(Season 2): Back Again

Well here I am, back for another summer season in McMurdo. It's kind of funny how different everything feels this time around... familiar... but different. Deployment was mostly the same (I got a picture of my ECW gear), the job is the same, the location is the same, the equipment is the same, but there are a lot of new faces mixed in with the old. There are people from last season that I wish were here, but new blood brings a sense of enthusiasm and wonder that you just can't get any other way. Explaining how/why things are done can be a test of one's patience, but it can also provide a strange sense of fulfillment and help to break up the monotony of the day.

Speaking of avoiding monotony, this summer has been off to a great start thus far. It is my goal to get some more photos from around town for my blog posts (as per request) and I feel that I'm kicking things off in the right direction. I did a hike up Observation Hill ("Ob Hill" for short) a couple of days ago and got some great shots of town, the ice runway, and the surrounding mountains. I also got a shot of the C-17 I arrived on (eerily similar to last season), a shot of town from the road to the Ice Runway, and a picture of the Helo pad. To top it off, I took a video while at the top of Ob Hill (the cross is hard to read), and one in the center of town during a small wind storm (the swirling snow was really great to watch).

Unfortunately, the station's population is particularly high this season (this is a busy season for science), so computer access will be sporadic at best. I will try to check my e-mail and update my blog whenever possible but it will take a while.

*Note: I also added a picture of the Oregon sunset I saw from the plane while returning home last season.

(Season 1): Last Chapter

Well, it's officially the end of the season and my last entry while on the ice. Quite a lot has happened since the last time I posted (I always say that), one of the landmarks being vessel week. The ship finally arrived at the beginning of February, carrying mil-vans of cargo for the station. Our job mainly consisted of receiving & storing all freight delivered to us, as well as building up pallets to send to South Pole. Fortunately, much of our stuff had been flown down throughout the season so, once we finished, the remainder of our time was spent helping out other departments (supply, waste, etc).

I was lucky enough to be sent on a boondoggle (moral trip) as a kind of "recharge" before the last couple weeks of the season. My trip was called "room with a view" due to the great visual(s) it provides of Mt. Erebus. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I had the chance to go, especially since my first trip was cancelled due to a coming storm. Although the view was amazing (pictures don't do it justice), the ride there was also a blast. We were each given our own snowmobile and rode as a group to/from our destination. The one downside to the trip was the simple fact that I was freezing for most of the ride there ("meow"). For whatever reason, I failed to notice that my Ski-doo had no windshield until we were underway and it was too late to switch. To top things off, it was particularly cold that day (I promise).

As of this posting, I have less than 24 hours left on the ice (knock on wood) and I can honestly say that I have mixed feelings. It's strange to watch all of the field camps close (Byrd, WAIS, AGAP, etc) and witness the population dwindle towards a winter populace of 210 or so. I miss my family & friends back home and can't wait to see them, but I am going to miss the people here as well. It's only natural to make good friends when you live in a town of 1,000 souls for five months with nowhere to go, and it's a strange feeling to know that it is all but over. I took a couple of pictures on one of my last trips to the Pegasus runway and I think that they are very telling: Although beautiful, Antarctica truly is desolate & unforgiving.

Fortunately, the men & women around you make all the difference. I have met a lot of great people during my time down here and, as they have left one-by-one, it has sunk in that there is a very real chance I may never see them again. Even while giving hugs and saying my goodbyes, I've joked about being jealous and have shaken my fist in "anger" multiple times for friends getting to leave before me (even just a day). However, that was all just for show. The truth is...

I am going to miss them and wish them all the best.

Note: The vessel pictures are not mine.