Journal Entry # 10

December 19-26, 2001

Summary: A week at the South Pole

       After three days of poor weather and constant flight rescheduling to the South Pole, I finally made it to the South Pole Stations, Antarctica.  This was it the "big" Antarctica experience!  Whenever most people think of Antarctica, they think of a flat, cold, undescript landscape, everything that the South Pole is.  Except for the building that constitute the station, there's no other landmarks (natural or man made) as far as the eye can see.  When I first arrived I was told to take it easy, so I wandered around that afternoon and went to bed early.  The whole philosophy behind slowly easing into life at the pole is both due to the cold weather and even more importantly the relative altitude of about 9,000 feet.
       The next morning I took a tour of both the astrophysical labs, which includes all the deep space radio telescopes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration clean air facility.  These facilities were a huge shock from the McMurdo buildings because they all are built on stilts to elevate them off the ground.  The idea there is so that they don't get buried by the snow that blows across the polar plateau and also to avoid influence from the cold ground.  Look in the photo album to see the new elevated station currently being built for an example of this Antarctic architecture. 
       Later in the day I ran into a friend of mine from Christchurch who worked night shifts in the Vehicle Maintenance Facility.  Since I wanted to see my friend and gain some mechanical experience, I spent the next four three nights working in the garage at night.  One night I took a small side trip and even learned who to drive Caterpillar machinery.  It was definitely different than working in the field with scientists, but just as fun if not more.
       I was suppose to leave the pole on the 21st, but since I had been delayed getting there and since I had absolutely no objections to staying at the pole for Christmas, I asked to extend my stay for a few more days.  I was thankful they could accommodate me.  At the pole, every bed is valuable since they started constructing the new station.  Their population has increased also three fold to 200 people due to the added construction workers trying to complete the new Elevated Station.
       Christmas dinner was great and it was fun to eat with a much smaller, closer knit group at the South Pole compared to the 1,000 people celebrating the holidays in McMurdo.  On Christmas day I got to participate in the Race Around the World.  This race was a 2 mile event that looped around the South Pole three times.  Participants were invited to run, walk, drive or do whatever they wanted to complete the race.  Some people even decided to ride couches that were pulled by tractors.  However people completed the race everyone had fun and everyone got a Race Around the World T-shirt, one that I am guessing will be unique in my closet for sometime.  I finished off Christmas day by taking m "hero" shots at the South Pole.  I posed in a variety of clothing including my ECW gear, my scout uniform, and my venturing uniform.  The process took time, but felt even longer since all my uniforms were short sleeved.  Don't worry, the outside temperature was only something like -46 degrees with the wind-chill, not like it was cold or anything.  
       Well, today I returned from the pole and are preparing for a long haul in McMurdo before I leave for New Zealand in mid January.  Of course now McMurdo doesn't seem half as cold, so I think I'll be able to survive until then.