Happy Camper

Hello all, as I write this post I am feeling much better than I did on Monday and am looking forward to this weekend to have some fun. This week has been slow with the holidays so not much to say. I did get to go to "Happy Camper" which is the outdoor survival training course you must take if you are going to any of the field camps for an overnight stay or just leaving McMurdo in general. This class teaches you how to survive in the Antarctic if you happen to get lost, crash or stuck in severe weather away from a larger camp. The class takes 2 days and encompasses both indoor and outdoor classes. Indoor we discussed the hazards of being trapt out in the weather such as hypothermia, frostbite and frost nip. What to do to prevent these from happening, what you can do if it happens. Helicopter safety and severe storm rescue simulation. Outdoors, we learned how to use the stoves we use here, set up both Scott tents and newer freestanding tents, dig a snow trench, build a snow wall and use a HF radio. On our day for class we got lucky and had great weather outside. Sunscreen was a must, even reapplying several times I got some sun on my face. The one downside to having a nice day was our Carhartt bibs got real wet, boots got soaked through, gloves soaking wet and lots or hard earned sweat. I decided to sleep in a snow trench instead of sleeping in a tent. One of my fellow classmates Nate and I began to dig a trench so that the 2 of use would be able to sleep in it. After about 3 hours of work we were satisfied with the result and finished it off. My fellow coworkers Dacre and Craig dug their own and had a far better and bigger one than ours but in the end we all were able to sleep comfortably and warmly in the night so looks didn't matter. We had to melt snow for water, cook our own dinner which was dehydrated food, set up our own camp, clean up and tear down our camp all on our own. Our instructor slept nearby in one of the classrooms that are at the "Happy Camper" site. We were left with a radio to use in case of emergency to contact him. In the end I think we all had a great time and learned a lot from the class. Most of the photos are from my coworker Dacre. His camera was far better suited to take photos in the bright sun and he got better ones while we all worked so I think it was a fair trade off. I hope you all enjoy them.

Tim

In the Delta on our way out

Learning how to use a stove

Walking to our campsite, Mt. Erebus in the background

Building a snow wall

Scott Tents

Enjoying the sun

Digging our trench

Dinner time

Inside Craig and Dacres snow trench

The finished snow wall

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season with their family and friends. It has been a eventful few days for me down here. I had written before on a nice sunny day here and the next day we were scheduled to go to the airfield to cover the scheduled crew for their day off. Well I learned something new down here, when flights cancel and the Air National Guard fuel up the LC-130 with 30,000 lbs of fuel and turn them into the wind, it is time to leave and head for town. While at the air field on Thursday we got stuck for 4 hours in a Condition 1 storm which means you are stuck in the building, vehicle, tent or whatever you are in for shelter till the storm lets up. We got lucky and were stuck in the airfield galley during this time period. It was a little boring but we got to know each other on your team a lot better by telling stories about different experiences we have had. I will say it was amazing how quick the storm blew in and how quick the snow drifts built up. My pictures really don't show it very well. I do have a video from walking around in the storm that I will post later for everyone to enjoy.

I was also able to the LDB Balloon launch yesterday. My roommate Alyx toke some photos that hopefully will show better than mine on here. I am not sure if this was the real big balloon or the smaller of the two. 3 hours after launch you could still see it in the sky with your own eyes.

The Christmas holiday down here is a different time but everyone contributes in their own way to make it enjoyable. I found out first hand just how big my new "ice" family is. I became sick on Thursday night and missed out on much of the celebrations since I stayed in my room most of the time. I was glad to know that both my roommates and my friends down here cared about me as they stopped by to say hi and check up on me. For that I am truly grateful. I do wish that I could have enjoyed the festivities with everyone but I will just have to wait till next year.

Till next time.

Tim

P.S. I am going to "Happy Camper" tomorrow and will have a new post on Wednesday with photos and stories about it.

Some snow/ice crystal formations after the storm

The LDB Balloon after launch

LDB Balloon before launch

Playing out in the Con 1 Storm

Looking outside in a Con 1

Snow Drifts

First few shifts on days.

Well after a few shifts on days I can say what a difference. Were to start, the town is a lot busier, there is more radio chatter, more people to and about but work for me isn't as busy and as much so far. I need to get use to this. With this week being a holiday week there are fewer flights than normal so there are fewer pallets to build and take to the airfield. There is less cargo coming back into McMurdo from both field camps, the South Pole and from Christchurch, in the end there is less receiving and delivering to do in town. We also have hour and half lunches instead. So needless to say I am a little bored, but I am trying to work a little slower to make what projects I do have take a little longer. I got the chance to go to LDB (Long Duration Balloon Project) on Monday to deliver some cargo. Today is a scheduled launch for the large balloon so I am hoping to hike up the hill and watch and see it take off.

It is weird down here with the holidays, you know that Christmas is coming because of the date but you are not swamped with all that Christmas rush like back home. It is a little odd feeling, but you also know that with the holidays were are headed for the home stretch with our work. We are receiving Retro Cargo (Returning Cargo) from field camps already and we still have cargo for one field camp that hasn't even left yet. The LC-130 that left for it last week had to turn around because the runway wasn't visible an it flew all the way back. We heard yesterday that the traverse (maintenance equipment) that was heading to PIG (Pine Island Glacier) the field field camp got there and saw 12' tall snow drifts on the runway. So it was a good thing that the plane didn't try to land. It would have been an accident waiting to happen if it did. Knowing that there are scientist and staff that are waiting to get into PIG and seeing their cargo not go anywhere you realize just how short the season is down here. With the Winter Solstice the weather will soon be changing again for winter and we will be leaving. Knowing that I will be leaving I have started to think about my after ice travels and what to do with my stuff that I brought down here. I know that I will need to ship some stuff home, I have also thought about trying to return next year for another season. As a first year employee my chances of getting off Ross Island are extremely slim so I think I might just so I can see more of Antarctica. It is also weird for me to being in the position of Apprentice several of my fellow coworkers have mentioned that I should try to apply for a Senior Position next year. It is a bit awkward for me hearing this but I also take it as a compliment to the work that I have done and how I have handled myself at work. This is a position that I will have to think hard about if I want to even try for it. Here is hoping doing a little bit of traveling around will help me come to a better conclusion on that one. I have also realized that I have work long and hard for the past few years since graduation so I owe it to myself to relax a bit before going back to work.

Well that is all for today.

Tim

A link about the Long Duration Balloon

http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/balloon/

Last week on nights!

So this is my final week on night and I only have to work 2 days this week. So I am somewhat glad to have an easy week ahead but I know that I will get bored so here is hoping the weather is nice so that I can enjoy sometime outside and do some hiking. I had today off as a comp day so I volunteered to work with a different department at the airfield called AGE (Aircraft Ground Equipment). It was nice to see a different side to the airfield operations of another crew to get a better understanding of what goes on here. I realized that I wouldn't mind working a little with AGE but for me I like the activity that Cargo gives me right now and in the future when I get older maybe the switch to age would be better for my body. Last week was the first week of airfield operations at the Pegasus airfield. To get to Pegasus you have to take a 14 mile long ice/snow road to get there. So far the quickest I have gotten there was 45 minutes and the longest has been over 1 hour 30 minutes. The road conditions have improved greatly in the past week but you still have to drive carefully and slowly to make sure you don't get stuck. So if you want an idea of what it is like to travel this road, pick the most boring sightless road you know that is 14 miles long and drive 5 miles and hour twice a day for 5 days than make sure the road is nice and bumpy to and that will give the idea. It has lead to some entertaining moments though seeing the shuttle vans drive through the snow, being inside a shuttle van plowing through the snow and watching cargo on the back of a Delta in the rear view mirror shaking around. I am glad that we are now on 1 week shifts at the airfield, driving and riding on that road will take physical toll on your body. I have a time lapse video of the drive out and back in that I hope to put up later this week when I finish editing it.

Till next time.

Tim

Some Adele Penguins a coworker saw.

Adele Penguins

In a loader behind a LC-130 pushing a sled for cargo download.

What happens when your equipment breaks down on the other side of the mountain. Took 2 tractors pulling the Delta back up the hill and our loader was suppose to be the break but the transmission went out so it is being pushed up the hill.

Loading the LC-130

Looking back from the plane at the loader with the sled.

A Tucker Snow-Cat inside a LC-130

Penguin Totes

The sun peaking through the clouds

Me inside a Delta

My coworkers Karl driving and Ray riding in the middle after a long shift and slow drive home

A loaded Delta

A week of a few firsts!

Hello again, so this week has been a week of a few firsts, I hiked OB hill for the first time, went out to the Pegasus plane crash site, went out to the pressure ridges by Scott Base, built my first T-2 pallet, and got to look around the new Kress Vehicles.

This past week was a rough one from the stand point that the night crew has been putting together cargo for outbound flights in large amounts even though for 4 days last week no flights left. Once air operations resumed it was amazing just how fast all the pallet we had built the week before left the yard and were headed to the desired field camps. While that cargo was out bound the amount coming in from field camps, the South Pole and Christchurch we has both a full cargo yard and cargo bay of cargo to sort though, receive and deliver, put on other outbound pallets and just plain deal with any down time was much enjoyed. Originally on Wednesday night my team was scheduled to work the airfield, well I didn't spend much time there since I was tasked to come back into town to help build pallets. Once in town I found out that myself and my team mate Lisa were tasked to handle over 15,000 pounds of cargo to WAIS (West Antarctic Ice Shelf) Divide by ourselves. In the end we were able to get 11,600 pounds of cargo onto the first T-2 pallet I have really been involved with building. I also got the chance to pick the pallet up from the staging area and load it onto the Delta truck for delivery and deliver it to the airfield myself. Needless to say picking up a pallet at 11,600 with a loader capacity of 12,600 it was a bit nerve racking making sure the pallet got onto the truck safely. In the end I got the pallet to the airfield safely and offloaded. I don't know if the pallet made it to WAIS Divide or not, I assume it did.

After a hard worked Wednesday night, Thursday was my day off I and was able to hike up OB-Hill for the first time of the year. From town it doesn't look like it is that hard of a hike but wow were my legs burning, the views were worth the pain. My battery died before I got to many pictures taken, I have been playing with a newly discovered feature on my camera (time-lapse video) and the battery drained before I could get some shots from the top. I hope to get up to the top again soon so I can get some more photos before the sea ice breaks up. Here is hoping for a nice night Thursday again.

Today I went on two tours, one to see the pressure ridges outside Scott Base and one to the Pegasus Plane that crashed in the 1971. I worked last night and knew that today was going to be a long but enjoyable day with the planned tours. The pressure ridges are where the sea ice is lifted up along the shore line from the ice growing bigger and being pushed inland. I got a-lot of photos of them unfortunately we had an overcast sky the whole time we were at the pressure ridges and there was not a whole lot of contrast to show them off. I hope that can go again on a sunnier day before the sea ice breaks out. Where the sun wasn't out for the pressure ridge tour it was out for the Pegasus plane crash tour. I was a bit of a odd feeling seeing a crashed almost still intact out in the middle of the ice shelf. It is a great reminder though to not take advantage of the weather down here. The way the wind was blowing while we were out at the plane and to see how full of snow the fuselage is, you remember just where you are real quick.

I was also able to look around the Kress vehicles. The Kress vehicle is a new vehicle that came down last year on the cargo resupply ship to help out with both the transportation of cargo to and from the airfield and passengers to and from. Well lets just say the design on paper did not take into account the actual conditions here and modifications to both the vehicles and the roads around here have has to change to make the work. Each vehicle is pulled by a Caterpillar tow vehicle which is based off of a Caterpillar dump truck platform and a trailer, for a total length of 98 feet. There are 2 of these vehicles. I heard from my shift supervisor that we would start using these vehicles to get cargo to and from the Pegasus airfield now that the sea ice runway is closed. I told my team leader that I would be okay driving one of them, so here is hoping I get the chance. Just looking at one of them and I am eager for a new learning opportunity and chance to do something different.

I hope that this finds everyone in good health and enjoying the Holiday season. Till next week.

Tim

McMurdo from Ob-Hill

The tow vehicle for the Kress

Pressure Ridge

Pressure Ridge

Watch your step, I stepped onto a crevice and fell in a few feet on one leg.

A seal

Pressure ridge

More pressure ridge

Some icicles

Trying to get into the Pegasus plane

McMurdo from Pegasus

A view of Black island from Pegasus

Mike, Alysa and I on the tail wing of the plane

Inside the cockpit of the plane

Outside the plane

The Pegasus Ice runway