McMurdo itself is not what anyone in their right mind would call beautiful. That's just a given. But the area it's set in is as exquisite a place as anyone could hope to be in. This day was especially so. Throughout the day I was driving around town, out to pick up the people at Happy Camper Camp (out past the Kiwi Scott Base), and around town the rest of the day. From time to time the views were just so drop-dead beautiful that I had to stop briefly and take a photo. It's a truism that the Grand Canyon changes minute by minute through the day, but this is vaster and the changes occur even faster, so fast that from the moment the intensity of the beauty registers to the moment I can get the camera out, the lighting, the sky, and the colors have completely altered. I know my little point-and-shoot digital camera is not up to the task of the huge immensity of the Royal Society Mountains and the vastness of the frozen Ross Sea, but it is something that I can keep in the front pocket of my Carhartts and take out easily. I try to have it with me everywhere I go. I have yet to take the larger and more feature-packed camera out of my dorm room and it may never get out. It would have to be kept under my Bid Red and that would have to be unzipped every time I wanted to take a photo, something that would be cold and inconvenient..
Rumor has it that I'll be able to go to Happy Camper Camp sometime in November and that would be wonderful on its own. But going there is also prerequisite to going elsewhere, such as the Dry Valleys or the South Pole (the biggies of the morale trips) or to Capes Evans or Royce. There's a day trip going to one of those capes tomorrow (Sunday) and I overheard one of the involved people say that there is a seal hole just off the Ice road.. These holes are miles from the open waters and to survive, the seals must keep their holes open at all costs or die.
My work week is Monday through Saturday with Sunday off. Each day is a 9 hour workday. That's pretty common here, so Sunday is almost everyone's day off and the laundry and common facilities are crowded. Towards the end of October shuttles will go to 24 hour coverage and I'll be going to five 12-hour shifts that will rotate through the day and night. The days will be great, but I'm concerned for when my rotation calls for the night shift. But it is possible that with 24 hours of light and a room without any windows, it might not be an issue.
Rumor has it that I'll be able to go to Happy Camper Camp sometime in November and that would be wonderful on its own. But going there is also prerequisite to going elsewhere, such as the Dry Valleys or the South Pole (the biggies of the morale trips) or to Capes Evans or Royce. There's a day trip going to one of those capes tomorrow (Sunday) and I overheard one of the involved people say that there is a seal hole just off the Ice road.. These holes are miles from the open waters and to survive, the seals must keep their holes open at all costs or die.
My work week is Monday through Saturday with Sunday off. Each day is a 9 hour workday. That's pretty common here, so Sunday is almost everyone's day off and the laundry and common facilities are crowded. Towards the end of October shuttles will go to 24 hour coverage and I'll be going to five 12-hour shifts that will rotate through the day and night. The days will be great, but I'm concerned for when my rotation calls for the night shift. But it is possible that with 24 hours of light and a room without any windows, it might not be an issue.
reading the blog daily, mike. and really enjoying it. can you post a map (maybe a google map with waypoints or something) of some of these locations (happy camper camp, scott base, etc.)? thanks!
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