Wednesday, December 06, 2006

My First Hike Up Ob Hill!!

Helen is, as my faithful readers know, my roommate. And she's a fantastic roommate who motivates me to get outside and see more of this island we're stuck on. Saturday night just after I got done with work, we grabbed some beers and our Santa hats and hiked up Ob Hill (aka Observation Hill). The weather was incredible, and with the lack of wind we were able to sit at the top and chat for almost an hour. The edge of the sea ice is almost 25 miles away, but I'm pretty sure we were able to see one or two of the two ships at the sea ice edge.

Helen and her penguin with Ob Hill behind them
helen and penguin and ob hill

The cross erected in memory of Robert Falcon Scott's party who died returning from the South Pole.
cross and sastrugi

Sign for the cross
sign of the cross

View of Scott Base and the pressure ridges nearby.
scott base and the pressure ridges again

View of the sastrugi
sastrugi from ob hill

View of McMurdo
view of town

Me and most of McMurdo
me and town

Helen had a great idea for me to "point" to our dorm Ho Cal (aka Hotel California, aka Building 166). She even lined me up so that I'm actually pointing to our room, first floor roadside on the end of the building closest to me.
me pointing to HoCal

View of the disappearing Ice Runway. Earlier in the week, the buildings were all moved to Willy Field since the Ice Runway has been closed for the year.
ice runway almost gone

That's Mt. Erebus in the distance, and Castle Rock is just in front of it.
me with the penguin

T-Site with all the antennaes, Castle Rock, and Mt. Erebus
t-site, castle rock, mt erebus

me and penguin and helen

Helen chilling with her beer.
helen chilling with her beer

Posted by Katie from the Ice @ 11:55 PM