McMurdo, Antarctica

Here are some photos from around town.  Maybe this will give you a bit of the feel for this place. It's rugged beauty, it's isolation, desolation, the cold and colorless... but it's my home from October to February.

The Chalet, the NSF offices here in McMurdo.

Mt Discovery across the Ross Sea ice in the background.

Building 4, the SSC, Science Support Center.

One of the three NZ Kiwi wind turbines.

The Gerbil Gym, a tiny place with treadmills and other aerobic equipment.

The old Shuttle vans in storage.

These will get shipped back to California to go to auction.

The Carpenter shop, building pallets for field camp stuff.

Always on the horizon, Mt Erebus at 12,448 ft.

 

A communications building.

The front doors of Crary Lab.

Building 155, the main building, with the galley, store, craft room,

offices, lounges, laundry, barbershop and transient rooms.

 

Observation, or Ob Hill, at 297' a nice hike with a great view.

 

The "Transition" the point on the ice road where the sea ice and land meet.

Mt Discovery, at 8,800' in the left background.

 

IVAN, the Terra Bus

One of the vehicles I drive almost daily is IVAN, the Terra bus. It's a huge passenger transport, 46' long, over 12' wide and 14' tall with tires that are almost 6' in diameter.  It holds 56 passengers, 5 gallons (not quarts) of oil, 80 gallons of diesel fuel (66 Imperial gallons) and gets 4-5 mpg.

Ivan the Terra Bus is world famous, has it's own song, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KgYg8-J5Gs ) and a video of the driving conditions on the Pegasus road: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4aClRySy8Y )

Ivan's not a classy guy, but rather a functional piece of equipment with its very own style.  Just don't ask him to turn on a dime.  I love driving him and enjoy the challenge of trying to stay one step ahead of Ivan's quirky personality and massive turn radius.  Ivan is turning 19 years old next month, with over 11,800 hours on his clock, and sadly, is showing his age.  Ivan was build in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in December, 1993.

"IVAN" the Terra Bus.

Steps deployed for boarding.

Driver's side ladder and monster tires.

Note Cat Challenger dwarfed in the background.

56 passenger seats, traveling in comfort and style.

Driver's seat and dashboard.

On the Ice Road to LDB.

 

Parked at LDB.

(Long Duration Balloon Facility).

On the road again.

The endless Ross Sea Ice Shelf...

The Ice Road heading into town.

 

 

ICE RUNWAY

The Ice Runway (IR) is the main link to the outside world and with the South Pole and field camps all over the continent.  The IR is only a few miles from town, so it's very convenient.  When that ice melts we move to Pegasus on the permanent ice shelf much further away.

The USAF C-17 cargo jet flies between Christchurch, NZ and McMurdo with supplies and people. 

The NYANG LC-130's (New York Air National Guard) fly between McMurdo and the field camps, research sites and the South Pole station.  Part of my job is to get people and supplies to and from McMurdo town and the runway or skiway.  Sort of like Super Shuttles back home.  Right now we are on the sea ice runway close to town, but soon (when that ice melts over the summer) the airfield will move to the permanent ice runway called Pegasus, 15 miles away.  A much longer trip.

IR Tower

IR Town, a staging area for supplies on their way to the field.

NYANG LC-130, Skier #01

Skier #01 with the Society Range in the background.

Running up the engines before takeoff. 

 

Skier #01 on the way to South Pole.

The C-17 just landed.

The C-17 unloading passengers.

Loading freight from the C-17 on a Delta.

Unloading the C-17.

The Basler's, old DC-3's from the 1940's totally rebuilt.

 

Delta Gale, waiting for passengers.

 

Science Stuff

The reason we are down here in Antarctica is to do science stuff. Since I am not a scientist, my job is to support the scientists. We call the scientists (or NSF Grantee's) BEEKERS.  That must be a common term for scientists, lab rats and the like.  While in town they work in the Crary lab, a huge science building full of labs and offices, but they are often out in the field doing research.  Before going out into the cold, windy, harsh continent, they must go through lots of training. First, an overnight survival course called "Happy Camper" (which can be anything but) and then specific Field Support Training Program (FSToP) , to learn how to use snowmachines, field stoves and other gear, radios, how to traverse the ice fields safely, etc.  It's fun to talk with the Beekers, they all are very passionate about their research and love to share.

Street sign in front of Crary lab.

Crary Lab; functional, not beautiful.

Inside Crary, a hallway of offices and labs.

Lots of "Big Reds" their parka's lining the halls.

 

Labs, this is the aquarium.

Gear ready room, collecting stuff for a field camp.

FSTP, snowmachine training.

The HF radio used out in the field. 

VHF radios are used in town.

Communications center. Bob's fixing something.

Generators and solar panels used in the field.

Camp stoves for use in the field.

 

First week at McMurdo

Welcome to Antarctica!
I arrived in McMurdo on Monday, October 29, several weeks later than last year. It's so beautiful, I can't believe how incredible and awesome it is here! It sort of feels like I never left.  It's absolutely amazing, I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. It's nice to be back, lots of friends and such a beautiful place to be!  I started work right away, and got busy too quickly.  Funny how the old routines just come right back and make you feel like it's home.

The weather has been incredible.  Cold, though, below freezing.  Today the high was 5F with a low of 21F below. Clear blue sunny skies, 24 hours of daylight and not too windy. The wind is always the factor that makes things miserable.  It's a cold harsh wind with blowing snow that takes the heat from your body and the joy right out of the day.

The van I drive from town to the ice runway and back.

Our Shuttles office, showing the dispatcher's desk.

The IR, Ice Runway, where I spend a lot of time.

I haul crew & passengers, gear & supplies to and from town.

The IR tower, it's on ski's so it's easy to move.

a NYANG LC-130 (with ski's).

The workhorse on the continent, flying to field camps and the

South Pole delivering supplies, scientists and support teams. 

USAF Boeing C-17

I flew from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo, Antarctica in a USAF C-17 cargo jet. It takes just over 5 hours and is nice because there is some room to get up and stretch and walk around, see the cockpit and of course, just the novelty of flying in an Air Force jet. The downside is the total lack of comforts, including web seating on the sides (where I prefer to sit) and just one toilet for all 100 of us! Still, an awesome way to go!

The C-17's used here in Antarctica are based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Seattle.  Some details on the Boeing Globemaster III C-17's in use by the USAF since 1993:
Cost: about USD $202 million each
Length: 174',  Width: 170',  Height: 55'
Payload: 170,000 pounds.
Max take-off weight: 585,000 pounds.
Cruises at 240 knots with a range of 2,400 miles.
cargo compartment: 88' L x 18' W x 12' H

Coming in for a landing on the ice runway.

Gentle Giant.

Touchdown!

Front end.

Tail, notice it's from Washington.

Unloading cargo.

We're packed in for the 5 hour flight.

Notice the cargo strapped in the back.

The nice pilots and all the cockpit controls.

After 5 hours, disembarking in Antarctica.