The Russians are coming...

Now I don't know the details of these photos, I just found them on our shared drive down here. But they are Russian and they are doing some sort of traverse that past the South Pole.

If you recall my post from November 14, 2009 called South Pole Traverse, you will recall we do something similar. The NSF has started a a program whereby huge, really sophisticated, really really expensive tractors drag fuel bladders and other supplies to the South Pole. It is proving to be significantly more cost effective than flying everything in.

Now look below and see how the Russians traverse the continent. Again, I don't know the details, but it's quite obvious: these guys are hardcore! No million dollar tractors for them! Who needs a big red down parka, when some worn out sweaters will do the same job?! Who needs Marlboros when you can roll your own? Who needs water when you've got vodka??? These guys are fresh out of some sort of frigid Mad Max beyond Thunderdom!

It reminds me of the story of how the US space program spent millions to develop the ballpoint pen. And the Russians just used pencils instead.

Sun, sun, daylight, sun (repeat for four months)

The last sunset was the first week I was here back in October. The next sunset will be in a few weeks. In the meantime the sun has been spinning around the sky in a counter-clockwise direction.

Us night workers have a time share with the sun. We wake to find it in the Northern part of the sky, although some would say all points are north down here. From there it swings around the Royal Society mountain range. In the wee hours of the 'night' it hovers over Mount Discovery, and usually finds some clouds to play hide-and-seek with. From there it schleps past Black island and White island. Come morning it hangs over an expanse of the permanent ice shelf that is as flat and white as far as the eye can see. People of the day watch the sun as it completes the loop and heads around Ross Island and Mount Erebus.

It becomes quite normal to constant daylight. That being said, I'm glad to have a dark room with no windows. One of the best parts of this job is spending so much time outside, watching the days go by.

I've felt the summer pass by. Things have gotten colder and colors have come back to the sky. They are subtle now, but when the sun is just so, you can catch some glimpses of orange, or pink or purple in the sky. This is a big deal when all you've seen for the past months has been an endless field of white, blue and grey.

Another great phenomenon has been the Fata Morgana. Not sure why the fancy term, but essentially they're mirages. And they've been happening quite a bit down here lately. A blanket of warmer air sits on the surface and stretches everything. Huge lakes can be seen where you've only seen ice before. The edges of islands stretch into huge steep cliffs. Buildings grow to seem like small skyscrapers.