On December 29th we boarded a LC-130 at the South Pole that would take us back to McMurdo Station. I didn't realize how much I had become attached to this place and the people there until I made the…
In one of the most remote places in the world, it can be hard to imagine spending the holidays without loved ones around. But when you're surrounded by some of the most hard working and giving people…
Today I helped meteorologist, Katie Koster, launch a weather balloon. Katie is a molecular biologist by training, but now finds herself staying for the winter to launch weather balloons from the…
50 feet below the South Pole station begins a series of tunnels leading to Rod wells that house fresh drinking water. A 'Rod well' is created by hot water drilling into the ice until water is reached…
Anyone staying at the South Pole station arrives on a LC-130 Hercules with skids. This allows the planes to land on the ice runway with skis covering their wheels. The runway is about two miles in…
So how do you get to the bottom of the world? In today's modern age of travel and communication, we are accustomed to flying to another continent in a few hours, or connecting to the other side of…
One of the best things about the South Pole is that everyone is willing to help out anywhere. From volunteering to wash dishes to stocking shelves in the store, people are more than willing to step…
Today I saw my first sun dog in the sky! This is a phenomenon that is caused by the light refracted by ice crystals in the sky. It usually looks like a circle is wrapped around the sun and can give…
I exited the station at Destination Zulu and was immediately blasted by a gust of cold air. I pulled my hood over my beanie and carefully navigated down the flight of stairs to the hard packed snow.…
In celebration of Antarctica Day (Dec. 1) and my live webcast that we had trouble connecting to because of the satellite, I want to share a brief history of Antarctic discovery.
Sailors have been…
Sunday is the day off at the South Pole for most researchers. We decided that today was the day to take our team photo at the Ceremonial South Pole. We put on our full ECW gear and headed outside for…
