck in Ivan at the beginning of driving out to Pegasus. The roads hadn't been properly compacted and Ivan (the big brute) wasn't in front wheel drive...excuses, excuses. Anyways, you can see a Cat pulled me out....fun and games.

Some more pictures of me getting pulled out. What can I say?

This is just one of the magnificent views I have running out on the ice. Well, okay, it's more of a wog!!!!

These little Adelies were right outside of town at Hut Point. They sure are cute.