27 November 2008 My First Real Storm

When I walked out of my dorm this morning I was greeted with a blanket of snow. It was a continuous snow flurry that looked like a giant was dropping salt all over McMurdo Station. I was thrilled because I don't get many chances to see snow. It was not going to be a lot of accumulation but I didn't care. It just looked so lovely coming down.

I was scheduled to remain on station today to get a chance to catch up on some things. Stacy is going to give each of us a chance to have a day away from the field camp. This is not a day off but rather a catch-up day. I still have plenty to do and I will even do an errand for Stacy. However, the helicopter flight was cancelled due to the weather. Stacy decided that since SCINI was on Heald Island that we would get a day off today and then work on Sunday. Unfortunately, I just have too much to do and I spent the day writing journals and doing other things to try and catch-up.

Everyone spent some time in the lab. This is definitely a group of workaholics that are committed to doing what it takes to get the job done. Scott and Francois went on a tour of some of the buildings, Bob went to see the dentist, and Stacy rested her back.

Unfortunately, DJ and Marco spent most of the day wondering if they were going to leave for New Zealand. Originally they were supposed to have a flight yesterday. The problem was that the plane was loaded to air drop fuel to a field camp and the weather there was not good. This morning the plane finally brought some people from New Zealand that had been waiting three days. The flight included John Wood, another PolarTREC teacher. I had a chance to meet him in passing and I hope to get a chance to talk to him at a later time. As the day progressed the weather got worse and they declared a Condition 2 for the airfield. There are three levels that are based primarily on visibility. When the winds are strong they will lift the snow and the visibility deteriorates. Usually we are in Condition 3 which is clear and calm. During Condition 2, some of the travel is restricted, including snowmobiles. If we reach Condition 1, then you are required to remain in the building where you are until they declare Condition 2 or Condition 3.

At 5:00pm DJ and Marco finally left to catch a plane to New Zealand. Robin Ellwood, another PolarTREC teacher was on the same flight. We will definitely miss all of them. I have really enjoyed working with both DJ and Marco and they both have made a lasting impression on me. As for Robin, well she is the "bomb." She was willing to mentor me in the intricacies of working at McMurdo Station. Her assistance has been invaluable and I will miss her terribly. I wish all of them a wonderful life.

After dinner, Scott and I took the shuttle to Scott Base because it is "American Night". We wanted to do a little shopping and check out their facilities. As you may remember, the base is light green and all of the buildings are connected to each other. It seemed very practical to me. When we entered we noticed their recycling bins. They have four choices versus our twelve and I think less bins may be at least a little easier to do. Sometimes it gets difficult to try and figure out which bin we should put an item into.

We walked around the station and were stuck by the fact that it is substantially smaller than McMurdo Station. There are less than fifty people at Scott Base.

We spent some time in their lounge, just drinking a soda and talking. Outside someone was on skiing using a kite to pull them along the ice. It looked like a lot of fun. We finally decided at 8:30pm to head back to McMurdo Station and the Crary Lab. Unfortunately, neither Scott nor I realized that the store closed at 8:00pm. I guess I'll have to make another visit if I want to shop.

When we walked outside it was snowing really hard. I loved it! It was accumulating and it looked lovely. I was a little worried that my hiking boots might not do the job.

As we arrived back at McMurdo Station I was struck at how hard it was snowing. I looked up and noticed that the lights that signify Condition 2 were lit. It was kind of exciting, especially since I knew that I didn't have to drive.

I went to the lab and did some work. As I walked back to my dorm I was met with a heavy snowfall. It was beautiful. I wanted it to last forever. The intersection was being covered by a blanket of snow and a peace had settled over the area. I hope it lasts until tomorrow.