Redeployment talk already?!?!

Hello everyone!  I hope you are having an awesome start to 2011!  Life here on the ice has been pretty hectic with Christmas, New Years, and now thinking and planning redeploying.  Wow!  Time has just flown by!  It really feels like it was just yesterday that I arrived down here and now I'm sorting my stuff out getting ready to leave here in a month.  On top of that, I am trying to sort out my budget for a nice little trip to Hawaii.  Raytheon has given us the option for some free layovers in Christchurch, Sydney, Honolulu, LA, Vegas, and somewhere in Texas.  Naturally, it is imperative for me to take advantage of at least one of these and since I've never been to Hawaii, well, why not?  Sign me up!

Moving on.  Christmas down on the ice was very similar to Thanksgiving.  The whole station practically shut down for the weekend, giving us a two day weekend.  There was a town Christmas party, which Santa attended on Christmas Eve, but I did not attend.  I opted for some wine and Christmas movies.  That decision made Christmas Eve feel a bit more like Christmas Eve. Christmas day was laid back.  We had to sign up for dinner, which again was fantastic.  Only downfall was that the C-17 was unable to make it in time, therefore leaving us with no freshies.  That, of course, was a downer, but the cooks and dining assistants still did an awesome job with the resources that they had.  I think the menu consisted of prime rib, lobster tail, all the normal sides, and, like Thanksgiving, awesome desserts (including home made truffles).  After dinner, I spent the rest of the night at the coffee house with some friends, then over to the Southern for some more fun. 

New Years Eve was a very fun night!  To celebrate NYE I attended Icestock.  Icestock is Mcmurdos makeshift version of Woodstock.  Basically, they put up a stage with some seating areas (including blankets, a "Sawbucks" Coffee (with baileys) and bbq huts, arts and craft hut, and live music (all original McMurdo Bands).  Unfortunately, due to my work schedule I was only able to attend the last 1 1/2 hours or so.  Icestock went on from 6-12:30 and I got out of work at about 9:30.  Which, I might add, was a brutal work day; 4 runs out to Pegasus (2 hours a run--8 hours total driving) and 3 of which were in a Delta.  If I haven't already told you Deltas intensify every bump you hit.  When people complain about riding in the back I feel no sympathy for them.  I tell them try riding in the drivers seat.  The drivers seat is a spring seat.  So every time we hit a bump I feel it X5.  Its like the frog hopper ride for small children gone to hell.  I usually will put my hand on the ceiling for protection just in case my head hits.  And, to add to that, the roads were not good that day.  Needless to say, I am due for a day at the spa and a good session at the chiropractor.  Anyways, by the time I got out of work I was ready to have some fun.  I spruced myself up, put my party hat on (my favorite accessory), and spent the rest of the evening (or rather till 12:30) dancing the night away.  After that the crowd moved onto the Southern Bar.  

                                      

View from the 3rd floor of a dorm

Sawbucks Coffee (made by the carp shop)

So this is some big news!  I have spent 3 months on the ice and was starting to get a bit worried that I would leave with never getting the chance to play with a penguin.  Now, due to the antarctic treaty, we all know it is virtually impossible for me to actually "play" with a penguin.  But, the chance to just see one in its natural habitat and not in a zoo will suffice.   Well, a co-worker of mine asked me if I would switch shifts with her, which would leave me working five 12 hour shifts in a row.  But switching really didn't bother me so I said of course I would.  After all, I am down here to work.  The shift was 7-7 and I had a Pegasus run at 7:30 a.m.  I had no passengers (my favorite runs) so I turned the music up a little and started my karaoke session.  Well, I was at about mile 7 out of 13 when I saw these black things on the side of the road in a distance.  They sort of looked like toothpicks.  As I approached I realized they were not toothpicks!  They were 3 Emperor Penguins!  Talk about good karma!  Being by myself I was able to get out of the van and spend a little one on three quality time with the little happy feets!  It was so cool!  It was a very serene experience; to be alone with them in their natural habitat here on the ice.  After about 10 minutes I remembered I still have a scheduled run to keep.  So, I hopped back in my van with a perma smile on my face and finished the run out to the airfield.  To my luck I had no passengers on the way back either; giving me the chance to stop again and spend some more time with them! Needless to say, the rest of the day was a great day!  On top of that I took a walk to hut point a few days later to see the icebreaker coming in and I saw another penguin!  This one was a cute Adelie; all by his lonesome.  Equally as cute as the Emperors though!

Adelie

Speaking of the icebreaker, I'm not sure I told you.  In January and the beginning of February there are a few vessels that come into McMurdo.  It's really quite fascinating to be fair.  These ships dock at the ice pier.  The ice pier is, literally, like a giant ice cube.  It is made out of layers and layers of ice, compacted snow, dirt, and some wood?  I think wood; some type of frame work.  Once everything is set they then cut the ice pier out of the sea ice so it floats like an ice cube and tie it to the land.  The ice pier lasts about 15 years.  In fact, this one was just rebuilt this year because the previous one snapped in half last year just after the last boat left.  You can see in the picture the pier closest is the new pier with the bridge connected to the land.  They moved the old pier down and tied it off so it wouldn't get in the way of the icebreaker and other vessels coming in.  Anyways, for the past few days it was pretty cool to see the boats coming in and to see something out there other than just ice.  Now that the icebreaker has made its way in the sea ice will rapidly start breaking up and open water will come much quicker.  Another plus to the icebreaker coming is it pretty much made a highway for seals, penguins, and whales.  So, hopefully, I will get lucky and get to see some whales!

The Oden - The Icebreaker scientists

So, there might be a chance that I'm cursed with the big vehicles.  Or maybe it's just the luck of the draw; therefore making me a bit unlucky.  First, I managed to get Ivan stuck in the transition.  Now, I think my biggest fear down here was getting stuck and having to call over the radio, for all to hear, for help.  And when I say that I mean in a van.  I didn't really think that I would have a chance to get Ivan stuck.  I don't drive him all that often.  Well, I was coming back from picking up pax that came in on the C-17 and was almost home free, back on land, when I managed to get stuck.  This was the week that the transition was really bad.  Pretty much looked like you were driving through giant puddles.  One wrong turn of the steering wheel and there I was; STUCK!  Super embarrassing, especially with pax on board.  Lucky for me there were 3 bulldozers right in front of me.  But, I still had to call in on the radio to inform them that I was, indeed, stuck.  It was the back, driver side tire.  They hooked up one bulldozer, told me when to give it gas, and nothing.  The bulldozer wasn't strong enough and my back tire wasn't even touching the snow.  It was still spinning after I stopped accelerating.  So, they had to bring in the big dog!  Hooked that bad boy up and it was smooth sailing.  I didn't even really have to do anything.  Lets not forget that that people were taking pictures of me and taking videos. 

On top of getting Ivan stuck, I've also had some bad luck with Delta Dawn and a van.  During a three day span Delta Dawn happened to break down on me twice, along with a van.  Once Dawn's engine just quit on me while I was going down the Scott base hill (steepest hill there is on station), resulting in the steering wheel locking up and the airbreaks going out on me.  That was fun.  The second time I had driven out to LDB, the long duration balloon facility about a 1/2 hour to 40 minutes out, when Dawn decided to break down on me again--while I was out there.  It had something to do with the a belt coming off, burning rubber, and a loud squealing noise.  Again, that was fun.  That same day I went to drive a van and it wouldn't roll over; making me late for my Pegasus run.  Lets all cross our fingers that my unlucky spell with vehicles is over! :) 

So here is a fun fact that I don't know if I mentioned before.  Did you know that McMurdo Station recycles 60-70% of everything used down here on the ice.  And did you know that everything that comes on the ice also must leave the ice.  Therefore, we have to sort our trash in the beginning to make it easier and more efficient.   Clothing, paper towel, plastic, food waste, sanitary waste, hazardous waste, heavy metal, light metal, glass, mixed paper, wood, non-recyclables, aluminum, cardboard, and even human waste have to be shipped back to the states, unless it can be reused here.  There are bins everywhere, all around the station.  There are small cupboards to sort in the buildings and big bins outside of the buildings to put all of the sorted trash in once the cupboards are filled and need to be emptied.  The waste team then goes around collecting everything, where they will make sure everything is sorted and get it ready to go on the boat back to the states.  It could be a few years before some of the waste actually makes it off the island so it is critical that it is sorted properly.  Example, you want all the food waste with the food waste so it is not to rot somewhere else. 

                                                                                      

Milvan Ally.. These will be filled with all the waste




These boxes are filled with food waste.. all of them

















Well, I am sorry to say, but that's all I can think of for now.  With all this talk about redeployment I will  leave you with some things that will seem a bit weird/awkward/strange to me when I leave the ice.

1.  Driving faster than 25 mph.  I might have a panic attack driving on the highway
2.  Not having to chock/micro break my vehicle.  I have a feeling I will attempt to do this out of habit when I return
3.  The feel of humidity on my skin.  I've heard it hits you like a ton of bricks upon arrival to Christchurch
4.  Seeing green other than green flags, and the Kiwi base.  I'm talking grass and trees
5.  Showering in peace.
6.  Just being somewhere where there is more than a few hundred people at a time; like any public place seems super overwhelming.
7.  Listening to a radio station and/or watching t.v that is not run by the Armed Forces Network.  It's kind of weird hearing all the propaganda talk.
8.  Having to pay for gas
9.  Having to pay for food
10.  Being charged $5 just for a beer
11.  Buying something from a store that isn't expired (most things in the store here are expired--it's kind of funny)
12.  Seeing a bug. No bugs-- At all-- in Antarctica; it's too cold
13.  Not being able to walk 50 ft from my house to the gym... what a convenience!
14.  Having to grocery shop
15.  Not wearing flip flops when I shower
16.  Wearing shoes other than my hiking boots or converses
17.  Better yet having a whole closet and drawer full of clothes to choose from!
18.  Having my cell phone.  Right now I don't even know my own room telephone number.
19.  Having the sun go down; seeing stars again
20.  Life without frosty boy

hmm.. That seems to be all for now!  Until next time!  Much love!

Season's Greetings from Antarctica!

Hello family, friends, and followers!

I hope that this blog entry finds you all doing well and enjoying the holiday season! I, for one, cannot believe that Christmas is less than a week away!  Where did 2010 go?!  It's so strange for me to think that if you would have asked me last Christmas where I would be celebrating in a year, I never, in my wildest dreams, would have answered Antarctica!  In fact, this is probably the last place on earth I ever expected to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years!  It's funny how quickly some things just fall into place, as if they were always meant to be, even when they are not planned.  All it took was one small advertisement on the side of google saying "work in Antarctica" and a blog of a previous penguin lover to convince me that I must try to go to the bottom of the world.  And here I am!  To get into the spirit down here there is what is called "Santarctica."  Santarctica is crazy people dressing up in Santa, elf, and reindeer costumes running around the station taking pictures.  There are approximately 50 costumes on station, so if all the costumes were utilized you can only imagine 50 Santa's, elves, and reindeer's prancing from building to building in such a small place.  Sadly, I was unable to participate or even enjoy gallivanting around the station with them, due to the fact that I am currently a "day sleeper".  Luckily, people posted pictures on the I-drive (a place that everyone has access to post pictures/documents) for everyone to see.  Here are a couple of pictures -- it doesn't look like all the costumes were utilized.

Other than that it really hasn't felt much like Christmas.  Sometimes as you are disposing of your eating utensils while leaving the galley, the dish washing room will be playing Christmas classics.  Occasionally, a Christmas movie will be played on one of the two movie channels, but who has time to watch TV?  Especially when the movies are usually on during the day while I am sleeping.  There are a few decorations posted to some of the telephone poles, but not much.  However, the galley was decorated today and it now looks like Christmas threw up in there.  It's safe to say that the Galley is the most festive place in the station. 

I am sad to report that there really hasn't been much going on since my last entry.  My life literally consists of sleep, work out, eat, work, and repeat.  Mainly because my body has yet to adjust to staying up all night and all I want to do is sleep!  You wouldn't think it, since I sleep 9-11 hours a day soundly, but it is a real struggle for me to stay up at night.  The other day I slept 10 1/2 hours during the day and somehow managed to fall asleep at 3 a.m, sitting up against a wall while reading.  I can always tell when it is 2 a.m because every night right around that time it feels like I ran into a wall; instantly tired.  My days off are not as joyous as they once were when I was on day shift because there isn't really much to do at night.  I pretty much try to find things to keep me occupied until at least 5-6 a.m and then I am safe to swan dive.  Thank goodness I transition back to days within the next week or two!

Besides constantly being tired, night shift has had its perks.  For one, the work load is a lot less stressful.  There still is a lot of work, but more on the administrative side.  Day shift can get super hectic especially when there are planes coming in, 20 people calling for taxis, and vehicles breaking down all at the same time.  I've also been able to experience some spectacular views in pure peace. 



This is a picture of the mountains at about 5 a.m         

This is my view of the airfield ramp from the staging area at 3:30 a.m at the Ice Runway    

At about 4 a.m there was a seal flopping towards the edge of the ramp out at Pegasus where I was able to get some pretty up close pictures of her.

But lets go back to vehicles breaking down.  First I need to explain that we have now switched airfields.  Due to warmer weather and the sea ice melting, we had to switch from the Ice Runway out to Pegasus Runway.  The sea ice is melting and the water is quickly approaching McMurdo.  Currently if you climb up OB hill you can see the ocean in the distance, with a few more ice bergs.  It's pretty cool to see actually.  Anyways, the ice runway is slush on the top right now.  Now, there are two ways to get out to Pegasus Runway; the long way or the short way.  Light vehicles, such as vans and trucks, are now forbidden to take the short way, leaving only the long route.  The long route is about a 45 minute drive, compared to the 8 minute drive to the Ice Runway.  On that note, I would like to add that I find on the long 45 minute drive, people are usually not at a loss for conversation.  Maybe it's because they can't handle 45 minutes of pure silence, but I have had the most random conversation with some of the ANG and other employees.  Some of which have included C-17 crashes/malfunctions, how to raise hens/chickens and how to get them on a proper egg laying schedule, which type of ticks carry Lyme disease, women's rights in Saudi Arabia, kidnappings in South America, and how to get rich quick are just a few examples.  Sometimes it's just like they spit out whatever they can think at the top of their head to kill the silence and make the ride go quicker.  I find it hilarious.

Carrying on.  The shortcut, in a delta or Ivan, takes about 1/2 an hour.  The reason for only being able to take deltas and Ivan the short route is because we still use the transition onto the ice that was used for the Ice Runway. Therefore at times, there are giant puddles.  A fellow shuttle driver actually managed to get a delta stuck in one of those puddles, now known as Lake Blake, and fuel started spilling out causing a big scene with firetrucks and all.  Anytime there is a fuel spill you have to let the firehouse know and either clean it up yourself, if small enough, or have them do it for you.  Anyways, the sea ice is still about 7 or 8 feet deep so its still safe to drive on.  The long way is over another sea ice transition that is about 30 ft deep and will not melt out.  It will just be 3-4 foot deep puddles as the weather gets warmer.  The reason that sea ice will not melt out, and is so deep, is because it is pretty much squished between Ross Island and the Ross Ice Shelf.  Soon we will only be using deltas and Ivan to get out to the airfield. 



Okay, so now that you know the background of the Ice Runway and Pegasus, I will continue my story.  So, I was driving a delta out to Pegasus for the 3:30 a.m shuttle run.  The back of my delta was filled with about 8 or 9 ANG (air national Guard).  When I started to leave town, heading towards the sea ice transition to take the shortcut, I noticed that it was starting to smell like a campfire in the drivers cab.  I didn't really think much of it, so I rolled down my window; it was hot in there anyways.  Well, right before I was about to cross over the transition, I started to notice smoke coming from behind the steering wheel.  I had to do a double take because it caught me off guard.  Sure enough, it was smoking, totally explaining the campfire smell.  Too scared that the delta was going to blowup on me, I stopped in the middle of the road, only to get out having to face all the cranky ANG (remember its 3:30 a.m).  Luckily, there was one delta that was at the VMF (the place that fixes the vehicles when they breakdown), that was just fixed and already running.  My co-worker saved the day by bringing me that delta!  I was so relieved that I was able to tell the ANG it would only be a few minute wait.  AND I was so relieved that I noticed the smoke before I made it onto the the slushy, puddle filled transition.  Oh, and one thing you should know is that no one enjoys riding in the back of the delta.  Remember when you were younger and you always ran to the back of the bus because that is where you would get the biggest bounce from the bumps?  Well, that is how it is in the back of the deltas.  Only now we are older and the bumps aren't as fun.  And the ice roads, for the most part, are not very smooth roads.  I've seen people hit their heads on the ceilings riding in the Delta.  This might contribute to a small portion of the crankiness I have to deal with so early in the morning.  

One thing that is really cool is the pressure ridges.  So, I previously mentioned that the 2nd transition is on the sea ice between Ross Island and the Ross Ice shelf.  Well, when the tides rise and fall the sea ice has no where to go because of the Island and the Ice Shelf.  Because of that it has no where to go but up and forms these really cool ridges and waves.

 

One big event that has happened is the Women's Soiree.  Cirque De La Glace was the theme this year.  The Women's Soiree is an annual event that has been going on for the past 15 years.  It's basically a talent show just for woman.  The whole point of the soiree is to raise money for charity.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the charity, but I know it has something to do with helping children whose parents are in prison?  Anyways, the women perform and there are waitresses who go around offering drinks.  The "tips" are the donations.  We haven't been given a total yet on how much was raised, but I did receive an email stating "I don't have the final tally yet for the 'tips' since I'm waiting for one more box of tips, but I am sure we will bring joy to a lot of people this year!".  With that said, I participated in the Soiree.  I know what you are thinking!  "What the heck could she have shared with McMurdo?  Maybe her award winning voice?"  Actually, I hip hop danced.  Well, not just me.  Six of my shuttle ladies and I had a dance off with 6 janitors, 1 rec, and 1 waste (they were all a group).  Each of us danced to two songs, with fun transitions in between, our third dance was together.  Needless to say, it was a riot bopping around to Lady Gaga and Rhianna, in front of a crowd, up on a stage.  Here is a picture of the Shuttle Ladies in our black costumes with make shift lightening bolts over our eyes (it's a Lady Gaga thing I guess).

Well, that is all I have for now.  This week is the big Christmas feast and party. There is a lot to look forward to in the next month: Christmas, New Years, 2 Shuttle Parties in Hut 10, Ice Stock, and the big rugby game- Yanks VS Kiwis to name a few.  And I, of course, will blog about all of them!  The next time you hear from me hopefully I will be a night sleeper yet again! :)  Merry Christmas!!!  Much Love  

Turkey Trots and Ice Caves

Hello again!  I am so sorry that I start a new blog entry the same way every time.  After this entry is written I will spend the next week... or two (let us all hope it doesn't take me that long to write again) coming up with a better entrance :)  I am going to start by telling you what I am doing exactly in this moment.  Well not moment, but this day.  As of now it is 3:43 a.m. and I am currently struggling immensely, to keep my eyes open.  Why you ask?  Why in the world would I purposely torture myself with a burning sensation in my eyes due to extreme exhaustion and walking around like a freakishly tired Eskimo down in Antarctica?  Well I have a perfectly sane explanation.  Currently I am in the process of transitioning from the day shift to the night shift.  For some, I feel, this process is nothing but a swift breeze, but for me it is brutal and painful each night.  I force myself to stay up until 6 or 7 a.m, sleep until 3 p.m, and by 9 p.m I am ready to swan dive again.  Only instead of swan diving, I have to give myself a pep talk repeating over and over in my head all the pros as to why staying up is a good thing.

Thanksgiving

So what is new at McMurdo Station?  Hmmm.. I'm sure you all would love to hear about how we celebrated Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, surprisingly, was pretty awesome.  Well, pretty awesome considering the circumstances of being at the bottom of the world with limited resources.  To be fair, we didn't actually celebrate on Thanksgiving day due to work, but the whole station pretty much shut down for Saturday and Sunday.  It was really nice to experience a Saturday and Sunday off in the same week.  So this is how it went.  Saturday morning was the McMurdo Annual 5k Turkey Trot.  The Turkey Trot started at the Chapel, up to the Scott Base sign and back.  I'm sure you are thinking, "Wow, that sounds like a pretty easy 5k run."  I beg to differ.  Now don't get me wrong.  Was it a good run?  Yes?  Easy?  Not so much.  See, this 5k run was pretty much a steep uphill run to the Scott Base sign, which is 1/2 way.  With that said, the 2nd 1/2 of the race was really easy; downhill pretty much the whole way back.  Also, with that said, you have to remember that Antarctica is very dry and still pretty cold.  My lungs were not happy with my decision to run.....at all.    Notice in the picture to the right people dressed up in costumes.  Here at McMurdo costumes are not required, but highly recommended.




Thanksgiving dinner was also held on Saturday at 4 different times; 15:00, 17:00, 19:00, and midnight for the day sleepers.  Due to a very populated station you had to reserve your time in advance.  Pretty much the whole shuttles crew ate at 17:00.  I must say I was quite impressed with the feast.  First of all, I was shocked that people started to line up 40 minutes before dinner was even served.  The line was literally up and down the hallway of highway 1.  Dinner was served buffet style like normal, but the food was not like normal.  The galley served everything expected for Thanksgiving and more.  They even served giant crab legs.  And if I actually liked crab legs that would have been that much more awesome.  Lets not forget the dessert table.  See, dessert is already a problem here because they always serve tons of it for lunch and dinner.  But they really out did themselves for this meal.  I mean chocolate covered strawberries!  How in the world could they have known that is one of my all time favorite desserts ever?!?!  Needless to say, if Thanksgiving was that great, then I can hardly wait for Christmas!



Moving on....Oh, like I have already told you, this blog has pretty much became my journal, so it is only fair to announce that I have been assigned to a new room!  After much e-mailing and nagging by not only me, but my supervisor as well, the housing department finally informed me that they found me a room.  They told me that they found a "ghost bed," meaning someone left for Christchurch, the pole, or a field camp and the bed was empty.  What is funny is that I was told by one of my roommates that bed has been empty for weeks now!  Housing department is really slacking here.  Anyhoo, I've only met 2 out of 3 roommates and I've been in there for  4 days now.  The room is pretty much split into 4 sections, divided up by the 4 wardrobes.  Due to all of our crazy work schedules I've only been in the room once with the lights on and that was only for about 5 minutes. I usually make my way around finding what I need with a flash light.  Because of this I have not been able to utilize my wardrobe properly yet.  That's okay though.  Just knowing I have a wardrobe I now feel a bit more complete :)

Mass Casualty Incident Drill
Living in McMurdo you are expected a little bit extra from the community.  Meaning volunteering is a really cool thing to do down here.  One thing that I volunteered for was to be an injured person in the Mass Casualty Incident Drill.  The MCI was designed to test the skills of the fireman, medical staff, spill team, and medical volunteers in case there was to be a Mass Casualty Incident.  There were 2 people who set the whole thing up who called the "accident" in to the firehouse and everyone else was clueless as to what the accident was.  Basically the staged accident was a fuel delta and a forklift collided causing a spill.  Just after that happened an airporter was coming down the hill and had to swerve that accident crashing into an oncoming firetruck.  My role was as a passenger in the airporter who was flung from the back of the airporter onto the floor from the accident.  All I was allowed to say was "my back hurts. What happened?"  To make the accident appear real, all the vehicles and injured victims were staged, and fake blood was added (if needed) to get the full effect.  The firefighters took it so seriously that I was taken off the airporter strapped down to a backboard.  I was then transferred with others to the fire station, for medical staff to "diagnose" and "treat" the injuries.  In total I was strapped to the backboard for a good 1 to 1.5 hours.  Needless to say I had a bit of a sore back after that.

photo 1: The Crash                         photo 2: All of us in the airporter getting ready to fake the accident


Laying on the floor waiting for the fireman to "rescue" me                       Me being carried out on a stretcher

          

Ice Cave

As you all know,  Antarctica is a very unique place filled with marvelous beauty.  One of which is ice caves.  I was given the opportunity to hop on a delta, drive 45 minutes out of Mcmurdo to visit one of these ice caves.  Mind you I got a little bit more of the "Antarctic Experience" due to changing weather conditions.  To leave McMurdo for recreational purposes, it must be a weather condition 3, which it was when we left.  After we left, that changed real quickly and dropped down to a condition 2.  Condition 2 you are allowed to leave the station for work related reasons but you must check in with the firehouse when you leave and when you arrive.  Condition 1 the weather is so bad nobody goes anywhere.  And when I say anywhere I mean you technically aren't even supposed to leave the building you are in.  Anyways, it was Extremely! windy.  The wind was so strong that it would move you standing on the ice.  You could literally lean into it and not fall on your face.  At that particular moment I was very thankful for big red.  Big Red, the most amazing goose jacket ever, and I have a love hate relationship.  It keeps me so warm, but always makes me look like a giant red marshmallow.  Therefore I opt to only wear big red when necessary.  The ice cave was absolutely awesome.  You know sometimes when a snowflake lands on your black glove and you can see every detail of it?  That's how the ice crystals were in the cave.  It was like walking into a microscope.  A microscope with a beautiful blue tint.  Plus, the cave blocked the crazy wind so that was a bonus.  On the way back to McMurdo we actually got stuck in the Delta and had to shovel ourselves out.  To be honest I'm surprised we were allowed to go at all since every other recreational activity and flights have pretty much been canceled the past few days due to weather.

Notice the direction of the fur                                                   Standing in the cave at the entrance

 

Inside the cave                                                             This picture doesn't really do the crystals justice

   

Well, my fellow blog followers, it is now almost 6 a.m. Yes, I have now been writing this entry for over 2 hours.  It's safe to say that I get distracted very easily while on the internet and that is why it takes me so long to write a blog entry.  Like previously stated I want nothing more than to swan dive.  So with that said I am off to breakfast.  Well, technically dinner for me, but of course they only serve breakfast food at 6 a.m.  I have a feeling I will be sick of eggs by the time this one month of night shifts are over. 

Good Night!!  Much Love!

And feel free to check out more photos of the Ice on my facebook page.  I have uploaded over 100 new photos :)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=900741614638&set=a.880719958198.2501546.21704017#!/album.php?aid=2501546&id=21704017&page=10


Also, if you are interested, here is some information about McMurdo Station which I just copied from the McMurdo Station Intranet:


McMurdo Station is the largest Antarctic station, and the main station for the United States. It is the logistics center for the U.S. Antarctic Program.

Location and Temperatures McMurdo sits at 77 degrees 51 minutes S, 166 degrees 40 minutes E. It is a coastal station built on the bare volcanic rock of the Hut Point Peninsula on Ross Island, the solid ground farthest south accessible by ship. The station is roughly 3,864 km (2,415 miles) south of Christchurch, New Zealand, and 1,360 km (850 miles) north of the South Pole. Temperatures have been as low as –50°C (–58°F) and as high as 8°C (46°F). Annual mean is –18°C (0°F); monthly mean temperatures range from minus –3°C (27°F) in January to –28°C (–18°F) in August. The average wind is 12 knots, but winds have exceeded 100 knots. Drifting snow can accumulate about 1.5 meters per year, although the station becomes snow-free in the austral summer.

History From 1840 to 1841, the English explorer James Clark Ross spent his first season in Antarctica with a team occupying two ships, the Erebus and Terror. He sailed into waters that drifted toward a rocky and icy shore, which Ross named McMurdo Sound after Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo of the ship Terror. During the voyage, his team also discovered two volcanoes in the area and named them after the expedition’s ships: Mount Erebus and Mount Terror. Established in December 1955 just off of McMurdo Sound, McMurdo Station became the logistics center for scientific research during the International Geophysical Year from 1957 to 1958, an international scientific effort that involved 80,000 scientists from 67 countries. There have been many changes and upgrades to the station since then, and it is still the main station for the U.S. Antarctic Program. Near the station, historic huts remain as part of the permanent Antarctic landscape. In 1901, Robert F. Scott wintered his ship the Discovery in Winter Quarters Bay, adjacent to where McMurdo stands now, and built Discovery Hut (at Hut Point). From 1901 to 1903 and 1910 to 1913, Scott launched his sledging teams from the area, and from 1907 to 1909 and 1914 to 1916, Ernest Shackleton did the same. Other huts used by these expeditions at Cape Royds and Cape Evans still stand.

Current Station The logistics core of the U.S. Antarctic Program, McMurdo has a harbor, landing strips on sea ice and shelf ice, and a helicopter pad. Its 85 or so buildings range in size from a small radio shack to large, three-story structures. Repair facilities, dormitories, administrative buildings, a firehouse, power plant, water distillation plant, wharf, stores, clubs, warehouses, and the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (CSEC) (link2 Crary page) are linked by above-ground water, sewer, telephone, and power lines. McMurdo Station has a diverse population and a busy atmosphere. It is an international center where people come together to conduct and support Antarctic research. Roughly 2,000 science and support personnel pass through or stay at McMurdo Station during the austral summer, whereas the austral winter population is about 150 to 200 persons. McMurdo has three airfields that are used at various times during the austral summer; due to the effect of bitter cold on flight equipment, planes do not land in the winter unless there is a medical emergency, and even then it is not always possible. The Annual Sea Ice Runway, located a few miles from McMurdo, operates from October to December until the sea ice begins to break up. It supports wheeled C-17, C-130, LC-130 and Twin Otter aircraft. Williams Field Skiway, located on the Ross Ice Shelf approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) from McMurdo, operates depending on the requirements for each austral summer season. It is either used from December to February to support LC-130 and Twin Otter ski-equipped aircraft, or it serves as a weather emergency support airfield from October to February. Pegasus White Ice Runway, located approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from McMurdo on the Ross Ice Shelf, is situated on glacial ice with several inches of compacted snow on top, known as “white ice.” Pegasus supports C-17, C-130, LC-130 and Twin Otter aircraft, and is used for winter fly-in (WinFly) deployment in August (the span just prior to the austral summer season), and from December to February.

Science Research is performed at and near McMurdo Station in aeronomy and astrophysics, organisms and ecosystems, earth sciences, glaciology, integrated system science, and ocean and atmospheric sciences. Participants of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program also work at sites in the area. The primary science and research facility, the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (CSEC), was dedicated in November 1991, and began full operation during the 1994-1995 season. The CSEC supports biological, earth science, atmospheric sciences, and an aquarium, all under one roof. For more information about the researchers and science projects during the current season, see the Science Project Web Sites. Antarctic Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Antarctic Earth Sciences Program Antarctic Glaciology Program Antarctic Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences Antarctic Integrated System Science Antarctic Artists and Writers Program

Wildlife and Ocean Life Among the wildlife near McMurdo are Emperor and Adélie penguins, skuas, and Weddell, Ross, Leopard, and Crabeater seals. The most common whales in the area are Minkes and Orcas. The closest Adélie rookery to McMurdo Station is at Cape Royds but Adélies can also be found at Cape Crozier and Terra Nova Bay. In addition to Adélies, Cape Crozier has a small Emperor colony and one of the largest skua populations. There is also an Emperor rookery at Cape Washington near Terra Nova Bay. Occasionally you may see an Adélie or Emperor penguin venture close to McMurdo Station or near the air strips. You may also see Weddell seals lounging on the sea ice near Scott Base. When encountering wildlife, it is tempting to get close; however, keep in mind that according to the Antarctic Conservation Act, it is unlawful to interfere with or cause harm to native species. This includes startling or chasing any animal. A good rule is to stay at least 25 feet away. The Southern Ocean surrounding McMurdo has an amazingly rich marine ecosystem. Of the mammals, Leopard seals are the most dangerous and have been known to attack divers. Sea life thrives under McMurdo Sound’s ice pack, including colorful sponges, starfish, sea urchins, sea anemones, and sea spiders. Antarctic krill flourish in the upper depths, and the infamous “ice fish” (the Antarctic Notothenioids) that have antifreeze protein in their bloodstream to prevent them from freezing swim the frigid waters.

Interesting Facts During Robert F. Scott’s expeditions of 1901 to 1903 and 1910 to 1913, he used sled dogs (23 Samoyeds) and Siberian ponies to haul supplies. Expeditions and Antarctic bases continued to use dogs up until as late as the 1980s. It is now against the Antarctic Treaty to bring non-indigenous species to Antarctica. McMurdo Station is the waste management center for much of the U.S. Antarctic Program. Sea ice up to 3 meters (10 feet) thick forms outward from the continent every austral winter, creating a belt 500 to 1,500 kilometers (311 to 932 miles) wide. During the summer season, an ice-breaking ship helps to disperse the ice near McMurdo to open water. Erebus is the world's southernmost active volcano and one of only a handful with active convecting lava lakes. Although it is not a major threat to McMurdo Station it offers a unique opportunity to study eruptive process from lava lakes and is monitored year round. In 1979, Mount Erebus, 3,794 meters (12,448 feet) in height, was the site of a plane crash that claimed 257 lives on a sightseeing and photographic flight over Antarctica. The Royal Society Range is a volcanic range that is part of the Transantarctic Mountains, one of the world’s longest mountain chains (Antarctic Connection), and is located on McMurdo Sound’s southwestern shore. Large numbers of meteorites, including specimens that have been identified as coming from Earth’s Moon and Mars, have been recovered in Antarctica, and it has been determined that meteorites striking this vast continent are better preserved than anywhere else in the world because of their burial in the ice. An unmanned telecommunications base is located on Black Island, which is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from McMurdo Station. One of the world’s most extreme deserts resides just west of McMurdo Sound within Victoria Land, called the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The Dry Valleys have extremely low humidity and lack snow or ice cover, and in fact, at 4,800 square kilometers (1,875 square miles), form the largest relatively ice-free region in Antarctica.

Exploring McMurdo and Surrounding Areas A wide range of recreational opportunities are available while working at McMurdo Station. Hiking in the area is permitted in accordance with safety rules; however, because of the nature of Antarctica, certain restrictions apply. What may appear to be excellent forms of recreation could actually threaten not only the environment and wildlife, but your own life. Some restrictions include exploring the pressure ridges near Scott Base to see the Weddell seals, walking on unflagged snow or ice fields, or climbing local mountains. Safety procedures are there to protect, so follow them and use care and wisdom whenever you venture out. In certain cases a foot plan is required depending on the location of travel. A foot plan is filed online, and allows the Firehouse to monitor an individual’s or group’s location when they are traveling on foot outside of McMurdo Station. The eFoot Plan process includes an automatic response procedure for anyone not returning to McMurdo as scheduled. If you encounter wildlife when exploring areas outside of McMurdo Station, remember that according to the Antarctic Conservation Act, it is unlawful to interfere with or cause harm to native species. This includes startling or chasing any animal. A good rule is to stay at least 25 feet away.

Penguins, Seals, and Skuas... Oh My!

Hey everyone!  I know, I know.... You have all been waiting patiently with anticipation for this next blog post.  So sorry to keep you hanging for the past 2 weeks!  There has just been so much going on, with so little time.  I actually feel like I won't get any proper sleep until I get back to New Zealand.  Or better yet, maybe until I actually get to swan dive in my own bed, own pillow, and minus 2 obnoxious snorers (nothing against them...bless their hearts).  But enough of that.  I'm definitely getting ahead of myself. Soooo.... where to start?

I'm sure you all have been wondering about the wildlife situation down here at Mactown.  I bet you think I'm constantly being chased by giant, leech looking seals and playing patty-cake with the penguins.  Well, sorry to disappoint, but it is quite the opposite.  So far I have seen 3 penguins from a distance.  And when I say "distance", I mean they looked like black toothpicks popping out of the ice - they were so far away.  They have, however, been spotted next to the galley out at the Ice Runway town.  I just was never there to see them.  There have been quite a few seals lounging around on the ice.  What they do is somehow break through the ice and just sunbathe.  But, nothing so grand to take a photo of.  Well, scratch that, there was one wicked photo opportunity the other day of a seal floppin its way along on the Ice Runway ramp, that I had to drive around, but of course my camera broke the day before.  Just my luck. I would say the closest encounter I've had so far with any wildlife is with the Skua Bird.  You might have heard of the skua bird?  If not, consider yourself lucky.  I had the unfortunate opportunity of meeting the skua bird on a one on one basis.  See, if I had to guess, I would say that skua birds are the result of a seagull and vulture mating.  They are very ugly birds and look like seagulls on steroids.  And, worst of all, they are not afraid of humans... AT ALL!  What happened was I was minding my own business, leaving the galley to walk back to work, and I had a plate of cookies to bring to the night crew.  (Wednesday is cookie day and its a real drag if you miss it, so I volunteered to bring the night crew some).  Anyways, I walked outside, headed up the hill, and BAM!  A skua bird sneak attacked me from behind, hitting me right in the dome.  I scurried back inside building 155 to get control of the situation and to wrap my scarf around the plate.  Putting my brave face on I walked back outside to find another girl trying to pick up her dropped plate and scattered food off the ground and the same skua trying to snatch whatever he/she could grab.  Poor girl definitely got it worse than I did.  And of course any passing bystander feels obliged to laugh since it's very likely they have been there a time or two once before.  Needless to say.... Lesson learned!

Hmmm... So maybe ya'll are wondering what has been occupying my time so much, besides the 54 hour work weeks, that I just have not had the time to blog.  I think since the last time I've sat down to do this there have been a few parties and/or events that you just don't miss.  Along with that, my free time is consumed with hiking, gerbil gym, soiree practice (the shuttle ladies are dancing in the annual Women's Soiree in December), or searching for a quiet place of solitude to have at least an hour to myself (so much easier said than done), before making the attempt of swan diving into my bed. 

One party I attended was the Shuttles Party in Hut 10.  Hut 10 is pretty awesome.  It's like a mini house that you can rent for the night.  It has a few bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, and a living room.  My supervisor rented it out one night for a "shuttles" party.  This party consisted of homemade pizza, homemade ice cream, and homemade lemon lime off brand kool-aid (kool-aid was courtesy of moi)  Oh, and did I mention some intense Catch Phrase.  Definitely can't have a party without Catch Phrase. 

But, the party that kicks off the season for parties was the Halloween party.  This Halloween party was probably one of the best Halloween parties I've ever been too.  First of all, its amazing how creative people are down here.  Unless you thought ahead of time and brought/sent down a costume, you had very little resources to work off of.  Most people made their costumes in the craft room out of various things that you would never think to make a costume out of.  Or the other option was going to skua or gear issue.  Skua (named after the bird) is like Mactown's own little, free Goodwill.  In each dorm their is a skua cubby

Last weekend was Phatass Bluegrass night at Gallaghers (1 of 2 bars here).  This night was probably the most fun I've had so far.  Phatass Bluegrass is a band that was put together here.  It was straight bluegrass all night with lots and lots of dancing.  My friend Will taught me how to 2 step and after that I don't think any of us left the dance floor for the rest of night.  He and his friends are from Canada, down here working for Kenn Boreck Air.  And, wow--who would've thought?  Those Canadians sure know how 2 step.

What else... Oh yes. I conquered another hike.  Well, most of it at least.  This one was on the other side of base called Hut Point Ridge Loop.  Although, I didn't really make it all the way around the loop because at one point when I was close to the end, I feared I was in Arrival Heights Territory.  See, the trail walks along the edge of Arrival Heights. Well, that is what I know from the route mapped out on paper, but I couldn't see the red trail markers anywhere so I had no idea whether I was in it or not.  Arrival Heights is an off limits area of the base where they do some radio wave testing?  Something of the sort anyhoo.   Because of this there is a certain area that you can't go in and if you do you will be fined a very big chunk of money.  Therefore, you can understand my reason for panic forcing me to turn around.  Regardless, the majority of the hike that I completed was pretty good.  A bit steep at points, but worth it. 

One thing that's pretty cool down here is the obtube.  The obtube is a very claustrophobic tube that was put in to view whats under the ice.  You climb down this tube like, what do I know, 10-12 feet under the ice, into a tiny chamber of windows.  In this chamber you can look up at the ice, all around at the wildlife, and down to the ocean floor.  You can't really see the ocean floor from what I remember, but you can see pretty far down.   When I was there, there wasn't really much to look at.  There was a lot of little white fish and that's about it.  But, it was pretty cool to see all the ice crystals and what not.  Some people have been really lucky to see seals swimming around.  Once again, I have yet to be that lucky to see cool stuff like that.

Maybe you would like to know a little bit about McMurdo station?  The best way for me to describe McMurdo is that it is like living in a very industrialized setting (that is a simile) or mining town.  Not that I've ever lived in a mining town, but it is what I would imagine living in a mining town would be like.  It is very dirty/muddy and there are loads of hills since we are living on a little mountain of volcanic rock. The buildings are very dull and quite the opposite of anything modern.  The weather here has been pretty awesome.  I expected that by living on the harshest continent in the world would mean I would be constantly freezing, but that's not the case at all.  I find myself wearing thermals, jeans, a fleece with hiking boots and gloves.  If I'm going to be walking outside I will throw on the Northface.  Yesterday it was 28 degrees, sunny with no wind.  I actually saw people walking around in shorts and lounging outside in chairs trying to get a.......tan?  I don't know.  Maybe they were just enjoying the weather, but regardless you would have thought it was 70 degrees down here by the reactions of certain people.

Oh! One major thing I forgot about was my Happy Camper experience.  Finding out I was going to happy camper was a bit of a shock to me and I can't say I was extremely "happy" about going from what I had heard about it.  I find out the afternoon before that I was going with my co-worker Blake.  Happy Camper, like I've stated in a previous blog, is a 1 1/2 day survival training just off the base.  We started at 8:15 a.m in a classroom talking about our goals of the training and weather injuries.  Then we were picked up in a Delta (the big red vehicles) and dropped off at the training site.  From there we went into a make-shift classroom for lunch and a briefing.  After that we had stove training.  The stoves we were trained on were little camping stoves that could use multiple types of fuels.  Once that was completed we gathered up our sleeping gear, which was provided, tents, shovels, axes, saws, stoves, and our ECW gear and headed to the "campsite".  There we were taught how to put up the tents by digging holes, anchoring them in, and tying them down with some crazy type of knot, which turns out I'm really good at doing.  Once that was complete, we then moved onto building our snow wind wall.  By using our saws and shovel we were able to cut blocks of snow out of the ground and then stack them into a wall.  Of course you want to build your wall in between your tents and the direction of the wind flow to block the wind.  At this point the best description of our "camp" is that it looked like an Indian village in the middle of nowhere in the snow.  We were then taught, in our dug out make-shift kitchen, how to use the stoves and snow to make water.  We ended up having to melt snow for a good 6 or more hours to make enough water to eat our dehydrated meals (YUM! in the most sarcastic tone you can imagine me saying), to drink, and fill up hot water bottles to sleep with. During this time, the instructors left and most people who were not designated or taking their turn monitoring the "kitchen" were building their trenches.  The trench, which very much resembled a grave, was an optional place beside the tents, that you could sleep in if you wanted to take the 2 + hours time to dig it out.  As tempting as digging my own grave sounded, I opted for the tent for the simple reason that in order to keep warm at night and trap the heat you had to come up with some type of "ceiling" to put over the trench (the majority is made out of thick blocks of snow).  Now I don't know about you but the thought of sleeping in a deep trench (most were at least 5 ft deep), covered with thick snow blocks, borderline gave me a panic attack thinking that at any moment in my sleep it could collapse and I would be smothered to death by snow, therefore justifying my decision to sleep in a tent.  I can't say that it was much better though.  My sleeping bag was made to fit the size of a 5 year old child causing me to be stuffed in there sleeping like a mummy with my hands crossed over my chest (another simile), with 2 hot water bottles stuffed in socks to make sure I would not freeze to death, causing me to repeat over and over in my head to "just breathe, just breathe" as a way for me to forget that I couldn't move.  Therefore, helping to move along the sleep process .  At 3a.m. I awoke in a panic not being able to move, sweating like no other, ditching the the water bottles, unzipping the sleeping bag and ditching the thick down mittens I was wearing.  After that, with the help of my Qantas eye mask (24 hour sunlight...remember?) I slept like a baby and woke up to people shaking our tent.  When Blake and I finally got up and out of the tent to pack up, we realized that we had slept through the take down of both tents on either side of us.  I'm still not sure how that happened.  Once camp was down the instructors picked us up, we put away all the gear and returned to the "classroom" for radio training and learning about all the things that come in a survival pack on a plane.  A little fun fact:  the survival kits provide you with a fictional book to read, just in case you get bored while stranded in the middle of nowhere in Antarctica.  Once that was done we slipped into two groups to practice what you would do in two different scenarios; an airplane crash and finding someone who was lost in a white out on the way to the out house.  Both of which were quite interesting.  To emphasize the "white out" conditions we had to put buckets over our heads in order to not see.  And finally at 2 o'clock the delta came to pick us up.  I must say that was the "happiest" part about happy camper :)  Now don't get me wrong, happy camper was a great experience and I did have a semi-good time.  On top of that I did learn a lot.  If by chance I get stranded in a snow storm in Michigan I now know how to make a wind wall and to make shelter (assuming that in the aforementioned snow storm I "happen" to have a shovel, ax, saw, and stove).  Happy Camper is something that I prefer to only experience once :)

My friends, dinner time has arrived and I prefer not to miss it :)  You should know that I truly am loving life down here on the ice.  I've made some good friends and am constantly meeting new, fascinating people everyday, and learning the most interesting and random things.  I've definitely had to do some adjusting to the lack of privacy and alone time, but it is worth it.  I find myself running off to the local library for a bit of peace and quiet from time to time :)  I hope this blog reaches everyone doing well... Much Love!

P.S so sorry for not posting any pictures this time.  Unfortunately, my camera R.I.P-ed at happy camper and I have no way of uploading the pictures at the moment.  No worries though, a new camera is on the way.  And if you are interested I do have an album started on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/album.php?aid=2501546&id=21704017