McMurdo Update

Volunteers are everywhere in McMurdo; shuttle drivers, dishwashers, exercise class instructors, etc. Today, we volunteered to contribute to the wonderful McMurdo community. Lauren and Emilie worked in the salad kitchen slicing 50 blocks of cheese and cubing 134 apples. When a kitchen worker saw us slicing, he commented that “Cheese is the glue that holds McMurdo together”. Cindy and Nicole worked in the bakery decorating dozens of holiday cookies. It felt great to help out with the Christmas eve meal that everyone in McMurdo will enjoy.

Today we also got a tour of the aquarium and touch tank. We loved learning about all the interesting research happening here. The touch tank held sea spiders, snails, sea slugs, fish and star fish. The coolest fact that we learned was that sea spiders, which can grow to the size of dinner plates in the cold waters around Antarctica, have holes in their legs which they breathe out of. As you can tell, we’re settling into life in McMurdo and in addition have been enjoying exercise (hiking, running, gym, and yoga class), gear crafting (making fleece nose guards for goggles) and staying in the loop with logistics.

Marc did his own deep field shakedown yesterday and today. He, a geophysicist, and their field leader rode in a Haglund from McMurdo to a remote location where they set up tents for a night on the snow: a Scott tent and a smaller mountaineering tent. Afterwards they enjoyed a dinner of rehydrated mystery meat and vegetables. Then next day consisted of communications training: satellite phones, VHF radios, and HF radios – including setting up the antennae. Use of the HF receiver seems to mostly involve random knob turning until communications are established. The day concluded with a half hour of exhilarating snowmobiling.

Davis Ward Update

Johnny and Jim made it to the field and tell us that it’s beautiful and sunny in Davis Ward. Although it was -6 degrees F yesterday morning, they are busy grooming the runway.  We’re told that the Basler plane we’re waiting for will get back to McMurdo tomorrow. There are no flights during the holidays, so the current plan is to fly the snow machines out on Thursday and us out on Friday.

-Emilie and Marc from beautiful and sunny McMurdo, Antarctica

-Note from RPH:  I NEED one of those cookies.  This is a need, not a want or a covet. Needing something is not a violation of any commandment that I know of.