Overall, the field season proved to be busier than I expected. I still can't fully figure out why, other than that is how things typically go in Antarctica. The close of the season was busier than I anticipated, although it was far from some of my past experiences. A year ago we had a Twin Otter flight to finish the final installation the afternoon before we left in the morning. Three years ago I missed my northbound flight as I was stuck at the WAIS field camp. I ended up going on a flight two days after my scheduled flight with about 36 hours in McMurdo to close the season.
The end of our field season was roughly finished a week before I departed McMurdo (on Friday, Dec. 7). We also did some work in the field the Monday before I left to help raise the power systems for the Antarctic Precipitation System (APS) sites. The power system consists of a bank of 12V batteries, similar to car batteries, solar panels, and electronics to control the charging and load distribution. At the Willie Field site, between the APS system and the two GPS receivers, there are 44 batteries at 70 pounds each buried in the snow. With the significant accumulation from the past year we dug down to retrieve the batteries and then moved them to just beneath the surface.
Admittedly, with the slower than normal end to the field season, I tried to take advantage of having some time in McMurdo. I have consistently said that I am a horrible "tourist" in McMurdo. There are a number of activities that are available to people in McMurdo to be able to connect more closely with the Antarctic experience. Some examples include tours of the historical huts from the Antarctic Exploration age to a range of trails that can be used for hiking. On my last Sunday I was able to participate in one of these "tourist activities" as I went on a Pressure Ridges tour. It was a beautiful afternoon in getting an up close experience with the ice formations and seals.
I had hiking plans for both of my last two full days in McMurdo and I did not get in a hike on either day. It didn't help that I was ending the field season with a cold and I decided to limit my activities so I could get healthy as quickly as possible. The last full day in McMurdo was also filled with me walking all over town. I try to visit and say good bye to as many people as possible. I do this for two reasons. The first is as an appreciation of the support that they provided and the second is because I find most everybody really fun and I like to say good-bye until I see them next year. It didn't help that over my last week in McMurdo I went through a phase of losing things. On that last day I lost one of my gloves. Eventually it showed up as I ended up walking by it in the afternoon. I also lost the key to the pooled truck for people in the lab to use. After a half hour of searching I discovered in beneath the loading dock where it apparently fell out of my pocket when I was on the dock.
The northbound flight was on a wheeled C-130 military aircraft operated by the New Zealand Air Force. There were over 50 people squeezed onboard the C-130 and we were placed in our seats shoulder-to-shoulder and knee-to-knee. The second hour of that 7-1/2 hour flight was about as rough of an experience as I've had flying to, from, and around Antarctica. Fortunately, I found a spot to stuff my backpack and that was a game changer as it provided me some more room. We got back to Christchurch by 5:00 PM. From there it was going through customs and immigration, dropping the issued cold weather gear at the Clothing Distribution Center, and then transport to the hotel. Fortunately, all of that was done fast enough that I was able to have a great meal that evening.
In my Thanksgiving post, I commented that the Wall Street Journal had an article on the Thanksgiving activities. If you have not looked at that article, it can be found at:
Wall Street Journal
On a somber note, many of you may have recently heard that there was a tragedy this past week that resulted in two deaths in McMurdo. I was notified by a friend on Wednesday that something significant had happened. The only details that I have learned is from the release by the National Science Foundation:
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=297454
In reading the article, it sounds like the event did not occur in McMurdo but at one of the nearby sites used for radio transmissions. I didn't know any of the fire technicians this year so I don't think I knew them. I am sure in the coming days and weeks I'll start hearing more of the details.
I am now in Auckland, New Zealand and waiting to board my trans-Pacific flight back to the United States. I will be posting an album of photos sometime in the next few weeks. I will send out one more quick post with the link to the web album. Thank you for following along with me on my adventures and field season in Antarctica. Writing the email/blog posts, and often hearing replies from many of you, always makes me feel a little more connected. The third field season of three for the APS project is scheduled for November and I will be once again writing email/blog posts about the latest stories from Antarctica.
