EJ's Travels

3 days, 3 Antarctic dreams come true.

ONE

After a couple weeks of dashed hopes due to inclement weather and/or poor health, the sun god smiled upon me and my comrades as we set off for the much anticipated Castle Rock. The crew included Tim (my favorite DA (dining attendant) & Thursday playmate), Richard (the funniest DA I know), Ben (the spunkiest DA south of… well, practically everything), Jeff (the tallest DA & best DJ in town) and Christina (baker extraordinaire). It was a magical day of sapphire skies atop endless seas of white. The flags marking our path hung lifeless beside us and between fits of laughter and excited chatter the only sound was that of crunching snow beneath our feet. The 9.3 mile hike is a relatively easy one, but the remote location suggests one must have hiked for days to reach it, seemingly light years from MacTown.

Castle Rock was larger than I expected as it came into view. A short scramble up the 200ft rock rewarded us with views of the land and sea surrounding Ross Island, one indistinguishable from the other. For the life of me I can’t seem to get a handle on where McMurdo lies geographically. Looking at a map it makes perfect sense, but every time I attempt to get my bearings in the physical sense, it just doesn’t translate. Talking to others, it seems I’m not alone in that struggle. The views from the top were, of course, stunning. Richard, upon reaching the edge of a steep cliff yelled back to the rest of us, “Oh my God, this is beautiful… I think I’m going to puke.” Apparently he’s not so fond of heights.

We descended the rock and upon reaching the snow pulled out our arsenal of blue lunch trays we hijacked from the galley. The next 30 minutes were “oh my god I’m going to pee my pants” funny. We took our seats upon our makeshift sleds and one by one catapulted ourselves down the hill at lightning speed. It was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. En route I eventually abandoned my tray for fear of hurting myself, but the thought was a bit flawed as I continued to tumble down the hill due to the sheer speed at which I was traveling. I still have bruises to remind me and everyone else of the event.

Christina, Tim, Me, Richard and Ben at Castle Rock Trailhead

Richard at lookout

Blue meets white

The line-up

Fun on trays!

TWO

As I drove into Ice Town I noticed a small crowd of people standing in a half circle with their backs to me in an otherwise empty field of snow. It appeared they were looking at something. PENGUINS I thought to myself! I parked my van, grabbed my camera and approached the group cautiously. Opposite them and gazing back just as curiously were two Adelie penguins. They were surprisingly tiny. Just as I was getting close enough to get a good picture a C-17 came in for a landing and flew directly overhead. So calm only seconds before, the penguins started flapping their arms wildly and running in circles. My heart sank. They were terrified. After the disturbance they balled up into small mounds on the ice and lay motionless, seemingly traumatized. I hope I was mistaken. I was told, however, that two penguins traveling alone this early in the season most likely won’t survive. With that in mind, I could have waited another month or so to catch sight of the adorable butterballs. Rumor has it, it could be a good year for penguin spotting.

Penguins!!

THREE

Condition 1 was called. All traffic came to a halt. But wait, there were 30 Air National Guardsmen & women stranded out in Ice Town. No worries, a couple of princesses in shining Ivan were dispatched to the rescue! With Helena at my side and permission from the firehouse, I took my seat behind the wheel. As I was leaving town my Shuttles mate, Lonnie, actually radioed me with a, “God’s speed, Erica, drive safe.” This sentiment was hysterically melodramatic and left me feeling like a heroine in some cheesy Hollywood flick.

Visibility? Close to zero. We could make out the flag next to us as we passed it and just when it seemed there was no hope of knowing where to steer next, the flag ahead would come into view. Otherwise, I saw nothing but white. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I had been waiting for this moment since setting foot on this continent. The rest of the story is without incident. We navigated successfully and safely returned the crew. And for the rest of the day the population of McMurdo could see me skipping down the streets smiling contently to myself.

see more of my photos at: http://ej.smugmug.com

Life on the ice is full. If autonomy or seclusion is what one is seeking, McMurdo in the summer is not the place to find it. On the contrary, it is a tight knit bustling community with no end to activity or sunlight. And don’t believe anyone who tells you “it’s a harsh continent.” This is easy living. Sure, we work a minimum of 60 hours per week and the living quarters are tight, but meals are cooked for us, our bathrooms cleaned, and our social calendars filled. There may not be a lot of time left in a day after 10 or 12 hours of work, a shower and meals, but that doesn’t discourage the recreation department from tempting us with an unending list of activities, nor us from engaging in them all. In my short time here I have attended science lectures (that is why we are all here after all); begun thai chi; learned to throw pots in the ceramics room; tried my luck at bingo; taken up knitting and started dodgeball league. This week I begin bellydance lessons and yoga as well. Other ongoing options include language classes; volleyball, soccer, rugby and bowling leagues; writers groups; trivia nights; karate and self defense courses; tap & swing dance lessons; meditation; movie nights; open mic nights and on and on. There is no shortage of talent on this base. Everything you ever wanted to learn is being taught… for free. Of course I haven’t even mentioned the parties that happen here. My first weekend here was the infamous 70’s Party, and of course more recently, Halloween. While dancing in my *go-go boots* (actually gear issued bunny boots) amidst a crowd of steamy people in tight pants, afros and huge glasses a friend of mine whispered in my ear, “this is not what people back home picture when they imagine me in Antarctica!” The Waste Department even put together a haunted house for Halloween. In addition to all of that I have managed to take my skate skis out for an afternoon, and whenever I can, I try to squeeze in a hike, if even a short one.

70’s group shot

Me & Amanda

First skate ski on the ice

First time at the wheel

Self portrait along Hut Point

We are actually pretty limited in respect to how far we are allowed to wander. Aside from the 7 mile long Castle Rock Loop hiking trail, everywhere we are allowed to go is essentially within sight of base. Therefore, any opportunity to leave town is coveted and greatly appreciated. My fourth day on station I had the pleasure of participating in Sea Ice Training. This involved jumping in the back of a Haglund (tracked vehicle with passenger box) and traveling approximately 7 miles out on the sea ice in order to profile cracks, i.e., asses whether or not they are safe to travel across. It was a gorgeous day with stunning views of Mt. Erebus. I was hopeful to spot a penguin since they had seen one the day before, but no such luck. I am still keeping my eyes open for one.

Mt. Erebus

Haglund on ice

The next off-sight adventure will probably be Happy Camper school. This involves setting up camp on the sea ice, building a snow wall and an igloo and practicing other skills needed to survive a night out in the elements in the event any one of us gets stranded away from town. Happy Camper is necessary before we will be considered for a *boondoggle.* A boondoggle is any opportunity to participate in an activity that takes you off station. This may mean a working trip such as dive tending for the divers or assisting the fishing folk or the scientists studying penguins. It could be a helo ride to a remote field camp to assist in some capacity. Or, it could be a bona fide reward for some good deed, or in my case, a great costume.

Yep, I was allowed to join some friends a bit last minute for their group Halloween costume. The saying goes around here, “It’s a harsh continent.” My friend, Sandwhich, had the brilliant idea to dress as the *harsh condiments!* Brilliant. Many hours and much laughter was put into making our costumes. And, in the end, they were fantastic. So fantastic that we won the group costume category. Unbeknownst to me, the prize was an aforementioned boondoggle! I was shocked and ecstatic. Sometime in the future the 6 of us will ride on snowmobiles to “Room With a View,” situated somewhere on Mt. Erebus for the day. I cannot begin to tell you how anxious I am. Oh, and my sauce of choice, A1 Steak Sauce.

The Harsh Condiments!

see more of my photos at: http://ej.smugmug.com

Where did I leave off? In bliss I believe… muttering something about this feeling like summer camp. Well, the next morning – my first day of work – was a rude awakening. Not for any other reason than it was ... [Continue reading this entry]