Not All Who Wander Are Lost: A day at McMurdo Station

I've spend almost 18 months of my life at McMurdo Station. I have so many fond memories of my time there. However, it had been over a decade since I'd seen it. I did not know which folks were still there or how much had changed. The answer was very few and a lot.

After our arrival briefing, most folks were greeted by someone in their department at McMurdo and given more details about their assignment or an informal tour. The other guy heading to Pole was greeted too. No one was there to meet me. Without a greeter, I was left to my own devices so I set out to see a friend, who I met in our first seasons together in 2007. I wanted to make sure to see before my flight out to Pole. Since 2010 when I last saw her on the Ice, Robin had moved up to the manager at the BFC. Amusingly, her employees ran a screen on me to let her focus, but she heard my voice and we got to visiting. We had not seen each other in over five years. It is oh so good to visit old friends. It is also oh so crazy to hear old friends perspectives, who have 17+ seasons in, on all the things that have changed in the US Antarctica Program since I left. They were equally curious to hear my perspectives after being gone so long and seeing where things line up.

A view of the sea ice with seals napping all over it, pressure ridges formed by the sea ice crashing into the ice shelf, and green mill vans for Scott Base storage.

Observation Hill and McMurdo Station. The blue building in the center is 155 and the hub of town because it has the galley.

After a far too short visit with Robin, I headed off to drop my gear off in my transient room in building 155. Not surprisingly, I had three other roommates. I did not meet them all, but the others were in various forms of transit - just got in for a McMurdo winter, but their winter room wasn't available yet or on their way off Ice. With the galley in there, building 155 is the hub of life at McMurdo.

After dropping my gear off, I went to pick up my linens on the backside of 155. By chance, the one other person on my list that I had to see was coming down the road from FleetOps after getting off work. He let out a tentative "Brody" from across the road and we set off to his room to visit until his partner Irene got off work. I had just visited them last summer in Minneapolis, but it was surreal to see Danny back on the Ice. After a while, Irene headed out to work her shift at the library. Danny and I went to eat in the galley and saw some other folks from my time on the Ice. After dinner, I heard someone talking about a group of penguins down at Hut Point so I convinced Danny to head down with me.

Danny and Me at Hut Point.

Molting Adelie penguins near Hut Point.

The hike down was brutal with a temperature of 7F and a wicked headwind. I knew it would be tough, especially coming from Los Angeles, but yikes. The worst part was knowing that I was imminently flying out to a place that was going to have -40F for a max. Oof. There is a fun phrase that is often bandied about when folks complain about something in Antarctica and need a gentle reminder to stop complaining, "It's a harsh continent." It's still used and still true.

After the hike, Danny and I tried to retrieve my checked bags in building 140. They weren't there, but we happened to see some folks and asked them what was up. When we were doing that, we saw my bags! But, they would not give them to us. When we asked why, they said it was because they were told to put them on the next flight to Pole, to which I responded, "Am I on the next flight to Pole?". It turns out I was so that mystery was solved.

After another short visit with Irene and then a last cuppa tea with Robin, I took advantage of the 24 hours of sunlight to roam through town a little bit. It was just a nostalgic tour of the places that I had spent so much time. I think my favorite stop was the Coffee House, a deliberately quiet venue that waffles between serving wine and coffee, depending on the time of day and if you were coming off of or starting a day or night shift. It was my favorite indoor spot to hang out. There are two more standard bars too, but they were a little less my speed.

The Coffee House.

The bikes have been upgrades at McMurdo from Giant to fat tired Surly bikes!!! Someone one in recreation must be a biker aficionado.

The next morning, I woke up way too early because I was still on Los Angeles time and excited to explore. Technically, Antarctica is +21 hours, but it is easier for me to think of it as -3 hours from Los Angeles and a full day ahead. I was able to get in a run at the gerbil gym. I can't count the numbers of hours that I have run on the treadmills there. It was there that I first learned that treadmills (or at least the ones there) automatically turn off after an hour. I have easily cleared 1,000 miles in there while training for marathons and keeping myself sane over the winter.

The McMurdo gerbil gym.

The McMurdo gerbil gym's small weight and stretch room. I think there is still a proper weight room in 155.

After a good run and my last non-two minute shower, I still had a lot of time. I went for breakfast and then went to hike up 754 foot Observation Hill that overlooks McMurdo Station, Hut Point, and Scott Base. There is a fun race up the hill over the summer where a sub-10 minute time is good.

The 9' wooden cross on top of Ob Hill was built in January 1913 to memorialize the three folks who reached the South Pole, but died on the return: Captain Robert F. Scott, Dr. E. A. Wilson and Petty Officer Edgar Evans. The cross is inscribed with their names and the final line of the Alfred Tennyson poem "Ulysses", which reads "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."