Thursday, October 25, 2007
Reminds Me I'm In Antarctica
It's funny how you can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day happenings around town and forget that you live in one of the most amazing places on Earth. In fact, it's very easy to do. Last year I would try to take walks out of town, even if it was just the half-mile walk to Hut Point, to remind myself that the world doesn't revolved around this place. Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to go to Hutton Cliffs, where a science group researching seals is based. One of my co-workers, Nick the instrument tech, had to pick up a broken centrifuge and deliver a new one and another team member named Regina. We drove the 12 miles or so by Mattrack (a truck with 4 triangular-shaped rubber tracks instead of tires). Jeff, the camp manager, made us some hot apple cider after we finished unpacking their supplies from the truck. Then Regina took us out to see the seals. The group has a special permit that allows them to study the animals, so we were able to visit because we were with her. Nick was happy to let me drive home, and I was so excited to get behind the wheel of a Mattrack that I didn't realize how bad the weather was at first! I knew the wind was blowing snow everywhere, but our visibility was really low. All I needed to do was follow the flagged route five miles back out to the main road to Cape Evans. There were a few times that I had to stop driving because I couldn't see the next flag. I'd wait a couple seconds until I spotted the next one. If it wasn't Condition 1, it was definitely Condition 2! Nick was very calm the whole time, even when I would ask "Are you sure we shouldn't call someone on the radio?" every ten minutes. I suppose I would be too if I had spent 6 seasons on the Ice. When I could see the next one, I was going about 30 miles an hour (the max speed we're supposed to be driving the vehicle). It was fun to drive. You can tell the tracks were made to drive on snow just by the way the vehicle felt to ride in. It was not a big fan of driving on Ice or volcanic rock.I cannot believe what a difference this season is compared to last season. Besides being in a new workcenter, I'm getting to do things that are considered a boondoggle in the Housing Department that I worked for last season. I went out on Sea Ice training last week (more about that soon), and yesterday I was at a seal camp. And my first week in town, I took Piston Bully and Mattrack driver's training (more about that soon too).
I'll add pics this weekend for sure. Sunday will be my dedicated computer day.
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Hey! I saw on the Today Show that Ann Curry (sp?) is going to McMurdo Station to report from Antarctica...
Thinking of you!
Ally Katz