Made it to the Pole!

26 October 2010

Good morning from the SOUTH POLE!  We were lucky on Sunday and were able to sneak Basler #3 away from McMurdo and all the way to the Pole!  It was a fantastic journey!  The Basler aircraft are privately-owned and operated DC9s converted specifically for polar travel.  They are beauuutiful aircraft!  They are tail-draggers on skis, not fully pressurized, and took only 16 of us from McMurdo to Pole.  The ride from McM to NPX (McMurdo to Pole) was about four hours long – without toilets!  Eeeesh.  Luckily, I didn’t have any issues… We took off at 0840 in the morning, about 20 minutes early of our scheduled departure.  All we were allowed to take with us was a personal bag with our electronic equipment (computers, etc) and a small bag of personal items (a few days worth of clothes and toiletries).  The rest of our gear is probably sitting out on pallets in the snow at McMurdo waiting for the Hercs to start flying (LC-130s) – those planes are workhorses and can take muuuuch more cargo than a Basler.

About an hour into the flight we climbed high enough in altitude that it was necessary for passengers and crew to wear oxygen.  Although the plane ride was a ‘low altitude’ ride, we still had to get pretty high to clear the Trans Antarctic Mountains.   I think we got up to about 14 or 16,000ft.  Unfortunately we were in the clouds and our windows were completely frosted over, so there was no view within 15 minutes of takeoff.  Four hours later, we took off our nasal cannulas supplying oxygen and landed at the Pole!  It was amaaazing to land in the middle of nowhere in a tiny plane and then have to ski around to taxi to our off-loading area.  The pilots had to give the plane a lot of power and really muscle her around to get her to move on the ground.

Nick, Johan, and Andy were waiting for me just off the plane with hugs and a camera!  It was a wonderful welcome!  It was about -35 to -40 F when we landed, but I felt extremely overdressed for the weather!  Those big red parkas they give us to wear here don’t mess around! I can’t to get my gear and downsize to a jacket more suited to these temps and my activity level!

My first few hours here were getting settled in – watching an orientation video, getting my room (which is HUGE, by the way), figuring out the layout of the station, and getting acquainted with my lab, ARO (Atmospheric Research Observatory).  Since we are at 9,300 ft here and there is less atmosphere at the poles of the Earth than the Equator and midlatitudes, it feels more like 11,000ft.  Breathing up here is a little difficult – you get winded pretty fast.  The air is also extremely dry, making breathing even more interesting.  I’ve been very fortunate with my acclimatization so far.  I haven’t suffered any headaches, nausea, or any ‘hangover’ symptoms that accompany a huge leap in altitude like the ride in the Basler.  I’ve just been tired – walking out to ARO (the 5-10 minute trek through the snow) is a cardio workout, and its been difficult sleeping in my dry stateroom.  I can’t wait for my humidifier to arrive on station that I sent out a few months ago!

ARO is really really cool!  It is a lot more impressive than I had expected!  It is a two-floor, multi-room facility that is laid out well.  There is plenty of room inside the station to spread out and not interfere with the equipment.  There are tons of windows to allow natural light.  Its great – I’ll have to explain more later!

Yesterday was my first full day on station and it was spent at ARO.  We completed 3 sets of flask samples for different groups within NOAA, went over some of the equipment in more detail, and completed daily checks.  Its amazing how different the Pole is from the training I had in Barrow.  Every station has its quirks – Pole definitely has its own complete set!  It will take a lot more coaching to get it down. 

Today I’m getting fit for my SCBA mask (for fire-fighting) and we’ll probably start the hand-down of duties.  I’ve been assigned as the fire team lead, so there is a LOT I have to learn about not only how things run down here, but the physical aspects of the station.  Just like a ship, I need to know the spaces inside and out, know what hazards are in each, and how to fight a fire in each space.  Whew!  This is a lot of stuff for a sleep and oxygen-deprived week!

Well, I’ve gotta run and start my day… have a great one, guys!