Retro-Trash

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather: 28F, partly cloudy

Well.  I am waiting on my departure flight back to New Zealand today and hopefully will be back in the US on Tuesday night.  It's going to be nice to see Jenny, Jennifer, Baxter, Nana, my telescope stuff, my shower, my coffee pot, my front porch, living things besides people at McMurdo, no howling winds and blowing snow at Tango camp, Phu, TV, football, driving, and The Newshour with Jim Lehrer.

Report from New Zealand forthcoming. 

Back from Tango 1

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Sunny, 28F

We arrived back to Williams Air Field last night from our deep field camp at Tango 1.  Tango 1 didn't go as expected, or did it?

We, Pete, Kate, and I, arrived last Thursday, December 18, to set camp up and await the rest of the science team.  That didn't ever happen.

If you can recall it took over two weeks for our first plane to arrive at Tango 1 because of bad weather.  We arrived there and guess what?  We had bad weather for seven days and the decision was made just to pull us out of camp and limp back.

I have some awesome video of the storms at Tango so stay tuned.

Picture:  Me at the last day at Tango.

Video of Helo Work

I'd like to invite you to look at this page to look at a video I created today.  Click here!

Damn Diamox

Ok, so "if" we leave for Tango camp tomorrow I had to start taking my Diamox today.  Tango camp is at 8500 feet, so I will be leaving sea level and ascending to 8500 feet in five hours.  Not only that but we have to set camp which is going to take 2+ days of very intensive physical work...all this at -30F and 8500 feet...not to mention what the physioaltitude might be.

The damn Diamox has been screwing with me all day.  How it works:  it makes your blood really acidic by making you piss out your bicarbonates.  Your body says WTF! when your blood gets acidic and to counteract this imbalance your body produces more red blood cells.  In theory if you have more red blood cells then your blood can take up more oxygen, therefore trying to "somewhat" allow you to have less adverse affect from high altitude.

I reality I am pissing like a pregnant woman, my body tingles (rather feels like vibrations) throughout my whole body, sour stomach, and a sour "lower" half (get my meaning yaw'll?).

Well, if we go tomorrow then only three more days of Diamox.  If not, I will take it until we go.

Bitch I might, but it's better than getting HAPE or HACE.

Totally Tango Tomorrow

Well, as luck (?) would have it it looks like the second flight to Tango1 deep field camp will get in today, after nearly 2 1/2 weeks of bad weather.  That means that tomorrow's flight will have the first passengers to set-up camp--which includes me.

The only hiccup I see is that the weather at Tango is supposed to get bad again.  I say let's go.

Photos from Deverall Island are Posted

You can check out more photos from Deverall Island at my web site (link).

Deverall Island

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Partly Cloudy, 21F

We are headed to Deverall Island tomorrow (hopefully).  Today was our very first day of work because our deep field camp location has been impossible to get to because of the weather there for the last week and a half.  But we are still trying.

Deverall is just a day trip out of McMurdo so stay tuned and I will post some pictures on my picture page soon.

The Language Remebered

Location: McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Weather: Overcast, 20F


This was from a post that I made about two years ago describing the language that is used here in Antarctica. Most of these terms are derived from when the US Navy ran all US operations here in Operation Deep Freeze.

Once again, the language:

Big Red - the large, very warm, very red, USAP parka that is issued
Little Red - the issued USAP, not so warm but still very red, windbreaker (only wore this twice, I'm still in 4 layers on top, including Big Red)
Cuddling Kitties - Nalgene bottles filled with boiling hot water before bed.
Town - McMurdo Station
Carps - Carpenters
Freshies - Fresh food (a rarity)
Fueley - A person who fuels things
Beaker - A scientist
ECW Gear - Extreme cold weather clothing
Bunny Boots - US Army cold weather boots that are issued to beakers
Rocket Toilet - A propane fired toilet
On the ice - in Antarctica
Off the ice - going to New Zealand
Hurdy Gurdy - A thing to transfer fuel to Jerry cans
Happy Camper - Snow survival school (the coldest night of my life)
Night Sun - When the sun finally is above the valley peaks and gives your tent (and you) sun at night
U Barrel - The 55 gallon drum in which you relieve yourself in
P Bottle - A Pee Bottle
ASPA - Antarctic Special Protection Area
ASPA - Anti Scrabble Play Area
Hotsee - A device to melt holes in the ice
Glacier Berries - Ice chunks that come off the glacier that we use as our only source of water at camp
House Mouse - The person who makes sure the chores are done in the hut at the end of the night

Holiday Weather

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Blowing snow, 21F

I guess the video says it all.

No Flight No

Location:  McMurdo Station

Weather:  Blowing snow, 18F

We were trying to fly out to Lonewolf Nunatak for the second day in a row but the weather here at McMurdo has grounded us.  As you can see from the weather slide posted this morning the weather doesn't show any sign of improvement.

Weather is part of life here.  The personnel at USAP do a good job of trying to plan the flight schedules way in advance and do a pretty damn good job of being flexible when changes happen, but you just can't predict the weather many months ahead of time.

I would like to wish you all in the US a Happy Thanksgiving.  It's already Friday morning here and it is traditional for McMurdo to celebrate its Thanksgiving on Saturday (your Friday).  As I said two years ago on this date, all that is missed is the Lions on the TV.

The pictures are of the morning weather brief and Condition 1 weather on the sea ice.

Lay your hands

This old life seemed much too long
With little point in going on
I couldn't think of what to say
Words just vanished in the haze
I was feeling cold and tired
Yeah kinda sad and uninspired
But when it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch

Back and forth across the sea
I have chased so many dreams
But I have never felt the grace
That I have felt in your embrace
Oh I was tired and I was cold
Yeah with a hunger in my soul
When it almost seemed too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in your touch

Now you made me feel so good
Yeah like I never ever thought I would
You know you make me feel so strong
And now our laughter just goes on and on
So c'mon lay your hands on me
Cause close to you is where I really wanna be
And if it ever gets too much
I see your face
And sense the grace
And feel the magic in our touch

Beaker Desk

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Sunny, 21F

Not much of an update today.  Planning for camp has almost wrapped up.  It's been sunny and warm.  The pictures are of my desk in the Crary Science and Engineering Laboratory and of the Transantarctic Mountains across the sound from McMurdo.

Ice Stories and Tango 1

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Sunny, 8F

I just wanted to let you all know that my first dispatch as an ice stories correspondent is published.  You can find it here.

Other than that, it's just been more training plus a lot of work getting the camping equipment checked and ready to go to Tango 1 camp on December 1.

Tango 1 is going to our deep field home for about 2 weeks.  It is located at 86 degrees south (obviously South Pole is at 90 degrees) and sits just above 8000 feet.  What does that mean?  It's going to be COLD.

We will be staying in tents, sleeping in sleeping bags, the whole nine yards.  But the combination of the temperature and the altitude is going to make it....well...interesting.

One thing about altitude in Antarctica is that it changes.  No, the land elevation doesn't change but the physio-altitude does.  Ok english?  Barometric pressure affects what you body thinks is altitude.  The lower the pressure in the atmosphere, it makes you feel like your at a higher altitude.  Antarctica is known for really low pressure systems coming across the mid-continent...exactly where our camp is.  Depending on how low the air pressure gets, an 8000 foot high elevation can change to +10,000 feet...this change can be done in hours.

I will start taking my Diamox the day before.

Fun huh?  I think so.

Mactown...again

Location:  McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Weather:  Sunny, 15F

Well I finally made back to Mactown yesterday. 

Not much of a post but to say you can check out a live webcam of McMurdo Station here and that I have posted a picture that has pictures from various parts of this trip.  My picture page is located here.

Go, No-Go

Location:  Christchurch, NZ

Weather:  60F, Sunny

Well, I am still here in Christchurch awaiting my flight to Antarctica.  We were scheduled to go down yesterday.  After a two hour weather delay we boarded the large USAF C-17, got strapped in, engines fired, taxied to the runaway, almost off the deck, and then a maintenance issue. Flight cancelled.

No problem.  Thank you to the USAF for providing a safety first mentality.  

Yeah, it's tough, another day in sunny, warm Christchurch.  Checked out my second favorite thai place in town.

I'll be setting up a separate picture page so check for the link in the next post.

Here's to trying it again today.  Maybe hit McMurdo by midnight.

Déjà vu

Location:  Christchurch, NZ

Weather: 80F, Sunny

Well, it all starts again after four flights and a little over 24 hours in the air I have arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Last time I lost a Sunday on flights here, and this time it was a Friday.

Christchurch is still beautiful.  All the plants are in bloom and my room at the B&B smells like roses.  I remembered today about how there is nothing  to smell in Antarctica (besides human created smells).  I also remember the last time I got off the ice and walked out of the Kiwi LC-130 at Christchurch airport how hard all of the smells of normal civilization hit me.  Exhaust was overwhelming, smelling peoples perfume, but to even it out--the smell of good thai food.

Speaking of thai, I'm off to Anne's tonight--probably the best thai I have ever had.

Well, I am ready to get this party started.  Tomorrow is clothing issue and then my flight to the ice will be on Monday.  I want to get down there, turn the jets on for a month, and get everything we have planned accomplished.

Which includes a week in a remote tent camp at 87 degrees latitude.  I have always wanted to get to the South Pole, but I guess I'll have to settle for 2 degrees away.  More on that later.

Well, as with the last time, the next update will be from the ice.

Thursday November 13 at 1:45PM

Location:  Columbus, OH

Weather:  Overcast 28F

That's the date.  Columbus to Dallas to Los Angeles to Auckland to Christchurch.  Gotta love it.

I did find out that we are going to have a live Ice Stories webcast from McMurdo on Dec 27.  

It was nice to see that the Astronomy Picture of the Day that is a gadget on my blog was the North American Nebula (NGC 7000).  That was the last astroimage I took as well (mine's above).  It shows how much I still have to learn about image processing.  

 

Ice Stories and SACNAS

Location:  Salt Lake City, UT

Weather:  35F, Snow

Well I have spent a busy couple weeks traveling.

Last week 13 Antarctic scientist met at the Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco to participate in the Ice Stories workshop.  We spent a week learning video, audio, still photography, and story telling.  We all are going to be correspondents from our respective science projects and will be reporting our experiences from the ice this year (which I leave on Nov 13). 

It was great to meet some nice folks (most I'll get to cross paths with on the ice this season).  I don't know if it is the ability to work in one of the most beautiful places on this planet or the friends you meet makes this a great scientific community to work in.

This week I have been in SLC for the SACNAS conference (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science).  It's been a wonderful few days getting to talk with the next generation of scientist.  I am proud to see the level of research by these young folks.

Tomorrow is back to Columbus for a couple weeks, but first I'm off to my first Pow Wow.

Seeing the future

Location:  Columbus, OH

Weather:  Clear, 54F

Ok, so this has nothing to do with Antarctica, but my life is much more than some frozen continent.

For some reason I just woke up early this morning.  I got up, made coffee, played with Nana, and went outside to look at the beautiful pre-dawn skies.  As soon as I looked up I realized that I was looking at the winter constellations.  I was always in wonder of this.  I know it's a simple notion of astrophysics, but looking at the next seasons stars has always been like looking into the future.  Seeing Orion prominently in the southern sky made me think about what might life might be like in six months when Orion will be up at 8:00pm vice 6:30am.  It's always the first glimpse into a future time to come.  It doesn't give up any of its mysteries, but it does prove the concept of the "future" and that what and who I deal with here in the present is fleeting.  

That is not such a bad thought.

Picture:  M42 - The Great Orion Nebula--I shot this last winter in Gibsonburg, OH.

PQ is a Go Go

Well, since yesterday the news is that I did receive my qualification status.  I seems that I going to leave around November 14th.

PQ a Go Go

Location:  Columbus, OH

Weather:  63F, Sunny

It stands now that we will be leaving for the ice in the mid-November range.  This will be a different type of season for me.  The plans to do the remote work on the West Antarctic ice sheet had to be changed because of budget reasons so now all of the work I will be doing will be based out of McMurdo--which if anyone of you remember is not my favorite spot on the planet.  Don't get me wrong, being in Antarctica is great, but I am just not fond of the large outpost--I guess I just have the remote field work gene in me.

The consolation is that all of our work will be like a hub out of McMurdo.  Which means a lot of flights daily, on helicopters and fixed wing aircraft (which will be new for me), which I am happy with.

Of course, there's is the PQ process.  I have not as yet been qualified by USAP to go.  I guess that will be the next milestone in this process.

On Again...

Yep, it's on again.

I received my first bit of paperwork for return trip to Antarctica.  My graduate education is over (you can see the abstract for my Dry Valleys research) and I will be returning to Antarctica in late 2008 with the Polar Earth Observing Network.