So far so good. I am in the departure lounge for Antarctica. Everything is going smoothly this morning. Shuttle picked me up along with several other antarctic people, delivered us to the CDC where we got dressed for action, and after a brief check in we were released...
2016 / 2017 Field Season
As I write this I'm on the schedule to fly south to McMurdo tomorrow morning, weather permitting. After taking care of my business at the CDC earlier today (see my last post) I had a quick lunch (caesar salad with venison) and spent a couple of hours writing reference letters...
Hello all, I made it to Christchurch yesterday afternoon, after 28 hrs of flying (Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth to Sydney to Christchurch. It's never comfortable to sit on a plane for 17 hours (that DFW to SYD leg) but I slept pretty well, and that makes a big difference. Had...
Yesterday when I summited Ob Hill, it was overcast, -9 C (16 F) but windless. On my way up to the summit, I had to stop, peel-off my fleece pullover, and finish the climb in Tee-shirt and light parka - unzipped! Otherwise, I would have ...
Today is Sunday when the support staff has a day of rest. As a result, there are only a limited number of things we can do to get ready for the field. I took advantage of the hiatus to summit Ob (Observation) Hill, something only half...
Hi all, Ralph here. In two hours I leave home for Antarctica. This will be my 24th trip in 30 years (my first trip was in 1987). Still, I'm as nervous as I've ever been! There are Triassic-sized butterflies in my tummy. I'll be en route to Christchurch for roughly 28 hours...
When working in McMurdo, your sense of time is compressed into three days – yesterday, today and tomorrow. For the life of me, I cannot keep track of what day it is. I can remember what I did yesterday. I know what I am doing today. And I know...
This morning reminded me of winters as a boy in Jamestown, New York. A gentle snow was falling and there was no wind at all. The falling snow muffles sound and McMurdo was quieter than normal. The twoish inches of snow we got hid rocks, icy patches, and ruts...
One of the reasons I enjoy coming to Antarctic is the enormous beauty of the place. Even while in McMurdo Station, the view across the frozen Ross Sea to the Royal Society Range or Mount Discovery and Mount Morning is breathtaking. You would not imagine that a landscape dominated...
Sorry ANSMET fans, but this will be a relatively short and image-free post. The latter is due to the very slow internet connection currently available. My cameras take fairly large image files and I fear that uploading them might take longer than I am willing to...