Blogs from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Antarctica - page 6

McMurdo Station sits with in the Ross Dependency, and is the largest community in Antarctica (capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents and a science research center operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. Located at 77°51′S, 166°40′E, McMurdo sits on the southern tip of Ross Island in Antarctica, on the shore of McMurdo Sound, 2,200 miles (3,500 km) due south of New Zealand. The station is America's largest, and serves both as their Antarctic research facility, and the logistics base for half the continent. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo. The station owes its designation to nearby McMurdo Sound, named for Lieutenant Archibald McMurdo of HMS Terror, which first charted the area in ... read more

More photos for your viewing pleasure!... read more

Technically known as Field Safety Training Program (FSTP- pronounced “F-Stop”) Snow School, I had the amazing opportunity to attend “Happy Camper” this week to learn all the “how-tos” and “what-ifs” of surviving on this beautiful, harsh climate. Our 2 instructors were both formerly mountaineers on Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) in Alaska and both ladies were therefore highly qualified to teach such a course. First we had to show up bright and early with ALL of our ECW (extreme cold weather) gear packed- we were going “Delta-camping” (like car-camping but in a huge vehicle that looks like this: Delta Whenever any vehicle leaves McMurdo it is required to radio check-out and carry a complete “survival bag” for every occupant on board, thus it is imperative for those of us planning to leave town to know how to ... read more

Whew, what a life! It's amazing that I'm living in a town parked in a snowdrift on the loneliest continent on earth and haven't been amiss for humanity once since I've arrived. In the last couple days nothing has happened yet everything has happened as I learn the ropes, meet new folks and settle into my new home for the next three months. We were lucky enough to arrive on Saturday afternoon right before the weekly day off. On Sunday I got to sleep in, unpack and saunter down to brunch sometime in the AM. I met up with some of the friends I had traveled through NZ with and we went on a hike up the Hut Point Ridge to Arrival Heights. What does one wear for an Antarctic hike? I quizzed a few people ... read more

Cleetus, The Red-Dog, Update South America » Antarctica » McMurdo Station By Erin and EliMay 9th 2007A running blog on our redneck dog--Cleetus, whose name hangs in the balance. Votes so far Cleetus: 2 Cletus: 2 Cleatus: 0 Other spellings: 0 As for my location, I may not actually be in Antartica. But as a southern bird-chasing, duck-eating, truck-bed riding red-dog, if I could choose my place of birth, it would be as far south as possible. And I like this McMurdo guy--well, mostly his name. Bring on the Giant Penguins. Here's a bit more on his character to help you cast a reasonable vote. ... read more