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Published: October 31st 2005
The Ice River
This is one of the many views from the cockpit of the C-17 on my way home from Antarctica. Notice the river-like features of the glacier.Well I am now in New Zealand, my time in Antarctica is over - For now. My last days were spent saying good-by to my new friends and packing my bags. The flight was nearly empty because a South Pole bound flight had to 'boomerang' because it was too cold to land at the pole (anything less that -50 F and the planes will freeze to the ground and start having other problems). We entered the cavernous interior of the C-17 and took our seats in the folding seats lining the side of the plane - The flight down was a cargo flight, so all of the seats that would be in the center of the plane for a passenger flight were removed. There was ample legroom in this plane, which was a big change from my flight to Antarctica on the C-141 back in January. While we were taxiing down the ice runway, we were told that the plane was going to do a practice touch and go landing after our first take off (they didn't want anyone getting nervous) and to remain in our seats until we were given the OK to walk around the cabin. The plane's turbines
The C-17
This is the C-17 that took me from Antarctica. The plane only had 8 passengers, so it was roomy. revved up and the plane rocketed down the runway and into the air. The touch and go landing went well and then we were off. The plane finally reached cruising altitude and I darted for the miniscule windows at the front of the plane just in time to see the Drygalski Ice Tongue pass beneath us. I was taking pictures like mad and I seemed to be the only one of the eight passengers who seemed to care what was passing below us, so one of the crewmembers grabbed me and took me up to the cockpit where he relinquished his seat. The view out of the cockpit windows was amazing - I was sitting directly behind the pilot on the left side of the plane and I was shooting pictures as fast as the camera would take them. We passed to the right of Cape Washington and I could see the stain on the ice that signified the location of a large emperor penguin rookery (I knew where to look thanks to one of the science lectures on emperor penguins). The terrain that was passing below us was heavily crevassed and I could see the flow of the glaciers
Good bye Mt. Erebus
This is the last view of the southern-most active volcano in the world that I had as we got onto the plane. in the contours of the ice - They really do look like rivers from above. Soon we were passing over rugged mountains and glaciers with giant crevasse fields and icefalls. We passed over the northern most edge of the continent and started to see massive floating icebergs, many of them frozen into the sea ice and some just floating by themselves in the open water. The clouds moved in and obstructed part of the view, so I decided to go back down to the main cabin of the plane and relax - I thanked the pilots for their kindness and walked down the stairs to the cargo area (I have always wanted to ride upstairs on a plane and now I have done it - In the cockpit! In all I spent half an hour in the cockpit and I ended up being the only one of the passengers to go up there. The rest of the flight went smoothly and now I am sitting in Christchurch awaiting my train to Kaikoura.
I will miss Antarctica. I managed to see and do a lot of memorable things. I got to see the southern lights dance across the sky. I
Leg Room
The differences between my ride to the continent and from the continent are huge - I had just enough leg room on this flight. got to experience Mother Nature's furry in the many blizzards and storms that blew through town from the heart of the white continent. I spent many wonderful nights hiking the trails around McMurdo Station in temperatures as low as -50F. I know what it is like to freeze my eyes shut and to swim in water that is 28 degrees F. I have seen some of the amazing wildlife that calls this harsh and unforgiving place home and I have explored many of the historical monuments from the age of exploration. I have also made some great friends - I will miss you all.
Now I am off on a new adventure. Walking through the gardens of Christchurch, I have been enjoying the seemingly new sensations of warm sunlight on my face, large green fields of grass, huge trees and the scent of flowers in the air. The gardens are also alive with the songs of many colorful birds. I am planning on spending about a month in New Zealand and then I am going back to Georgia, via Sydney, Hawaii and California, for the holidays. From there I will head south through Latin America and then onward whereever
Cape Washington
If you look closely at the end of the cape ther is a grey smudge on the ice. That is the emperor penguin rookery. the wind blows. For those of you who have been reading this blog for the Antarctic experience - it is over for now. I will do my best to keep the journal interesting and fun to read though, so I invite you to keep reading.
Please forgive the quality of the pictures - Most of them were taken through a window into the sun, so they had to be 'repaired' a bit.
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Sally Patsios
non-member comment
Way to go!
Your blogs are interesting, Keith, so keep them coming. You are doing what many others, myself included, dream of doing. Go for the gusto! Love, Sally