- Training, Bad Weather and Field Prep -
We have already started to get our ducks in a row, as they say... We have to collect equipment, emergency supplies, field food and undergo an array of refresher training on vehicles, radio communications, sea ice and the like. The weather is Condition 2 today (not great, pretty windy) in town and Condition 1 (really bad) everywhere else. I had a sharp reminder of the importance of covering your skin with the windburn I received on my face this evening...Buildings etc.
I've noticed that somehow snow has crept INTO the dorm hallway...
Below: A wintery picture of The National Science Foundation (NSF) Chalet where the one and only Station Manager carries the one and only gun allowed on base (I'm pretty sure it's never been used).
Here is another view from farther back. You can see Observation Hill ("Ob Hill") in the background. It's a fairly easy hike to the top where you get a lovely view of McMurdo below.
Below: This Building is the Science Support Center and also serves as an additional training area. Inside we had our Ski-Doo refresher course where I changed my first spark plug! We also went over how to properly use and light the standard issue camp stoves, how to set up certain types of tents with a refresher on knots as well as snow walls and we were lectured on the physical dangers of the Antarctic and sea ice environment (and shown horrible recent pictures of injuries due to frostbite which were followed by amputations).
Due to weather, Helicopter Operations (Helo Ops) is at a standstill.
- SKI-DOO TRAINING -
Here I am changing my first spark plug on a snow machine!
- JIFFY DRILL -
Later we picked up our JIFFY DRILL and drill bits which are something like 1 foot wide and 3 feet tall each. It's likely that we will only need to drill through 6 feet of ice (2 bits) and doubtful that we'll be in an area that'll have much more ice thickness than that. We use this drill, which uses gas and starts the same way as a lawn mower, to punch holes into the sea ice. Then we fish...
Drill bits on a pallet waiting for us:
Another angle.
We interrupted this lovely gentleman from some kind of ATV test drive (the helmet), he was so kind as to stop what he was doing in order to take our drill pallet down for us.
Below Brad is freeing the pieces to load into the truck that we'd borrowed from the Crary Lab where we work.
Dan loading the Crary Lab truck:
Lee's Cabin Bread you say? It must all be mine. Here you can see the aisles, many of which are full of food options including different dehydrated meals packaged as such, as well as dehydrated soups, gravies, ciders and so on that just need a splash of hot water. You will also find canned goods, tea/coffee, crackers and spreads such as peanut butter and jelly among other things. For those staying out in the field camps more options for cooking condiments are available (oil, sauces etc.) High caloric intake snacks that are easy to eat in the cold are important - chocolate included.
Group photo near the soup end-cap and the difficult-to-see Antarctic map.
A tower of juice boxes (which, one B. Buckley was extremely pleased to see). For some, it's a favorite way to get a quick sugary burst of hydration when we are out and about.
Bravo-308 Group photo at Mac Ops.
Left to right: Dan Hassumani, Dr. Brad Buckley and Marissa Lee
Another glimpse inside of Mac Ops
Here are the various channels we use to communicate
Here is the box all of our fish traps and some other goods were stored in over the winter. It was delivered to us just outside of the Crary Lab loading dock. Using a drill we opened the top, removed the necessary items and made sure to drill it back on - otherwise the heavy lid could easily blow away with wind gusts.
Drill bits on a pallet waiting for us:
Another angle.
We interrupted this lovely gentleman from some kind of ATV test drive (the helmet), he was so kind as to stop what he was doing in order to take our drill pallet down for us.
Below Brad is freeing the pieces to load into the truck that we'd borrowed from the Crary Lab where we work.
Dan loading the Crary Lab truck:
-FOOD PULL -
Next on our shopping list - was shopping. Kind of. We went to Food Pull (to pull food) for our field days. We often have a minimum time of a 4 hour round trip journey if we are to travel out on the sea ice to Cape Evans for example. We need to include food to eat in addition to the sack lunches that we may or may not have as well as emergency food in the case that we end up stuck or caught in the weather.
Below is an image of the main part of the space with aisles off to the right. Brad and Dan are making a grab for the goods.
Lee's Cabin Bread you say? It must all be mine. Here you can see the aisles, many of which are full of food options including different dehydrated meals packaged as such, as well as dehydrated soups, gravies, ciders and so on that just need a splash of hot water. You will also find canned goods, tea/coffee, crackers and spreads such as peanut butter and jelly among other things. For those staying out in the field camps more options for cooking condiments are available (oil, sauces etc.) High caloric intake snacks that are easy to eat in the cold are important - chocolate included.
Group photo near the soup end-cap and the difficult-to-see Antarctic map.
A tower of juice boxes (which, one B. Buckley was extremely pleased to see). For some, it's a favorite way to get a quick sugary burst of hydration when we are out and about.
You can see the not one but TWO cases of juice boxes that just made their way to our check-out table behind him on the right...
I'm making my way to the snack aisle... Tired but happy!
- MAC OPS -
Next up: MAC OPS! This is McMurdo Radio Operations training. You must check in, you must check out and you DO NOT want to be late or the emergency rescue crew starts prepping for deployment if you are even 5 minutes over due.
Although this map is difficult to see in the photo - it was very helpful in explaining where the relay towers are located and how they are used. Radio communication here is line of sight - so once we head around a mass of land or the Erebus Glacier Tongue that is spilling out onto the sea ice from the land mass of Ross Island - we have to then use a relay tower that is within line of sight for each party involved in order to properly communicate with one another.
Bravo-308 Group photo at Mac Ops.
Left to right: Dan Hassumani, Dr. Brad Buckley and Marissa Lee
Another glimpse inside of Mac Ops
This is what our radios look like.
Here are the various channels we use to communicate
- CRARY LAB -
FIELD PARTY STAGING AREA
We then headed back to the lab to further prepare for our upcoming work load.
This area is near the loading dock where groups can make, fix or break whatever necessary for the array of projects being conducted. We often borrow tools from here to build or manipulate equipment as needed.
This is the Field Party Staging area - set up your gear in load order, open the garage door to the loading dock and load whatever vehicle you may have available just before you head out.
This is the loading dock on the other side of the garage door. It's not opened until necessary.
Just a reminder that some of the doors to the outside from the inside are actually heavy duty walk-in freezer doors because - it's that cold... Above on the left, you see the same door pictured below from the inside.
Here is a view out of that same door's window. For meals we just have to make it across the parking area, over a little pedestrian bridge and into the blue building. It may not seem far - but on days like today where the windchill is -27F (-32.8C) or like tomorrow where it will approach a minimum of -58F (-50C) it's more of a difficult task than it might at first seem.
Here is the box all of our fish traps and some other goods were stored in over the winter. It was delivered to us just outside of the Crary Lab loading dock. Using a drill we opened the top, removed the necessary items and made sure to drill it back on - otherwise the heavy lid could easily blow away with wind gusts.
- SUNSET -
Below you'll find several pictures of one of the last sunsets here in Antarctica. It is currently the Austral Summer and soon instead of setting, the sun will just continuously circle the sky for several months on end.
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