I woke up today and I felt like I hadn't slept in a week. "Happy Camper training was definitely a workout.Today I get to learn how to drive some of the vehicles in McMurdo Station. There are a lot of different ways that you can travel. There are trucks and vans. These require you to put a chock under the tire whenever you get out if the vehicle.
A van that is used primarily to transport people. Notice the chock under the tire.
The trucks look just like a regular truck but they don't drive like a regular truck. They have a different operating system inside the vehicle, including a MICObrake. They didn't let me drive one but they said I could if I had to. They are very trusting.
A truck used to move people and supplies. It looks just like a regular truck.
I did learn all about how to drive a Mattrack. It looks like a truck but it has tires that are triangular in shape. They told me all about how to drive the vehicle and even how to do basic maintenance. However, they didn't let me drive it. I'm starting to get a complex.
A Mattrack that is used for travel on the ice. The tires are triangular-shaped to improve traction.
The last vehicle I learned about today was a Pisten Bully. It looks sort of like a Tonka toy. However, it is huge. I almost need a ladder to get into it. In fact, none of the vehicles in Antarctica are made for short people. I'm going to need to speak to someone about this. Let's talk about the Pisten Bully because they did let me drive this vehicle. Yeah!!!
The Pisten Bully needs to heat up for 30 minutes and it should only be driven at 5 mph. You heard me correctly, I said 5 mph. It is great for driving on the ice because it has a very thick track that the vehicle drives on. It is red and can carry a lot of people and equipment.
The Pisten Bully is a large vehicle that was developed to use on snow and ice. It doesn't like the volcanic rock that is everywhere in McMurdo Station.
After about an hour of instruction regarding the operation and maintenance of the Pisten Bully, it was time to go for a little spin. I decided to volunteer to go first. I figured that when I made a mistake the instructor wouldn't have anyone to compare me to. I climbed up into the driver's seat, I started it up, and I was ready to go. Let's just say that my first time behind the wheel of the Pisten Bully was reminiscent of the first time that I drove a stick-shift car. At least I didn't hit anything. Scott was not so lucky. He did something that made the instructor shout out "Noooooo!" You are not supposed to turn the steering wheel unless the vehicle is in motion. Oops! Our team has a dedicated Pisten Bully, so I am sure that I will get another chance to prove my driving skills.
The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out how to edit and download video. I had some success but I will need to do some more work. Well, tomorrow is another day.