A Really White Christmas

With the holidays came our only 2-day weekends. Usually we only have Sundays off but for Christmas and then New Year's we had two days to celebrate. Good thing too. I just came back from my second trip to the South Pole station and was exhausted. I was able to sleep some and then enjoy the music of Icestock. It is an outdoor concert -- this year 13 bands or talents got up to perform. It was a lot of fun and a good way to ring in 2010.

Here is me back at the Pole. This time it was -30 C rather than -50 C so I was able to ski and generally be outside longer. There was a sculpture contest. The South Pole doctor built this. It is supposed to be the symbol for the Olympics (he is from Ottawa). I haven't seen the advertisements so I don't know how close this representation is. Is there an Eskimo logo that looks like this?

This time the geographical Pole had a Christmas tree next to it. This is the time of year where people who are skiing to the South Pole will reach their destination. They usually have been skiing for about 40 days and are coming from the Patriot Hills near the coast. This area also happens to be near the Ellsworth Mountains where the Antarctic marathon is held. We have a different marathon in McMurdo later this month. It's not for tourists though -- just employees. So it runs a different course.

The LDB project (Long Duration Balloon) had some launches. They have a separate collection of buildings that is off near the runway in McMurdo. It makes for a nice ski to and from (about 6 miles each way). Since they have their own galley we can ski out, drink something warm and ski back.

These elevated buildings are everywhere. This happens to be out near the air field right before my second trip to Pole. They moved the runway as is always the case. The ice is 8 feet thick -- enough for a C-17 to land. The previous ice runway was melting (as always happens) so it is moved toward the permanent ice shelf.

There is an area called Arrival Heights where a lot of research goes on. No one is allowed there without a scientist. The Medical folks got a tour. Here are some of the computers. They are quite outdated but still do the job fine so no reason to change them. Numerous universities are represented but I had to take a picture of this one involving UW.

Both NASA and the New Zealand base have one of the "golf balls" as seen in the background. Everything is either looking up into the cosmos or down into the earth. It's really neat to hear details of each project. Sometimes a number of different researchers at a number of different universities are relying on the results of these projects for their PhDs.

This is the 10 meter telescope at the South Pole. It looks at data from 14.5 billion years ago and helps to substantiate the Big Bang theory. I got to meet the researchers who built its precursor -- the telescope that really proved the Big Bang. This looks at microwave background radiation. I've heard it explained a few different ways but I apologize -- I can't translate. Let's just say the folks at UC Berkeley can and they like to talk about it.

Like I was saying, this is the season for skiing to the Pole. Some people ski 1,000 kilometers, others are just skiing the "last degree" to the Pole (60 miles). Either way it is so cool to watch them ski with their sledges right up to the Pole. The Pole happens to be right under my office window. I got to watch Hannah McKeand (speed record) and her client reach the Pole. The next day I watched as a 7-woman international team came in. Then 2 Danish men with a healthy amount of frostbite skiied in. They aren't allowed to come on station but we can go visit with them. So I went and said hello to the female group. They invited me into their tent and I was blown away as they told me about their journey. They were so relieved and excited. I kept telling them congratulations and finally had to head back in to treat more patients. I had to pinch myself as I walked away from all those tents.

The scientists either take a twin otter, Basler or helo into the field. I haven't gotten in those yet. By the way, my motion sickness was much better on this trip to Pole. I used the patch behind the ear. It was magic. I can't believe I waited this long in life to try it. It's now going to be there with every plane trip, boat ride or ski outing I go on.

As we landed back in McMurdo the National Guard crew practiced dumping the load onto the ice. It was so cool! We were riding along and all the sudden the back hatch opens up and the load ejects.

Me in front of the LC-130 Hercules that brought me back from the Pole. It was really funny. I got back and was walking to the kitchen. I see this guy I know. In my head, at first, I said "There's that guy." Then I realized he wasn't normally in Antarctica. We just stood there and each said, "What are you doing HERE?" I had taken a climbing class with him in Seattle. He is here for science and just got here two days ago. He had moved to Boulder, CO to work for a company there and got sent to the Ice. Such a small world and so out of context! There are a lot of folks from Seattle, Colorado and Montana so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It is a small small world...even at the bottom!