My Last Days at McMurdo

I've left the Ice.

I left on February 5th, 2010 and am going to play catch up on a few posts before talking about the transition back.


Scott Base Sign

Miles To
South Pole 841 Wellington 2535 Santiago 4399 Cape Town 4603 Washington 9214 Moscow 16899 London 10587	Christchruch 2381 Canberra 2986 Buenos Aires 4449 Tokyo 7929 Paris 10381 Brussels 10519 Oslo 11085

My last few days on the Ice were challenging and wonderful. I went on a ton of hikes, said goodbye to friends, and prepared for the first step of the journey home. By sheer miles (read the table above), it should take a while. However, my biggest hurdle is myself. I ran myself ragged trying to do squeeze every last drop out of Antarctica and my friends there. Now, I have to reintegrate myself back into civilization, but I don't want to give up so much of what the Ice has given me. It is balancing act that I'll dance through, just as we all do when we leave. For the first week or two, I suspect I'll be reading in the Botanical Gardens or biking more often than not. They are probably my favorite simple pleasures. Okay, maybe not. Those might be my favorites in Christchurch. My true favorite list would have to include something with forests, ice cream, fruit, and so many other treats, but those will come.


Castle Rock on my final Sunday ski
On my final Sunday, I had a brilliant brunch followed my an amazing skate ski. I hadn't been out since the marathon. I wasn't sure how I'd do. My legs were tired which gave me a few more chances to practice my dance moves. I was even able to practice my skiing a bit. The Sunday ski group is a brilliant one. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it out with them as much as I would have liked. They are some of my favorite people and a few of them also happen to be ridiculously good skiers and teachers.

Candy and I got much better as skate skiers this year. We were even able to make it a mile or two before our muscles told us it was time to take a rest. We always got restarted though. I love the feeling that comes with being terrible at something and slowly improving. Next time that I come down, I'm hoping to learn kite skiing.


Fata morgana

Royal Society Mountains


Hut Point skua
During my last week, I made a number of covert op trips down to Hut Point. You were allowed to be down there, you just couldn't take the road. It was a treat because no one wanted to walk the extra distance to get down there which meant we were alone. The weather wasn't the warmest or clearest, but it didn't matter. In any state, Antarctica is going to capture my imagination. On one hike, it grabbed it with a huge fata morgana. I don't think I've ever seen the distance islands look like mushrooms before. That was pretty cool.


Creating Tears of Erebus
When I wasn't hiking, cleaning, and packing, I was trying to say goodbye to everyone. Instead of just chatting up in the Coffeehouse, William and I set out to work on a special project creating Tears of Erebus. They are one of the most beautiful items I've seen created on the Ice. They might only be second to the natural wonders around us. The ice chopper (think of a converted snow mobile to a snow motorcycle) still wins the coolest category. The plywood armor might be in the running though.


Pressure ridges, Armitage loop, and Hut Point (click to enlarge).
For the first time in my Antarctic experience, there were three major holes in the sea ice, one near the pressure ridges, one near the Armitage loop, and one at Hut Point. During my last summer, there were only two. While open water didn't reach town, enough water was accessible to bring in the penguins, whales, and seals in an abundance that hasn't been seen in three years. I think the panorama above is one of my favorite Antarctic pictures, just because when you enlarge it, there is so much detail and so many memories. I'm walking away from this season with so many good lessons and great memories.


Minke Whales coming up for air at the pressure ridges (photo by Ian H.).