I work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. It's a coastal town located in Winter Quarters Bay on Ross Island. Positioned deep in McMurdo Sound (part of the Ross Sea), McMurdo provides the southernmost access into the continent and therefore plays a crucial role in Antarctic exploration. Established in 1956, McMurdo served as a jumping off point for the first plane landing at South Pole. Today, it is the largest science support base on the continent. Supporting 60-80 science projects a year, "Mactown" employs close to 900 personnel each austral summer.
Arguably, some of the best jobs exist at the deeper field camps, in Antarctica's "flat white." This season I had the opportunity to travel the dry, cold, wind sculpted route taken by early explorers while transporting fuel and supplies on the "mother of all road trips," a 1032-mile traverse from McMurdo Station to the South Pole.
Each August, my Antarctic season begins in Christchurch, New Zealand. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), I fly five and a half hours on a C-17 piloted by the Air National Guard, from Christchurch to McMurdo Station. This enormous plane has the ability to carry up to 170,000 pounds. The simplicity of its design is apparent by its barren interior. Loaded with half cargo and half personnel, the "choice" seats line the exterior walls of the plane. Once on board, I don my earplugs and prepare myself for the 20,000-foot views of one of the most amazing landscapes I have ever seen, the convoluted coastline of the Antarctic continent.
Preparing to spend six months "down on the ice" with a luggage allotment of only 75 pounds, it is necessary to balance practicality with personality. The NSF provides all of the cold weather gear needed to work in temperatures ranging from -40˚F to 40˚F including a hat, face mask, neck gaiter, goggles, insulated Carhartts, long underwear, wind pants, leather gloves, mittens, socks and bunny boots. The most classic Antarctic outerwear is the "Big Red" parka. Thank goodness for velcro nametags.
Deciding on what to pack for "personality" can be a challenge. In such an isolated community, it's the social gatherings, theme parties, and holiday celebrations that become major outlets for expression and one of the few releases from the six-day, 54-hour work week. This is my third season down on the ice. As the saying goes: "The first year you'll come to the ice because you're curious. The second year will be for the money. And the third year, you return because of the people."
During the early 1900's, the famous British explorer Robert Falcon Scott sailed to Ross Island and positioned himself in Winter Quarters bay during his first expedition to the pole. His winter hut still stands at the far end of town. In 1956, when the historic runway was built, the drive for Antarctic science exploration grew and Winter Quarters Bay sprawled.
Over time, McMurdo Station has grown into strange brew of the past, present and future. As I arrive each season, I look out the window of the C-17 at the vast landscape that surrounds town: Ross Ice Shelf to the south, Mt Erebus to the east, and the Transantarctic Mountains to the west. The intrigue of this land is captivating. It's the only place that has ever made me feel as though I was a part of something bigger than life itself.
Karen Hilton works in Antarctica as a field safety guide and in Alaska as a professional photographer and film production safety guide. Discover more about Antarctica on her blog at www.karenhilton.blogspot.com and her website at www.karenhilton.com.