One of the Most Amazing Experiences of My Life

Simple as that.  A day of work led to a dream of seeing [Emperor] Penguins.  Sixteen of these super curious birds waddled and slid along near us.  Each day this place amazes me.

Weddel Seal

First real day on the sea ice

Today I was finally able to get out of town and get onto the sea ice to do some work.  There have been some cracks developing on the ice so we had to go out and drill into the ice to do a profile on them to figure out which vehicles could safely cross each crack.  I was able to get a few photos in between turns on the ice drill and measuring tape.

Weddell Seals

Royal Society Range

Mt. Erebes

Mt. Discovery

There is an ice machine in my dorm in Antarctica

Much of my work this week has been inside.  Learning to drive cool vehicles and other trainings and prep work for classes and getting personal search and rescue gear together.  Inside these buildings I could be anywhere.  Then I will pass by a window and be reminded of where I am.  I’ll look out on blowing snow, a rocky hill, a vehicle with giant wheels or tracks or across the ice at a seal and I’ll be reminded that I’m in Antarctica.  Or I’ll walk outside and the slight sting of the cold will remind me.  So far [temperature-wise] it is no different than a winter in Montana.

Heading South

I’ve met many neat people down here-lots of other transient people.  But I guess for a while I’m not transient.  I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to spend the night.  I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to do for the next few months.  Things are set and it isn’t a desk job and all of that is a relief.

One of my first views of Antarctica.  Vast empty expanses of what some people would call nothingness.  

I’ll put up some photos of life in McMurdo soon.  And there will be a few photos of more remote places in Antarctica throughout the season.

Such an amazing place.

Really I could leave here right now and be completely content.  But I don’t have the slightest desire on earth to do that.  I am going to be very content here. 

I am on New Zealand time so I am 17 hours ahead of US Mountain Time.  Or just subtract 5 hours and add a day.

My snail mail address here is:

McMurdo Station

Attn: Ben Adkison

PSC 469 Box 700

APO AP 96599-1035

I’ll be stoked to get mail.  Thanks to having a US military address here it is the same rate to send me mail as it would be to send anything within the US.

First few steps on the Ice.

I am in such a different world now.  Just figuring out which way is north is a huge mental challenge.  Trying to learn a new job and get used to a new town is another challenge. 

Tomorrow we go out on the sea ice for a day of training and ice surveying for the 'roads' along the ice.