Viewed from Pegasus Field snow road, the northern end of Ross Island holds McMurdo Station (USA) and Scott Base (NZ).
The C-17's passengers listen intently for every hint of the giant plane touching down on the ice. With no windows to look out from, senses other than sight feed our imaginations during the thirty minute descent. With a shudder followed by the roar of its thrust reversers, the behemoth rapidly decelerates and I lean left, held in place by the seatbelt of my sideways-facing jumpseat. "Welcome to Antarctica," the loadmaster announces over the PA system. Minutes later, ice-reflected sunlight floods through the open door and we begin to disembark onto the prepared runway that serves McMurdo Station and New Zealand's nearby Scott Base: Pegasus Field.
USAP and Antarctica New Zealand participants disembark the C-17.
The low angle light at 3pm, and not the -10F temperatures, is what makes the largest impression on me once I step out of the plane. The snow covered sea ice is sugar-white and the moisture-less air and sky transmit light unimpeded. Even with sunglasses on, my eyes struggle to adjust. And once they do, I can see forever. Mount Erebus' smoking volcanic peak doesn't look very imposing from a dozen miles away, even with it's status as the planet's southernmost active volcano. In the distance, perhaps 80 miles off to the west, the peaks of the Royal Society Range stand out against the afternoon sun and look as though I could hike there in an hour or two. Light is very different at the bottom of the world.
Pegasus Field supports airborne supply missions with the active volcano, Mt Erebus, visible in the distance.
The recent arrivals are kept clear of the jet's spinning turbines and directed towards waiting ground transport by air force crew members. The jet noise and low temperatures don't stop us from posing for plenty of photos along the way. Ours is only the second flight of "Main Body," the beginning of the Antarctic summer research migration when the population of McMurdo Station explodes from less than 200 "winter-overs" to more than 1,000. Boarding one of the gargantuan red transports for the trip to the station, I have some idea of what's ahead of me in the coming weeks, and, more conventionally, I'm really just thrilled to finally be here.
Massive ground transports are required to move large numbers of people along the snow road back to McMurdo Station.
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