My First Half Marathon

The Run
13.1 miles. Packed snow on permanent ice shelf. Not too cold, cloudy, no sunshine, no wind until the last mile.

Me
Out of shape, lazy. I had run a total of 13 miles in the past two months combined. Longest previous distance ever run: 5 miles.

The Result
I ran the entire thing! Body fell apart, but is coming back together rather nicely. 5 bruised toes, 2 wobbly knees, 1 revived spirit. And penguins on the course... those buggers can run!










*Pics not by me. Generously shared by unofficial race photographers.

Some days you eat the road, some days the road eats you

And that's what kind of day today was.

On the job

Many people wonder what I do down here for work; it's quite simple actually... I drive people where they need to go.

McMurdo Station has a fluctuating summer population of 1,000 +/-. These scientists, plumbers, Air National Guardsmen, heavy equipment operators, shovelers, cooks, etc. are constantly coming and going. They need to get around town, to their work sites, and out to the airfield.

The Shuttles Drivers
There are 24 people in the Shuttles department, all brilliant individuals that I am quite fond of. Besides all being white and from the U.S., I'd say we're all quite different. But... if you had to boil us down into two groups, I think most would have to agree that us Shuttles drivers are either A) young, talented, beautiful women or B) dirty but kind old men. You all know which group I fall into.

The Vee-hicles
Our fleet consists of:
Vans - Ford Econoline E-350 vans, lifted up with big snow tires
Airporters - The type that take you from the airport to the car rental office
Deltas - Old navy vehicles that are sturdy and versatile, have huge tires and are articulated in the center, so they turn on a dime
Ivan the Terra Bus - The icon of McMurdo and the largest vehicle on the continent.





























The Roads
In town they are gravel roads made from lava rock, dirt and dust. They were icy when I arrived but that has all melted away by now.

The road out to the airfield is a different story. From town we drive down to the beach (used in the loosest sense of the term); this is where the transition is. This is where it gets gnarly with huge cracks several feet wide and potholes with unknown depths that have been known to have seal heads pop out. And its just another 13 miles out to Pegasus airfield. Fortunately this is mostly all on the permanent ice shelf.

The Thrill
The joy of my job is being outside every day, driving these great rigs, meeting amazing people, watching the weather pass and the sun circle the horizon, and watch the season progress.

And of course the driving... It's been an especially cold December according to many people that have been coming down for years. For the moment the road remains in good condition. I feel deprived. I want the real nasty conditions... it gives a driver some excitement, something to relish, something to be able to complain about. And its even more fun to do in someone else's vehicle.

Watch this video!
The Road to Misery starring our very own Shuttle Bill as he crosses the transition in a Delta at one of the nastier times of the year. This film won the 2008 McMurdo Film Festival.









A few more pics....

IceStock

IceStock is an annual event - a tradition of welcoming in the New Year, one of great local music and somewhat free expression.









All pictures and video kindly donated from the community.

NYE Happy Camp

Snow Craft I. AKA Snow Camp. AKA Happy Camp.

This was my boondoggle and it was to be on New Year's Eve 09-10.

The idea is to train all those going out in the field about how to survive. You know, dig survival trenches, start a stove, operate a HF radio, risk management theory, and a white-out scenario (Bucket heads). Joining me was our mountain guide instructor and nine other students: 3 scientist grantees, 2 janitors, 1 IT instructor, 2 firefighters, and 1 kitchen staff.

It was the most unique and sober way I've rung in a new year: sleeping on a deep ice shelf at the foot of an active volcano as the sun circles the sky all night long.

Boondoggle

Sometimes if you're really really good, and lucky, and have the day off or it is dead at work, and there's a space available you can jump on a Pisten Bully (seldom), snowmobile (very seldom), or helicopter (extremely seldom) and go join whoever is going wherever out in the field to do whatever. Below are some pics of dive-tending a few miles off-base.

First in Clowns

Oh, the things we do to entertain ourselves... like running a 5k race. In Antarctica. In a clown suit.

This is not just the makings of a twisted joke; it's what actually went down Thanksgiving Saturday. Over a hundred people gathered to race the annual 5k Turkey Trot here at McMurdo. It was cold and windy, but that didn't stop us.

The winner was a Kiwi named Trotter (no joke) from the New Zealand base just over the way. I was proud to come in First in Clowns. I also gained the title of Last in Clowns. I was a happy clown, I was a sad clown...

Eats

Most meals are taken at the Galley. This dining hall is in the main building in town and serves meals at the regular times we’re all accustomed to, but also smaller meals throughout the day and night to accommodate all the hungry stomachs that are working 24/7 on the base. There are also smaller dining facilities out at the Ice Runway and other local project sites for those who work remotely.

There is a decent variety of food, much better than I would have expected, and usually always something to suit your appetite. They have set themed meals, such as Wednesday Mexican Lunch, which some people really seem to live for; as for me, I never keep track of the schedule and enjoy the surprise.

No matter how you look at it, the food is institutional, which means a lot of canned food. And powdered milk, it’s all powdered milk. Due to the remoteness of the location and the fact that the bulk of the food arrives once a year on a ship, there’s a lot of stuff that is passed its use-by-date. In fact, I think every packaged good I have seen is expired. Don’t get me wrong, its all still good, but I’m glad I don’t have to see when the frozen meats were packaged!

What the inside of my stomach probably looks like

Freshies
One thing that is great and everyone on base gets excited about- Freshies! There is an understated buzz and everyone seems to know when a C-17 is coming in from Christchurch with a palette or two of fresh fruits and veggies and other perishables. This year the freshies budget has been boosted from $150k to $250k, so its quite abundant, but I've heard that in years past it could get quite ugly.

Frosty Boy
And the other excitable thing about dining here is Frosty Boy. This soft-serve ice cream machine is the most popular piece of machinery down here, and when he is broken everyone seems to know about it and no one is happy about it. Strange phenomenon, but I guess it goes to show that it’s the small things in life that are the most important sometimes.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am quite flexible and that I can eat anything, so I’m not too phased about what they serve. The only things that really get to me are a) that you never really get a choice beyond the choices you see in front of you, and b) nothing is ever really really good. Christchurch and the real world are a long way off, and I’m not pining for anything in particular now, but one of the greatest pleasures of returning will be to my tastebuds.

For those who love to read about weather

The climatic conditions in Antarctica can be just that- climatic. I'm not one to obsess about weather forecasting, I usually just take it as it comes. But its a whole different story down here.

McMurdo station may have fairer conditions compared to the South Pole or various field camps around the continent, but things can get quite grizzly down here nonetheless. As such they use a weather rating system that isn’t used everywhere around the world. It consists of three conditions, and they are:

Condition 3: ‘Normal’ weather at McMurdo.
• Wind speeds: less than 48 knots
• Temperature: wind chills warmer than -75oF
• Visibility: greater than ¼ mile

Condition 2: Required to check out with Firehouse by radio prior to leaving town and upon return. Defined by one or more of the following conditions:
• Wind speeds: 48-55 knots
• Temperature: wind chills -75oF to -100oF
• Visibility: less than ¼ mile

Condition 1: Only ‘mission critical’ travel is permitted with permission from station managers; everyone is confined to the building they are in during the entire duration. Defined by one or more of the following conditions:
• Wind speeds: greater than 55 knots
• Temperature: wind chills colder than -100oF
• Visibility: less than 100 feet

Forecasting- weather balloons are launched daily and there are several weather observers and forecasters working around the clock to predict the weather conditions. Despite all their efforts, this region is renowned for having quite unpredictable weather, and we rarely see forecasting for more than a day or two in advance.

Life on the Ice

Many people wonder what there actually is to do here. Well after a 12 hour work day, there are still many things to be done, and most all of its free. Here are some of the more popular and bizarre things:

~Gerbil gym. This small building is packed with exercise machines, small fogged over windows, and suprisingly little body odor.

~Main gym. A bit more of a walk, a half tube in shape, and home to soccer night, basketball night, volleyball night, Zumba classes, the annual Halloween party and a rock climbing wall.

~Bar hopping. There are two bars (Gallagher's and Southern Exposure) and a Coffeehouse (coffee, wine and whiskey). They're all next to each other, so there's not much hopping to be done. Just make sure the big red parka that you take is your own. Open days for night crews. Suitable in flipflops.

~Building 063. Recently condemned when asbestos was found after part of the roof collapsed. Used to house the weight room, a ceramics studio and world's oldest Brunswick manual set pins bowling alley in the world. Bummer.

~Science lectures every Sunday and Wednesday night, where members of the scientific community present the work they are conducting down here.

~Tap dancing classes.

~Yoga classes. Usually in the chapel, but sometimes held in the bar.

~Craft room. Haven't explored this since the hour before the halloween party.

~Movies. Shown constantly on television, often at the Coffeehouse, and occasionally in the Galley.

~Travelogues. People give presentations on the places they've traveled. I gave one on Borneo.

~Hiking and Skiing. There are about a half dozen trails around the station that one can explore. Varying in duration and difficulty.

~Scott base. The New Zealand base, which is located 2 miles from here, hosts an American night every Thursday night. They invite us over to their pub. $1.60 a beer.

~Foosball, billards, pingpong. Can be found in nearly all the lounges and at the bar. I'm specializing in Foosball, but there is some tough competition. I chaulk this up to being a rookie on the Ice. My learning curve is sharp and I am confident.

~Trails. A network of short trails around the station for hiking and cross-country skiing.