Our first day in Antarctica was beautiful - clear, blue, sunny, and relatively warm. Then we had our experience camping on the ice at happy camper school and ever since it’s been blowing snow and outside it’s chilly, mostly overcast, and visibility comes and goes. On Tuesday it was -26 F. To see our weather or to see McMurdo on our live webcam check out the McMurdo Station Webcam.
A Mattruck in front of four brown dorms and the blue galley where we eat.
Luckily we haven’t had to spend more nights out on the ice and we’ve had warm beds to sleep in. Our days have been spent with more unpacking and setting up of our labs and work spaces. Everything we need we had packed and shipped many months ago and now it’s like Christmas as we’re unpacking boxes. Finding room and organizing everything is a bit harder but we’re getting it done. We’re also still waiting for one more box of our “Do Not Freeze” stuff which we had shipped back in August but which didn’t make it on the plane with us. We’re missing some SCINI supplies, everyone’s toiletries, and my laptop as well as other things.
Recycling containers in front of the Crary Lab
All of us newbies are also still trying on different combinations of gloves, socks, sweaters and hats as we try to figure out how to stay warm while standing around without overheating when we’re having to lift, drill, move, or do some sort of physical activity. I think I’ve tried up to 10 different pairs of gloves at this point and I’ve found my favorites for working in town, for being active on the ice, and for waiting or listening to lectures outside.
Kevin and Julie on a run for supplies - the blue building is the galley and the red is the place to go if we get hurt.
One of the WATER DROPs came along for a day and helped us pick up supplies. Here is the WATER DROP from Mt. Pleasant School in New Zealand helping Kevin get his Jacket fixed.
A pleasant surprise was waiting for me at the mailroom - 4 WATER DROPs - from the 4-H Oceanography Project in Snelling, CA; Mrs. Nourse's class at Reed Elementary, Mrs. Booth's class at St. Leo the Great School, and from Lance Gray.
We’re also having to attend trainings left and right. Safety is a huge issue down here and we appreciate that we’re learning all we can about the many different ways of being safe. For all of our loved ones back at home, rest assured. If we are even 5 minutes late checking in, about 50 people are alerted. If we are late checking in by 1 hour then the Search and Rescue Team is out looking for us and the whole station as well as Denver and management are notified.
Learning about communications at McMurdo
So to prepare us for our time on the Ice, here’s a quick overview of our first week’s schedule with a quick preview of our training.
Thursday – arrive and orientation to McMurdo
Friday – Saturday: Happy Camper School (Learn about safety, frostbite and hypothermia, tents, Scott tents, snow walls, trenches, VH radios, VHF radios, various emergency scenarios, and how to be a good passenger on a helicopter)
Sunday: Tour of the Crary Lab which is the science and engineering building where our labs and office are
Monday: Driving Tucker Snow Cats, a tour of McMurdo, a historical safety lecture from Paul about safety from the 1960s.
Tuesday: Radio communications which involves what to say, how to officially check out, and how to make radio plans; sea ice drilling, driving and doing maintenance on snowmobiles and small trucks; an Outdoor Safety Lecture so we can safely hike around the outskirts of McMurdo
Wednesday: Small engines (chainsaws, generators, hotsies, and jiffy drills), and track vehicles (mat tracks, piston bulleys)
Thursday: Environment and Crary lab safety training; Diving orientation, safety, and check-out dive
Friday: Sea Ice – how to identify cracks and how to be safe on the ice.
Saturday: Start work!
We’re in the midst of it and are constantly running from building to building trying to be prepared for our many trainings.
Learning how to operate a snowcat called a Tucker
So far, Paul really liked the Tucker Snow Cat training. He had last used the vehicles in 1962 and one of the ones that he used is now at the museum I saw in Christchurch. The tucker we got to practice on was from 1984, has the equivalent of over 300,000 miles on it, and costs about $250,000. We learned how to perform a safety check on it before we drive it. This involves checking all the fluids, belts, tracks, and potential drips or loose screws. Driving it is similar to a car except we can’t turn it unless it’s moving. The rumbling of the tracks on the ice was fun though sitting up so high and driving something so bulky and unfamiliar will probably take some getting used to. Luckily there isn’t much traffic in town or out on the ice and there are only 7 stop signs in McMurdo. Yes, there are traffic laws and, though we might not get tickets, we will get in trouble for not stopping or for going faster than the official speed limit – 5 mph by our dorms, 15 mph in town, and 25 mph on the ice.
A Happy Paul driving a cool Tucker
Another fun training involved Snow mobiles otherwise known as snow machines or Skidoos. We learned not just how to drive them but how to perform pre-driving inspections and how to fix basic things like clogged spark plugs and a broken belt. I hope I won't have to do that out on the ice, but in case I do I have pictures, notes, and a general sense of what to do.
What is DJ taking notes on? Skidoos? (Yes, sometimes we get overheated in Antarctica)
Paul, Kevin, David, and John practicing their snowmobile skills
What will we need to pack for food for our 2-week field camp? What would you choose?
One night we had a special treat and Paul showed us pictures of what McMurdo was like in the 1960's when he was there. He told great stories about all kinds of things and we really learned what to do and what not to do from him.
Paul showing the group how he made holes back in the 1960's - when he didn't have all the technology and equipment that we have now.
What training would you think we need? What would you enjoy?