Before I forget here is my address for those of you who've asked. I'm looking forward to whatever that brings.
Mandie Majerus, RPSC
McMurdo Station
PSC 469 Box 700
APO AP 96599-1035
We have officially seen our last sunset for a while. Now the sun will just stay visible in it's circuit around us. It's decieving though. The wind still whips and layers are still key. In fact, when undressing, it's at least 20 minutes until naked -- they call it the Carhart striptease. Very attractive. How cold is it exactly? And what makes up the different weather conditions I, II and III? Condition III is observed when the wind speed is less than or equal to 48 knots, visibility is greater than 1/4 mile and wind chill temperature is greater than -75 degrees F (yep, need all those things to be III). Condition II is observed when wind speed is greater than 48 knots but less than or equal to 55 knots or visibility is greater than 100 feet but less than 1/4 mile or wind chill temperature is greater than -100 degrees F but less than -75 degrees. Say what? That's right, OR, only one of those conditions need to be met for it to be Condition II. Condition I is observed when wind speed is greater than 55 knots or visibility is less than 100 feet or wind chill temperature is less than -100 degrees F. Kind of like your freezer. Except windier and less visibility. The Farenheit and Celsius scales meet up somewhere down in these low temperatures. An easier way to think of it is I Can't Feel Part of My Face, I Can't Feel Any of My Face and Do I Have a Face?.
I've been told by a lot of folks in the know that I have the busiest job on the station. I have to give a lot of talks and my schedule is full. In between patients I give lectures on back safety and/or stretching. They are strict about prevention here which is great. Soft tissue injuries heal much slower here and the tissues shrink 10-15%. So it's as important as ever to hydrate. As I walked around today with my spine (model of a spine that is) the weather changed from Condition III to Condition II. Nothing like walking backwards into the wind with a fake spine and lunging into a deep squat as to avoid being knocked off your feet to ask yourself, "What exactly am I doing here?" Anyway, I tell people to drink 3 Nalgene bottles a day and then I go back inside and drink nothing but tea to warm up. I'll get around to the water, I will. I thought I'd take a walking tour of McMurdo and show you where I spend most of my time. You'll just have to imagine lots of beauty all around me.
Here is a picture of the Crary Science Lab. This is where some of the grantees analyze their data (some wait until they get home). There are tours here every Sunday and it's a great place to listen to people talk about what they are doing here. I'm just a little jealous when I hear of them getting to go to the Dry Valleys or diving.
Every Sunday and Wednesday evening there is a lecture by a different research group. Last week the BBC was here talking about their next season of Planet Earth. There was a huge turnout. Now there is a job to be jealous of. They showed us clips that won't make the cut. It's astonishing how they get some of those shots.
Here are the dorms. Mine is on the far right. My first roommate was part of science support staff and worked in the Crary Lab. She spent the winter at Palmer Station and then spent Winfly at McMurdo. I'll be getting a new roommate tomorrow.
It doesn't really look like it but this is the gym. It's called the Gerbil Gym which means it has treadmills and elliptical machines. This is one place where wiping off the machines is essential and you really do feel like a Gerbil. Germs can wipe out lots of folks at once here. I got sick on my third day here and haven't stopped coughing yet. I blame the gym. Oh, and they also have a punching bag. I haven't used one before. But I had some steam to blow off. I almost broke my wrist though. Not good for the PT to break her wrist. Kind of landed an awkward punch and had to ice/Ibu for a few days. Even with gloves on. Next time I'll go meditate instead.
This is Hut 10. It's where the head of the Navy lived when this was a military station. Now it can be rented out to host gatherings. It has a living room and kitchen so it's a nice place to have access to if you want to get away and invite certain folks to join you. This is where I met the Medical Staff my first night here. The Showbox has nothing on Hut 10.
This is the Chapel of the Snows. It is where I do yoga 1-2 nights/week. There is a Catholic priest and a military chaplain, bible studies and even Baha'i practitioners gather here for prayer. The guts and butts class used to be here. Now they have that in the laundry room. Talk about crazy. All these people crammed into, that's right, a laundry room (think industrial size) doing an abdominal workout to Eminem between machines, boxes and piles of pillows. If I wasn't crying from the pain I'd be laughing at the oddity of it all.
Hotel California is the dorm for folks who are either married or who have been back many years in a row and have moved up the ranks in dorm living choices. I come here on Tuesday nights to watch foreign films. The guy who leads yoga hosts this independent movie night.
Here is the lounge to my dorm. It's a wonderful place to read a book at night or chill with friends. There is a TV to watch rented films and it looks out on Hut Point which is a walk to Scott's Hut. Believe it or not it was 11 pm when this photo was taken. You can tell why you have to pull the shades to get some sleep.
This is the big gym. It houses the climbing wall and a court for basketball, volleyball, badminton and rugby. There are 2-4 girls and 20 guys who show up on any given night for basketball. I've never seen so many beards on a basketball court before.
Here is the coffee house. It has a great wine bar, coffee bar, computer station and stage. The stage is for nightly movie showings and open mic night. Wow, there is some talent here. Jam sessions go on and you really feel like you are in a bar. Then you walk outside at midnight and it's bright and freezing. Then you remember...oh, yeah, I'm in Antarctica.
They opened up the Cape Armitage loop for skate skiing, running or hiking. It is a loop from McMurdo to Scott Base on the road but then back from Scott Base to McMurdo via the sea ice. It was a spectacular walk. I tagged along with the head of the trail system and helped him put up signs to mark the trail. While we were out there we ran into some of the medical staff skate skiing. From left to right is the lead physician (Ken), the dentist (Kressley) who will be leaving, me, the flight nurse/nurse manager (Hansgeorg) and the new dentist (Catherine). McMurdo station is in the background.
Here is McMurdo from the end of the Cape Armitage loop. The ice runway splits off here too. This will be another place to skate ski but is only open for about 2 months. It just opened and I plan to get out on it this week (Pegasus, where I landed is used the rest of the time).
Trail maintanence in Antarctica. It was warm enough (only -22 degrees) to take my big red parka off for a while. FYI...one big parka fills up an entire backpack. It had been -44 degrees the day before so this was a treat.
Flags mark the route. Otherwise it would be tough to know when exactly to turn. Snowmobilers come by as do skate skiers and it makes for some jaw dropping views. I ran into a group of New Zealanders and chatted for a bit. They are planning a man-hauling expedition (using sledges) to Cape Evans (16 miles) just for the sport of it. They don't know it but I'm going to see if they need an American to join them.
Hut Point (what I can see from my lounge) is just a short walk from town. It takes you to the hut built by Robert Scott and his expedition in 1901-1904. They used a design meant for the Australian outback. It didn't work so well. They didn't use it (except for storage) when they returned for their S. Pole mission in 1910-1913. They were able to find it and dig it out of the snow.
The black object on the top of this pile of ropes is a dead seal. Presumably it's been there since 1904 (ish). It stays so cold it just froze in place. It's pretty much intact.
This cross is in memory of George Vince. He was on Scott's first expedition and was lost in a storm. The hill in the background is Ob Hill (Observation Hill) which is a nice quick hike outside of town as well (and from where my upcoming video clip was taken).
Me at the top of Ob Hill. A nice place to think and to get some solitude.
Mt. Erebus from the top of Ob Hill. It was clouded in when I got there. Then the clouds just opened up and "bam."
Here is a quick video to show you what the view is like atop Ob Hill. A wonderful place to steal away to once and again. A peaceful place to find calm, get some perspective and honor a wonderful friend I am so thankful to have known.
This is Hut 10. It's where the head of the Navy lived when this was a military station. Now it can be rented out to host gatherings. It has a living room and kitchen so it's a nice place to have access to if you want to get away and invite certain folks to join you. This is where I met the Medical Staff my first night here. The Showbox has nothing on Hut 10.
This is the Chapel of the Snows. It is where I do yoga 1-2 nights/week. There is a Catholic priest and a military chaplain, bible studies and even Baha'i practitioners gather here for prayer. The guts and butts class used to be here. Now they have that in the laundry room. Talk about crazy. All these people crammed into, that's right, a laundry room (think industrial size) doing an abdominal workout to Eminem between machines, boxes and piles of pillows. If I wasn't crying from the pain I'd be laughing at the oddity of it all.
Hotel California is the dorm for folks who are either married or who have been back many years in a row and have moved up the ranks in dorm living choices. I come here on Tuesday nights to watch foreign films. The guy who leads yoga hosts this independent movie night.
Here is the lounge to my dorm. It's a wonderful place to read a book at night or chill with friends. There is a TV to watch rented films and it looks out on Hut Point which is a walk to Scott's Hut. Believe it or not it was 11 pm when this photo was taken. You can tell why you have to pull the shades to get some sleep.
This is the big gym. It houses the climbing wall and a court for basketball, volleyball, badminton and rugby. There are 2-4 girls and 20 guys who show up on any given night for basketball. I've never seen so many beards on a basketball court before.
Here is the coffee house. It has a great wine bar, coffee bar, computer station and stage. The stage is for nightly movie showings and open mic night. Wow, there is some talent here. Jam sessions go on and you really feel like you are in a bar. Then you walk outside at midnight and it's bright and freezing. Then you remember...oh, yeah, I'm in Antarctica.
They opened up the Cape Armitage loop for skate skiing, running or hiking. It is a loop from McMurdo to Scott Base on the road but then back from Scott Base to McMurdo via the sea ice. It was a spectacular walk. I tagged along with the head of the trail system and helped him put up signs to mark the trail. While we were out there we ran into some of the medical staff skate skiing. From left to right is the lead physician (Ken), the dentist (Kressley) who will be leaving, me, the flight nurse/nurse manager (Hansgeorg) and the new dentist (Catherine). McMurdo station is in the background.
Here is McMurdo from the end of the Cape Armitage loop. The ice runway splits off here too. This will be another place to skate ski but is only open for about 2 months. It just opened and I plan to get out on it this week (Pegasus, where I landed is used the rest of the time).
Trail maintanence in Antarctica. It was warm enough (only -22 degrees) to take my big red parka off for a while. FYI...one big parka fills up an entire backpack. It had been -44 degrees the day before so this was a treat.
Flags mark the route. Otherwise it would be tough to know when exactly to turn. Snowmobilers come by as do skate skiers and it makes for some jaw dropping views. I ran into a group of New Zealanders and chatted for a bit. They are planning a man-hauling expedition (using sledges) to Cape Evans (16 miles) just for the sport of it. They don't know it but I'm going to see if they need an American to join them.
Hut Point (what I can see from my lounge) is just a short walk from town. It takes you to the hut built by Robert Scott and his expedition in 1901-1904. They used a design meant for the Australian outback. It didn't work so well. They didn't use it (except for storage) when they returned for their S. Pole mission in 1910-1913. They were able to find it and dig it out of the snow.
The black object on the top of this pile of ropes is a dead seal. Presumably it's been there since 1904 (ish). It stays so cold it just froze in place. It's pretty much intact.
This cross is in memory of George Vince. He was on Scott's first expedition and was lost in a storm. The hill in the background is Ob Hill (Observation Hill) which is a nice quick hike outside of town as well (and from where my upcoming video clip was taken).
Me at the top of Ob Hill. A nice place to think and to get some solitude.
Mt. Erebus from the top of Ob Hill. It was clouded in when I got there. Then the clouds just opened up and "bam."
Here is a quick video to show you what the view is like atop Ob Hill. A wonderful place to steal away to once and again. A peaceful place to find calm, get some perspective and honor a wonderful friend I am so thankful to have known.
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