The Byrd Glacier team sitting at the USAP terminal waiting for boarding. Photo credit: Rob Bauer
Brandon and Kristin enjoying first class on-board the Airbus 319. Photo credit: Rob Bauer
First attempt and we’re here! If you’ve ever read another blog from someone traveling to or from Antarctica, it is not uncommon for flights to get delays by a few hours or even several days. In fact, sometimes you can get in the air and have to turn around because conditions on the ice have deteriorated. It’s about a 5 hour flight south from Christchurch on a C-17 military aircraft, or in an Airbus 319. I sorted of feel like we got cheated out of the true Antarctic experience (ok, not really), but we had the rare opportunity to fly down on the Airbus! FIRST CLASS! We even had in-flight beverage service! Talk about roughing it!
This is the plane we took to Antarctica. Photo credit: Brandon Gillette
We arrived in McMurdo around 1:30pm local time and then took a ride on Ivan the Terra Bus, about 10 minutes into town where we took a break (sat and listened to several people on station welcome us and explain the processes of station life). These are always very informative, especially if you are down here for the first time.
Off to pick up our linens, check-in to our dorm rooms and claim our luggage! The station is a little crowded this year with additional numbers of science projects getting funded as part of the ‘Recovery Act’. Most two-person rooms have had a bunk bed added to allow three people. The room is the same size, but now more people and more luggage. Needless to say, it’s a tight fit. I got the only bed left in our room and it’s the top bunk, which usually I wouldn’t mind. However, whoever assembled the bunks didn’t take into account that a 6’2” person might be sleeping up there and they might like some room to move around. There is about a 2-foot clearance between the bed and the ceiling! That’s what you might call a tight squeeze!
Dinner was an Asian cuisine that was really quite tasty. For desert, FROSTY BOY! Oh how I missed thee!
Today is more briefings, meetings with our science support to discuss the logistics of landing two helicopters simultaneously on a glacier that no one has ever walked on before. I’ll keep you posted!