(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica)McMurdo is on the Ross Ice Shelf, and you can see why we flew from Christchurch, New Zealand. Scott base is the Kiwi station. (keep clicking on the map!)
...Welcome to my information Overload!...
The flight yesterday was a short 5.5hrs: 3p - 8.30p, local time (New Zealand time), and included ear plugs, reading, and much picture-taking out of the tiny port windows. I also had the opportunity to go up to the cockpit, where the co-pilot pointed out the antarctic mountains rising up on the horizon. When even the pilot pulled out a lovely SLR for a few pics himself, I felt better about all my photo-snapping. There were only ~30 of us on the flight, seated along the walls of the C-17. In the middle sat a helicopter in red and white from NZ, bookended by heaps of cargo (in pallets).
Thorsten met me as we debarked from Ivan the Terrabus; he'd seen the plane come in as he returned from Scott's hut. After my debriefings we met for hot chocolate (tasty & only $1!) and then got some cereal from the galley (tea, coffee, and cereal are available after hours) before I headed up to the mail room to get my gear and catch some z's. He and the Swedes (I ran into them too), flew out to the pole this morning to make more holes in the Ice for IceCube. As I probably won't make it to the pole and they leave at the end of the season (late Feb), I probably won't see them again. But it sure was nice to have experience folks around!
The first part of today has been spent waiting for our cargo to arrive. Almost all of it has been waiting for us in McMurdo, but the heavy lifting equipment for delivery was co-opted by the arrival of another flight this morning. So we've been arranging furniture, hooking up to the internet, and chatting. Jin-A and I've met a couple of the GA's now (General Assistants), one working with the sheet metal guys and one in plumbing. Apparently all the insulators quit this year because they can make more in the states, so that's what those guys are up to that the moment. Rob, the sheet metal guy, is a Yaley and asked some great questions about our project. Happily, he also mentioned ultimate -- games Sunday at noon in the gym (basketball/indoor style). Oh, yeah. :)
The plus to working out at Willy field is that it's small and personal, with better food (although I haven't actually eaten in the main dining hall at McMurdo yet and if the cargo takes long enough, I might not tonight either!). The drawback at the moment is that while the main airstrip is still out on the sea ice, we only have one regularly scheduled bus-ride a day: out at 7.30a, back at 5.30p. I am still not a morning person... but hopefully the continuous sunlight will help with that!
The other plus is the beauty of the place. McMurdo proper is a bunch of metal buildings painted in varying shades of yellow and brown and dull green on a snow-and-dirt hillside. Willy field has a full snow cover, 6 buildings, counting the canvas galley, and beautiful 360 degree views on clear, sunny days like today. The Ross Islands proper, including the smoking Mt Erebus, arc towards the shore, followed by Castle Rock, Observatory hill (a clear extinct volcano crater), the very distant Transantarctic Mountains (my favorite so far), White and Black Islands (snowy and not), and more I need to learn!
Incidentally, this makes 5 continents I've visited. Your treat for reading this whole darn thing: can you guess which?
2 comments:
The scenery sounds amazing. I don't think I'd enjoy the chill but i can't wait to see the pictures.
Ivan the Terrabus? That's awesome.
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