12/8/2011

No one showed for the women's "Self Awareness/Defense" class on Monday. Not surprised as there was only one name on the sign up sheet and it had been up for less than 24 hours. I didn't know they only post flyers every Sunday night at around 5PM. Will wait and see what happens the coming Monday. I see there are two names now on the list as of last night. I gave Darrell a quick orientation on the holds and embraces he will be using on the girls if he decides to show up to help. He's a BIG boy. I can barely get my arms around him and his arms and I sure can't lift him.

Snowing again. You probably think "Well No $&!# Sherlock"!! But in reality it doesn't snow much in Antarctica. Antarctica is classified as a desert. Less than 2" of precipitation annually. This year we've had an uncommon amount of snow and it's been warmer all year So warm we weren't able to freeze 12"+ of ice in the harbor to construct an "Ice Pier".

Went up to Crater hill on Tuesday night at 7PM to mark all the shelters and antenna masts with GPS coordinates. That was a Hike! Almost straight up. Usually the techs and riggers take a Pisten Bully up there since a wheeled vehicle can't climb it.

A "Pisten Bully" tracked ice vehicle.

Top of the crater and the communications sites with antennas.

The "Crater" in "Crater Hill".

You would normally be able to see Erebus, Terror and all along the front of the Royal Society Range. It's higher than Observation Hill here in McMurdo.

Lower slopes of Mt. Erebus, the most southern active volcano in the world.

Royal Society Range across McMurdo Sound with Ferrar Glacier to the right taken about 10PM at night.

But tuesday night was overcast with low clouds and Mt.s Erebus and Mt. Terror were both obscured. I could see all the way across McMurdo Sound though and had good views of the other side all along the Royal Society Range, Mt. Discovery, Black Island and White Island.

Base of Mt. Terror, the ice cliffs. All I could see this night.

Looking over McMurdo, across McMurdo Sound into the Royal Society Range and Ferrar Glacier. Sun never sets now. Still strange to have it this light almost at midnight.

Looking over the Crater to White Island. Still 10PM

Looking North towards open sea and a couple of massive glaciers 60+ miles away at 9PM.

Black Island on the left, Mt. Discovery to the right of Black Island.

Me with Castle Rock off my right shoulder and the base of Mt. Erebus in the background, top shrouded in clouds.

Castle Rock, then the base of Mt. Erebus miles away.

All in all it was a good hike, though it took me four hours to complete the antenna survey and take pictures of locations and of the scenery. Took a total of 187 shots. A few were washed as the settings on the camera changed from "Auto" to "Shutter" and the shutter was set on 1/10th of a sec.

Later!

 12/1/2011
Sun is out, it's warming up, and the ground is a muddy mess of volcanic sand and rock. A bit different from when I arrived here almost two weeks ago. Then, it was colder (around -3 with wind chill, about 15 ambient), overcast and usually snowing. I guess this year has been way warmer, even over the winter. So warm in fact, that we won't have an ice pier done for offloading fuel and supplies in late January from the cargo and fuel ships. This Ice pier was usually 9'-25' thick and covered with sand/gravel for insulation. Right now they have about 3' of ice and 9' of slush underneath. Not enough to hold vehicles for offloading.

Working and taking hikes when I get time so I can take more pictures. I bought and brought down a small pocket camera this year, a Nikon S3000. This pocket camera takes "Ok" pictures but they are near the clarity of my D90, nor even the Sony pocket camera I had last year. Don't buy one as your main camera. Find something else with crystal clear picture results. The S3000 doesn't cut it for me.

In different dorms this year. B210, an older 2 story barracks with 2 man rooms. It's nicer than 155. Inconvenient though to go eat, and it only has a single mens bathroom. And that's downstairs.

I completed all my training within two days this time. Only needed Snow School refresher, driving light vehicles and the recreational class (Outdoor Orientation) to be able to go on hikes around the area. Snow school refresher was 4 hours as I didn't have to go to Happy Camper.

Got to see something for the first time in my life. The blasting crew dug a trench with explosives and I videoed it. First time for me seeing something blown up with high explosives. I'll try and add the video to this blog.

I will be starting a women's self awareness/defense class on Monday (Dec 5th) both to teach women some self defense but also to be self aware in locations they would normally ignore or take for granted. We'll see how the turn out is on Monday.

I need to walk up to Crater Hill over McMurdo to get GPS locations of all the antennas and comms buildings up there. I also want pictures as not many people make it up there since it's restricted to just the comms people, riggers and others that only need to work up there (not many). It's called crater hill because it's an old volcano flue, that has filled with water and frozen. Should be interesting.

Crater Hill Comms site.

All for now. Enjoy