Ice is Nice

Ice is Nice
We arrived at McMurdo Base on Monday afternoon after a 5 hour flight on a C-17 (a big-ol' military plane). There are only a few small portholes on a C-17, and nothing to see over the ocean, so my first glimpse of Antarctica came when I stepped off the airplane onto the ice runway. We had landed on the frozen ocean a couple of miles away from McMurdo Base and my first view was an almost complete 360 of ice and snow and mountains. It was breathtaking. The first thing one notices is the brightness and the clarity of the sky in Antarctica. The sky is crystal-clear and ice-blue, like the blue you see in photographs of icebergs. McMurdo Base is surrounded by hills and mountains, one of which is Mt. Erebus (the southernmost active volcano in the world). On the day we arrived, the top of the volcano was hidden by clouds, but since then I have seen some puffs of white emitting from its top.

Upon our arrival, we were shuttled off in busses (one of which was named 'Ivan the Terra-Bus') and taken to the Galley, also known as Building 155, where we had orientation. Most buildings here have a number and a name...and sometimes another name. The dorm where I am staying is called 188, Mammoth Mountain Inn and MMI. It can be a little confusing for a newbie like me.

Later that evening, I found out from one of the supervisors that our flight had actually arrived 45 minutes late. The reason we were late was because there had been a seal on the runway and the captain had been forced to circle for 45 minutes waiting for the seal to move out of the way. I am so totally in Antarctica!

I have actually been here for a couple of days now and it's uncertain when I will be able to get to the Pole. In order to fly out, the temperature at the Pole must be -50F or warmer. Since that hasn't happened yet, there is a large group of us "Poleys" waiting to go. There are at least 4 planeloads of people in front of my group, so the date of departure is uncertain. Pole people who are scheduled to arrive after us, like my husband, will be delayed in Christchurch until some of the people who are already here can be sent onward to the Pole. As much as it's cool to be here, I can't help being jealous of those stuck in New Zealand, with warm temperatures, places to see and a daily stipend of Kiwi Cash.

In the meantime, our group of almost 150 Poleys is causing a bit of a strain on the McMurdo community which is not used to supporting such a large amount of "extra" people. We're all doing what we can to help out, volunteering in the kitchen, washing dishes, finding a department where are skills might be helpful. You can only do so much though, so we regularly stumble across each other in the coffee shop, the library and, of course, the bar. People at McMurdo have been very friendly and understanding for the most part, but occasionally we do get the "When are you guys gonna leave?" comment. The fact that our jackets (also known as Extreme Cold Weather Gear or ECWs - again with the 3 names) are differently colored than those of the folks here doesn't really help us to blend in.

I've been enjoying my freetime, helping out in the kitchen, attending yoga class and hiking all around the base. Working a full shift is going to come as a shock to my system...assuming we ever make it to the Pole...