I have a series of posts written that should automatically post while I'm gone. So far, topics are coming from things I do/see that I think people will be interested in, or from questions I have received. If there is something you would like to see a post about, or pictures of, throw it in the comments and I'll put together a detailed post. If it doesn't generate enough information for a full post, I'll start a Q&A section on the blog.
Finally, here are some more random pictures I have taken over my time here that I think people will find interesting.
To freezing, and beyond! The high for November 14th was reported as 34F. It's the first an only time I've seen it go above freezing since arriving.
The Hut Point ridge line as it runs North. I need to get back out and take an updated picture to show how much of the snow is now gone.
Mt. Erebus as seen from the sea ice runway. The shorter peak in the middle is Crater Hill and the smaller peak on the left is Observation Hill.
A couple of the Recreation folks getting the Frisbee Golf equipment out of the snow. Yes, that is a mountain bike in the picture; one of the many they have down here for people to use later in the season. The large blue building is 155 and the small building in front is Southern Exposure, one of the three bars at McMurdo.
The two pictures above show the difference three weeks of warm temperatures (15-25F) and constant sun can make on the snow. Since the second picture was taken, a storm blew through and made it look more like the first, though we're back in a melting period right now. According to the people who have been here before, it'll be off and on muddy until sometime in December when everything dies out and gets dusty.
Part of the Royal Society Range, taken from the sea ice runway after a storm blew through, but before all the clouds cleared out.
Black Island, taken from just past Pegasus runway.
White Island, also taken from just past Pegasus runway.
Ross Island, also taken from just past Pegasus runway. The top of Mount Erebus can be seen just above the cloud cover. Hut Point is the darker ridge line in the shadows in the center of the picture, Observation Hill opposite it on the right. McMurdo is nestled between the two and not visible. The peak in between Hut Point and Ob Hill is Castle Rock. There is a 7+ mile hiking loop that goes out to Castle Rock, on to the Ross Ice Shelf, past Scott Base, and back to McMurdo. Once the mountaineers check the climbing rope and allow people to climb to the top of Castle Rock I intend to go out and get some pictures from there.
Pegasus sits about 14 miles out from McMurdo on the Ross Ice Shelf. In the bottom half of the picture is an area of blue ice where the wind has cleared all the snow off the ice shelf.
One of the options for getting from Building 155 to the Crary science building and other buildings in that area. The building shown in the background is Building 189, also known as the JSOC (Joint Spacecraft Operations Center) or "the NASA building", where I work. NASA has the entire first floor and the Network Operations Center is on the second floor, accessible via the stairs shown
Like every good bridge, it has it's own troll to guard it.
So, how far are you traveling to wherever you're going on "the continent?" Working mostly inside, outside? How big a camp and how long you there for? How many similar trips do you expect to make? Anyone gone bonkers yet and gone home???
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