Science!

So this season our night shift decided that it would be fun if we had some sort of theme for our weekly Day Bar get together.  To bring everyone up to speed, the night shift has what we call Day Bar down here on our night time which is actually normal day time for everyone else down here when one of the bars is open for us to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages responsibly.  Having a theme every week has given us something to look forward to but to also show case everyone different personalities.  This week our theme was "Science", I found this theme to be perfect for where we are at.  We are all working down here in the support of science and all the research that goes on not only at our station but at the other stations and field camps across the continent.

I am fascinated to always hear the different thoughts and beliefs of what we are truly doing down here and why anyone would want to work in this environment.  In the end of every season reports start to come out from discoveries made down here or some break through in scientific research.  I feel very fortunate to know that in the end I have had my hand involved in this success working in the department that I do.  I look forward to preparing science samples to be flown north to the final research destination and know that I did my job correctly when I hear about the discoveries.  I am also fascinated that the individuals who come down here are so concerned about some of their equipment being handled correctly that I am beginning to think that maybe there is a job opportunity out there for me to be employed by the very research groups that I help down here make sure their equipment makes it safely here based on my knowledge of the transportation logistics down here.

We have had one piece of cargo sitting in our bay now for almost 3 weeks wanting to get onto a flight to the South Pole, this piece we have had to keep plugged in to keep the electronics running.  I realized that there is no way for us or even the scientist to check and make sure that it is being powered correctly the day it arrived here.  I would hate to find out that the equipment isn't working because of a simple thing in the design of the shipping package was missed.  I know we have done our best to handle the cargo correctly and in the end it is our responsibility but we will only know once it gets to the south pole.

Other than normal work we celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend.  The food we had at dinner was great and the company shared even better.  My team enjoyed a nice 3 day weekend after working 4 different sets of 3 days straight of work.  I am extremely happy with my team this season in knowing that the work that comes our way will get done and that we all work well together.  I have learned from my previous season being a senior to make myself a better senior this year.  We have about 3 more weeks left of working nights than we all make the transition to days right at Christmas.  It is hard to believe that 2 months have gone by and I have 3 more to go before I have the long ride home on a LC-130 at the end of February.  More research will happen between now and than, more good times had and many goodbyes to along the way.  I hope you enjoy this weeks update and photos.  The Ob Tube came back and I was able to spend some time in it under water listening to seals and watching fish and jelly fish swim by.

One of day bar themes, "Country Club"

A Ice Stalactite from the OB Tube

A little friend hanging out

A closer look at the stalactite

The ladder to get in and out of the OB Tube

A jellyfish

A jellyfish

Under the ice

Another Jelly

One of my coworkers birthdays, the them was PJ's

McMurdo from above

A different view of the Cargo Yard

McMurdo and the frozen bay

Cool clouds and Black Island

A couple of seals just chillin!

Another seal in the sun

McMurdo from Hut Point

Looking south at White and Black Islands

Santa at the Airfield

In the Ob tube Selfie!

Go for Cargo Tim!

Well here is hoping that this post finds all my loyal readers well and happy.  So it has been a few weeks since my last post and things are finally getting into the swing of things down here.  The weather has been fantastic, the sun has been out with clear blue skies almost everyday over the past 2 and 1/2 weeks.  This is great news for us since our backlog of flights have been caught up and we are now working flights on the continent.  We have been busy building cargo to go to field camps and to the South Pole so our shifts are flying by fast so now our season will.  Our department night shift all get along and hang out together after hours and we have all gotten to know one another very well.  My role this year as a senior is leading a team of 3 again but I am also helping and assisting all the other new staff to the department to get them on the right page and understanding of what goes on down here and why we have some of the procedures in place that we do.  So I have heard my name called on the radio numerous times every shift.  I am still enjoying my job and helping everyone out just like others did down here my first season.

Today I said goodbye to my good friend and former roommate Dale from down here.  He and I both flew in together and worked together our first year together down here and were roommates our second season.  He has spent almost 22 of the last 24 months down here working.  He had a small break between his first winter season and third summer season before wintering at the South Pole.  I am lucky to have gotten a chance to have experienced this place with him and see Dale change as he saw me change with living and working in the wonderful place.  It is weird knowing that he is not going to be working here this summer and that there are now even fewer people who remain here who I met back in Denver for our orientation before coming down here the first time.  I know Dale and I will remain friends for a long time after this.  In the end we both consider each other to be brothers.

Not much else new has occurred down here this season so far that I haven't mentioned before.  Hope you enjoy the new photos and I hope to have a better post in the future about life on the Rock!  Till next time.

Tim

A shot from the mirror of the Kress with Mt. Erebus in it.

Bored at work and ensuring the rules of the road are followed by wearing a seat belt.

The portion of Hut Point that broke off last year right after I left.

The FAA sends down this plane every year to certify the runways that we use here at McMurdo.

All 98' of the Kress, I get to drive one of the 2 longest vehicles on the continent time to time.

Mt. Discovery and the tail of Skier 93

Can you find the "White Buffalo" and the "Pelican" in this shot?

The following photos are of the Traverse tractors that make the journey to the South Pole every year!

The next tractor is a brand new one that just flew in 2 weeks ago.

Dale and I before he left to go home for the first time in over a year!

Groundhog Day!

So I am back in McMurdo for my 4th season and am enjoying all that life brings down here.  Recently I have seen more wind and snow than I have of the sun and blue skies.  I landed on September 30th to a beautiful blue sky day and woke up to 8" of fresh powdery snow and didn't see a plane for almost a full week after that.  The weather here has been one storm after another ever since. We have the 3 different weather conditions down here for safe travel, Condition 3=safe travel and for the most part a beautiful day, Condition 2=decreased viability with wind and snow blowing so travel is limited and work is a bit trying and Condition 1=station lock down or in the easiest terms it is safer to remain in doors than go out side and work.  I have been 1 Condition 1 storm in my time down here and that was right before Christmas my first year down here and I was at the airfield when that happened.  This year I have been in more Condition 2 situations than Condition 3 days and all of them in town which never really happens in the summer time.  So it has been a slow start to the season down here.

I am a senior again in the Cargo department and enjoying the position though this year we have more new folks to the department than returning staff so getting everyone up to speed has kept us busy at the same time trying to explain what we do even though we do not have any flights to work or cargo to build to show them what we are talking about.  We are starting 24 hour operations tonight and I am on the night shift to start the season again.  I am hoping for more cargo to build this season than last year to keep us busy but to also give us something to show all the new staff what we do so that they will want to come back for another year.

Hope everyone enjoys the photos for this post.

Tim