South Pole!!...err not.

*Our internet, fickle as it is, has decided to no longer allow me to upload images tonight. Total buzzkill right? I was going to post another handful of pics and write up some catchy blurb about my trip down there, but it looks like now you're stuck with just the blurb*

This has been a Grade A Corn Fed Beef Sirloin kind of week. On Saturday I got to bomb around on snowmobiles...and Wednesday I got a day trip to THE SOUTH POLE!

Two years ago if a soothsayer would have said to me "Someday you will visit the South Pole" I would have told the bugger to quit smoking crack. But lady luck must love me for on Wednesday I got to go on a sleigh ride down to the pole. Sleigh rides, simply put, are little field trip thingies that get bums like me on a plane and down to the pole. They are chosen at random and with only a handful to go about, highly coveted. All you do is fly down on an LC-130 to the pole then when the plane lands and is unloading cargo you've got about half an hour to walk around, take pictures and then rush back to fly home. Its a great way to get out of work and go someplace few others will.

So what are my thoughts on the pole. The station, which is new, is quite magnificent (I wish I could have explored the base a bit more), the facility houses some of the most cutting edge research on the planet and the locale is a cold, desolate and barren. When we were the the station was experiencing a heat wave: -20 F! Also, with the exception of the base the landscape is an endless sea of white sitting at about 9500 feet on a giant ass ice shelf. Its not quite as windy as McMurdo though, which is a plus.

As a neat side note, when you walk around the geographic pole marker you are crossing all time zones at once!

So would I ever head back? I think so. Well, truthfully, I don't know. I would love to truly experience the pole, but at the same time the environment is so brutal with so little to do that it could make for a grueling season. But, I guess I'm kind of turned on by the challenge of that. Shoot, I don't know. If I choose to come back down next season and if I get an offer there I'll just have to see then.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

South Pole 2!!!

Sign at the Pole marker.

The barber pole in front of the station.
Sweet view out the window of the Herc.
An LC-130 Hercules cargo plane and a bunch of happy campers boarding her for the journey to the deep south.

Snowmobiles!!

Last Saturday the team I'm working with got what's known as a 'boondoggle' (field trip). This trip was called Room With a View and we pretty much get the day off to drive snowmobiles off base to a spot with a magnificent view, take pictures, and cruise back home. The view left something to be desired; overcast conditions hampered its grandeur but it was still fun to go tearin' up the backcountry on sleds for an afternoon. Although we weren't supposed to exceed 30 mph I'm pretty sure all of us opened our steeds up on the ice shelf to see what they could do. I personally hit 65 and called it good. Boy, what a hoot!

The crew stopped for a photo shoot

Magnificent shot of The Royal Society range. About center of the picture you can see the Icebreaker Oden chuggin' away.
Over the shoulder shot as we zip down the trail.
I just like this picture.

Just another week...

Hello everyone! Well, I finally saw my first penguin, albeit the encounter was anti-climactic. This morning a few of us decided a hike out to hut point to check for penguins and penguins are what we found. The image I have is of two Adelie penguins napping or something. Totally boring. My peers have tales of Adelies playing with each other and “dancing” and following them; I have Adelies taking a nap. Oh well, discouraged I am not, I’m highly confident from here on out penguins will be a regular site on station. Last week the icebreaker, the Oden, came in and busted all the ice out of the bay. It was pretty cool to watch the vessel chug around and stomp out some ice. Other than that, things have been going pretty well. It’s a little warmer here than it is back home. The work weeks have been flying by. All in all, things have been going well.

The Icebreaker, the Oden, coming in to bust out the pier.
Spectacular shot of Castle Rock.
This continent is one big cooler...

By the way, if you ever get the chance, drink Speights. Damn good Kiwi beer.
I just love this shot of the sea ice busting out.
Two Adelies chillin'

Sorry for being a slacker...

My sincerest of apologies for not staying current on the ol’ blogarino. I can’t believe it’s been almost two months since my last post. Time is cruisin’ by down here. Seeing as how it’s the New Year what better time to pick up where I left off?

In the interest of giving the people what they want: enjoy the pics!

Working in a snowstorm!

I guess now would be a good time to let you know that I no longer work on the Heat Trace project. I am now a proud member of the MOGAS project. Our goal for the season is to complete a new fuel pipeline running from the pier up to the bulk fuel storage in the pass (about a mile long pipeline). We'll have the line done in a matter of days and then we'll spend the rest of our time getting the new fuel tanks ready.

These photos were taken during a fun snowstorm. Big, wet flakes, little wind, and it was in the high 20's-low 30's. I had a ball working this day.

Shot of our truck and welding machine.

This is Jimmy the pipefitter/welder. I've spent a good chunk of my time assisting him with fitting pipe and all manners of prep work that go into layin' pipe. I get to use a cutting torch a lot which is always fun.
Dennis and Craig hard at work in the snow.

The radar station!

One day a while back I was working for the guy that had to do rounds at the radar station so I made sure to bring my camera.

Shot of the station from town.

The dome up close. I wish I had my chipping wedge!
Town from the station. I never get tired of this view. This place is truly remarkable.

The base in a snowstorm!

The following are images of McMurdo during a storm. The temp was in the teens but factoring in the wind chill the low was -22. The snow down here isn't fun like back home. On a stormy day like this it feels like you're in the world's biggest, coldest sand blaster.

This is a shot of the galley.

Looking up the road to Ob hill.
One of the intrepid Pisten Bullies caked with snow.

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This vehicle is one of the Deltas. These are used to shuttle passengers out across the sea ice to the airfield and other locations. I got to ride shotgun in this pup. Pretty sweet.

Here's a group of Weddell seals just chillin' out on the sea ice off hut point ridge. It was damn cold this day and it amazes me that these animals are comfortable in this environment.

This image here is of a Skua bird. Skuas are some of the heartiest birds on Earth; they need to be to live down here year round. They're utterly fearless too. Sometimes when people walk out of the galley with food the Skuas will swoop down and try to knock whatever food items the person has out of their hands to get a tasty meal.