Thanksgiving & The Turkey Trot

We got to celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday November 29 with a feast.  Believe it or not you had to make reservations for one the 4 seating times.  They were 3pm, 5pm, 7pm or 12am for people who work mid shifts.  Our group had a 5pm seating and before dinner I manage to do the 5K Turkey Trot.  The first half was all uphill and of course the second half was a downhill.  There was a lot of huffing and puffing going uphill and going downhill I could really feel it in my knees and shins.  But, I survived the run, wind and of course it was cold.  Temperature was in the teens, but the wind really took it out of you.  

Dining room looking fancy

Check out the penguin carved in the watermelon

That's me center left, in black, with my back towards the camera

A quote from my wife "run Forest run"  I'm back right in black

The run uphill, I'm center right in black with blue collar

Hanging with a couple of techs and weather people

I'm almost done

The people in costumes even smoked me

Pressure Ridge Tour

I got the opportunity to go on a tour of the pressure ridges near Scott Base.  What a spectacular trip it was, ice spiking 20 to 30 feet into the air, Weddell seals laying on the ice and of course it was windy and cold to say the least.  What is a Antarctic pressure ridge?  A pressure ridge is formed where an ice sheet is broken and one piece rides over the other.  The pressure ridge near Scott Base are formed when the fresh water glaciers meet the frozen sea which is salty.  The sea ice not being as strong as the fresh water glaciers begins to buckle up and a pressure ridge is formed.  These ridges can go on for miles.  There are flags along the route and a guide to make sure we stay were it is safe.

Weddell seals, on the right a Mother and her pup

Green Flag means safe route, just don't stumble left or right

Scott Base

That is me with a ThunderRidge backpack

 

Oh My, the Weather!

The talk around Mcmurdo Station has been the weather.  This is my first year down on the ice and the weather has been brutal.  Yes, I expected it to be cold, windy and snowy, but, I didn't expect it to be like that most of the time.  The weather will be sunny, with no wind and of course cold.  One good day has been followed up with 4-5 days of consecutive ugly weather.  Weather conditions here are put into 3 categories:      
                        Weather Condition III

               •Winds less than 48 knots, and

               •Visibility greater than or equal to ¼ mile, and

               •Wind chill temperature warmer than -75°F.

Weather Condition III

                 Severe Weather Condition II

•Winds 48 to 55 knots sustained for one minute, or

•Visibility less than ¼ mile, but greater than or equal to 100 feet sustained for one minute, or

•Wind chill -75°F to -100°F sustained for one minute.

Short video of Severe Weather Conditon II

Severe Weather Conditon II 

Severe Weather Conditon II

We have been in Severe Weather Condition II around 7-10 days in the short time I have been here.  It has been 6 days since an airplane has been able to make it into McMurdo due to weather.  Even when we are in Severe Weather Condition III there has been snow and wind that has prevented the airplanes from departing Christchurch for the ice.  There is no alternate airport if the weather is bad.

                Severe Weather Condition I

•Winds greater than 55 knots sustained for one minute, or

•Visibility less than 100 feet sustained for one minute, or

•Wind chill greater than -100°F sustained for one minute.

No images of Severe Weather Condition I because Mcmurdo has not been to condition I since I have been here.  That is a good thing because during condition I you are not allowed to leave your location.  Where ever you are you must stay put for your safety, it may be work or your room, gotta stay put until conditions change.   However, the airfield and other places close by have been Condition I most of the time when McMurdo goes condition II.

Cold Weather Coat

Time to go outside

FYI - On October 23, 2014 the sunset at 12:54am and Sunrise was at 2:20am.  The next sunset is February 20, 2015 at 1:32am.  Please let the sun shine for days...

Journey to the Ice

Day 1 of the journey to Antartica was completed successfully, I guess you could say it's been 2 days since we crossed the international dateline on the way to New Zealand.  The journey started at 5:50pm on Thursday the 25th of September with stops in San Francisco, Auckland and finally Christchurch.  I will be in Christchurch for 2 days with most of the time being spent at the United States Antartica Program (USAP) office.  Briefings, orientations and the issue of cold weather gear.  I did take the bus to downtown Christchurch to do some exploring.  Lots of construction as the downtown area has a 25 year plan to rebuild from the earthquake in 2010.  We were scheduled to depart for the ice on Monday September 29 which was delayed 24 hours due to weather in Antartica.  I arrived in Antartica on Tuesday September 30 and the weather was CLEAR, COLD & CALM.  Negative 21 was the temperature with no wind and visibility unlimited.  I felt as if I had arrive on another planet.  The last couple of days have been full of safety briefings and more briefings on Mcmurdo.  I have been here a week and no other plane has made it down to the Ice due to weather.   It's now time to start my training and get into a routine of what life will be like on the ice.  Hoping the weather will improve so I can do some training.

United States Antarctic Program Hanger

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch New Zealand which was heavy damaged in the earthquake in September of 2010

Checking in for the flight to McMurdo Station in Antartica.

My ride to the ice, a military C-17.

Looking to the back of the airplane from my seat.  The is still open as they load all the luggage and other cargo that needed to be delivered.  There are 5 airline type seats in a row and seating along the side of the airplane.

Waiting for take off.  Palets of luggage in the back.

Looking out over the ice in McMurdo.

Weather radar antenna on top of the hill.

Another view looking out over the ice.  They say this will break up around
December as the cargo ships come in to unload and take things away.

Looking out over the ice with a mountain in the back round and a
snowmobile off to the left.