EJ's Travels

I slept well last night despite the daylight that persisted outside my bedroom window. Woke for brunch and after some writing headed outside to hike up Observation Hill for a view and hopes of watching today’s flight approach, as well as familiarize myself with the station. The temperature read -22 degrees Farenheit when I stepped outside with a group of friends. In the sun and out of the wind it felt quite nice actually. I even had to discard *big red* (my parka) on my way up the hill. Sadly my camera failed due to the cold, but I managed to warm it up in my mitten and catch a few shots before it died again. It was a steep, but relatively short hike. The views from atop were breathtaking. The TransAntarctic Mountains were on display. We could see Scott Base (the New Zealand station) in the near distance edging up to the sea ice; what appeared to be open water in the far distance; the entirety of McMurdo Station; and various mountains and peaks in every direction, not to mention plenty of flat ice stretching for miles. There was a cross on top of “Obs” that was erected in 1904 by the British Antarctic Expedition in memory of T. Vince, a member of that expedition who died in the vicinity. Not far from the bottom of the hill we decided a little *sledding* was called for. With a running start we dove onto our backs and slid as far as the momentum would take us. I felt like a kid in North Dakota all over again.

After descending we took a brief tour of the station. I found the recreation building that houses the bowling alley, the arts and crafts room, the bouldering cave and the ceramics room; the sports gym where volleyball, basketball, indoor hockey and dodgeball are played and where the climbing wall and weight room are housed; the aerobics gym with treadmills and spin bikes, etc.; the library; and of course the 3 local *night clubs*.

I returned to my dorm and was reminded by my Latvian friend, George, that a sauna is always in order after a hike like that. A wise man that George.

Tomorrow I begin work. So far this has felt a lot like summer camp in Antarctica. That may or may not change with the onset of work, but it’s been kind of nice to have no agenda. However, I am really looking forward to further exploring the territory on wheels and to meet the folks who are coming and going from this big block of ice.

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

My alarm rang at 4:30am, Saturday, October 8, 2005. I caught a shuttle with a few other folks from my hostel to CDC where we began our preparations to board our plane en route to Antarctica. We were required to dress in our parkas, wind pants and bunny boots in order to board the plane. At check-in they weighed our baggage as well as our selves along with our carry-on (we were allowed one). My baggage: 70 pounds. Me and my carry-on: 192 pounds. Another video and safety lecture was required before we were allowed to board the aircraft, specifically a C-17. The Department of Defense provides military logistics for the Antarctic Program, reimbursed by the National Science Foundation. One of the logistics they provide is transporting people and cargo to McMurdo from Christchurch. The crew that flew us over does so once a month and then returns to Afghanistan and Iraq were they have been serving for the last few years. Craig, a Reservist who was volunteering his time before being placed on active duty, shared some photos with me from his time in Afghanistan, Iraq and surrounding areas while I was waiting in line for the lavatory. They were intense. Craig also allowed me to visit the crew in the cockpit which was a treat. All of them agreed that their time spent serving the Antarctic Program was a vacation in comparison.

It was our lucky day, we were able to land. Although deafening, the landing was smoother than most airplanes I have been on. The back door opened and first the cargo was unloaded. We all stood anxiously on our seats looking out the back of the plane and waiting for our first glimpses of Antarctica. Brilliant white and blue awaited us. My first thought and impression was simply “wow.” The air was cold, -8 degrees Farenheit, but certainly bearable and at the time quite welcome. We were directed to the shuttles (which I will soon be driving) which took us to Building 155 (which is now my home) for yet another orientation briefing, afterwards we were given our room assignments. I found my room and met my roommate, Lou Ann. For now it is just the 2 of us, however, there are 4 beds in our room and odds are good we will get at least one more roommate shortly. I can’t complain about my accommodations. Apparently not everyone faired as well, some rooms are smaller than others. I am lucky enough to be in the same building as the dining hall and the sauna. It doesn’t get much better than that as far as I’m concerned. Now we just need to work on some decorations.

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

We arrived in Christchurch at 9:50am on Thursday, October 6th. Wednesday the 5th had disappeared into a time warp when we crossed the international dateline in flight. The Antarctic Program’s facilities are adjacent to the airport and upon our arrival we were shuttled to the Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) for ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) gear issue. At CDC we each found 2 duffel bags full of parkas and wind pants and boots and socks and hats and gloves, etc. that we were told to try on for size. We also sorted it according to what we were required to wear on our flight to McMurdo and what we planned to check with the rest of our baggage. We had a weight limit of 75 pounds for the upcoming flight. After trading in some articles of clothing and organizing the best one could we headed to Cathedral Square in Christchurch to check out our various lodging accommodations for the evening and to find food. I was asleep by 8:00pm and up early the next morning for a full day of training. Afterwards a small group of us dined at a Thai restaurant in town and shared in our excitement and anticipation of what was to come. There was much curiosity as to whether or not our flight would actually depart the next morning, or even worse, boomerang. A flight had actually attempted to make the trip earlier that day, but had to turn around (“boomerang”) just 30 minutes shy of McMurdo Station due to bad weather. Their 5 ½ hour flight turned into a 10 hour one. This was a common occurrence and one we were hoping not to become familiar with.

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

Here I am reporting live from McMurdo Base Station, Ross Island, Antarctica. My journey to get here began at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, October 4th. I was scheduled to board a plane at 4:19pm, which I did, but due to an inoperable transponder on the aircraft, I de-boarded the plane an hour later. We were fist told that there was no replacement aircraft available and that we would need to meet with an agent to see about finding space on another flight bound for Los Angeles. This seemed a potentially difficult proposition since there was an entire flight full of people needing the same thing. It was also a bit of an inconvenience considering I had two connecting flights yet to catch. Thankfully I was not alone in that respect. There were 23 Raytheon employees on that same flight out of Denver. Huge relief!

While in line to speak to an agent we received the good news that a plane had been found, however, we were going to have to wait for a flight crew. This meant we would miss our connecting flight out of Los Angeles (bound for Auckland, NZ) by 30 minutes or so. Oh well, at least we were getting that far. We took off from Denver at 8:30pm. Minutes before touching down in Los Angeles the captain’s voice informed those of us with Raytheon Polar Services Company (RPSC) that Qantas Airlines was holding our plane for us in LA. I guess one could argue that since there were 23 of us that had seats on that plane, it made good sense for them to wait, but I got the feeling that it had much more to do with the influential power of Raytheon. I couldn’t decide if that was frightening or comforting. But then, we (RPSC) are their (Qantas) biggest customer. Quite honestly I was relieved, but I boarded the plane apologetically feeling awful for all of those who were forced to wait for our arrival. I took my seat next to a skydiver from Chicago who was on his way to NZ to work for the winter. During the safety talk he informed me we were safe if the plane went down because his parachute was right above us. I slept on and off for the next 12 ½ hours until we landed in Auckland.

There was one more flight from Auckland (NZ – North Island) to Christchurch (NZ – South Island). Looking out the windows on New Zealand below I was reminded of what an amazingly gorgeous and diverse country it is. Out one side of the plane I found the South Island’s west coast, where luscious green meets tranquil blue. The opposing window offered a view of rugged white capped mountains for as far as the eye could see. The two were mere miles apart from one another. I found it hard to believe that 4 years ago I had wandered across this striking landscape on the seat of my bicycle. Had I not been able to recall so well the sights, smells and sounds as I had experienced them from aboard my two-seated friend, I would have thought the feat impossible from my vantage point above.

Antarctica is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest, and emptiest place on earth. An ice sheet covers approximately 98% of the continent. At its thickest point the ice sheet is 4,776 meters deep. The ice is approximately 90% of all the world’s ice (by volume) and is 70% of all the world’s fresh water. There are many penguins and abundant sea life along the coast, but there is little life on the continent, and there are no indigenous peoples.

The mean annual temperature at McMurdo Station is 0 degrees Farenheit, while it is -56 degrees Farenheit at the South Pole Station. The weather at McMurdo is divided into 3 classes which determine work and travel restrictions. Condition 3 is defined as having wind less than 48 knots, wind chills warmer than -75 degrees Farenheit, and visibility greater than ¼ mile. This is considered the NORMAL weather condition in McMurdo. Condition 1 is defined by having 1 or more of the following conditions: wind speeds greater than 55 knots, wind chills colder than -100 degrees Farenheit, or visibility less than 100 feet. Only mission critical travel is permitted in this condition. Condition 2 falls somewhere in between. We work in Condition 1 & 2.

No nation owns Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty, which has been signed by 45 countries, reserves the area as a zone for the peaceful conduct of research. McMurdo Station is the largest US research facility in Antarctica. It is located on the southern tip of Ross Island and lies 2,415 miles south of Christchruch, New Zealand, and 850 miles north of the South Pole. The National Science Foundation, through the United States Antarctic Program, coordinates US scientific research in the Antarctic. Research performed in and around McMurdo includes marine and terrestrial biology, biomedicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology and glacial geology, meteorology, aeronomy, and upper atmosphere physics. During the austral summer the population of scientists and support personnel at McMurdo often exceeds 1,100 people. In the austral winter, the population drops to roughly 250 people.

My job title while here is Vehicle Operator or Shuttle Driver. I am “responsible for maintaining a safe, friendly, and timely shuttle and taxi service.” My essential duties and responsibilities are to “operate shuttle service vehicles on varying road surfaces in inclement weather conditions with consideration for passenger safety.” Vehicles include 12 passenger vans, passenger deltas, airport passenger shuttles, and a 56 passenger Terra Bus.

The job includes providing Scott Base (the Kiwi station) shuttle service during the Ice Runway phase; providing morning and evening shift change for the 109th AW personnel; providing on call taxi service and assists with dispatching calls during office shifts; performing bellboy pickup service upon request; picking up and dispersing flight lunches for all passenger flights as required; picking up and transporting all passengers and flight crew members to and from the airfield ramp; and conducting tours for the USAF C-141 and C-17 crew members.

Hello my friends, family, and alter egos. Please enjoy my entries below. I look forward to your comments and responses.