Mt. Erebus - Lower Erebus Hut

Moose and G. Love working on top of the Lower Erebus Hut

We took a helocopter ride up to the Lower Erebus Hut to open the camp. Now you might think that there would be a Higher Erebus Hut, but you would be disapponted as there is only one. We were just there for the day. The hut sits at 13,000 feet, the temperature was 32 degrees below zero when we there and it got a bit windy in the afternoon.

On the upside it is a pretty cool place. Mt. Erebus is the southern most active volcano in the world. You can see it from town, and the helo ride gives you some great views. Another bonus is that I get to go back this week. It might not be for everyone, but it's a dream job. Graham Love works on top of the the hut while Erebus smokes away in the background.

Travis Moose with wind sock

Concordiasi Take Down

We were on the sea ice transition to take down one of the Concordiasi Group's Rac Tents. They launched their last balloon of the season

The view out over the sea ice (Ross Sea) from the transition with mill vans for storage in the foreground, the ice runway in the middle ground and the Trans Antarctic mountain range in the background.

McMurdo Station

McMurdo Station with Ob Hill in the background as viewed from the Hut Point Loop Trail.
Photo by Rosalind Lee

I am about halfway through the season now at McMurdo Station. It has been a good time so far. I arrived here on August 16 at the end of winter on a night passenger flight. I was on the second plane in after no flights since March. Interesting to be here in the dark when it has been contant light the other times that I have been here. There was only five hours of light per day when I first arrived, but now the sun is up all day.

The Carp Shop has been really busy building things to support the scientists. We have been opening up the Dry Valley Camps and are going to be heading out to the various deep field camps for two to three weeks to open them. This year we have BYRD, PIG (Pine Island Glacier), WAIS (West Antarctica Ice Survey, I think), CTAM (Central Trans Antarctica Mountains), and we will also be supporting the South Pole and sending carpenters there. CTAM is a new camp out at the Beardmore Glacier. Most of the deep field camps are flat and white, but CTAM in at the foot of the mountains so it is a bit more scenic. I may get to go there later in the season. I will be returning to BYRD this year for the put-in in about a week. I just found out a couple of days ago that I will be going to open the lower Eribus hut which sits at 13,000 ft. on the side of Mt. Eribus. Mt. Eribus is the southern most active volcano in the world. Not too many people get to go there, so I'm pretty lucky to get this assignment.

Ice People #11

Angela shows her enthusiasm at the Ice Runway

fuelie Ed and Delta Scharen

G. Love (Grahmn Love) in the Tucker

Jeremy Stevens at the Ice Runway

Jules, Heavy Equipment Operator, at LDB. Jules has been coming to Antarctica for over thirty seasons.

Laura Conchelos in the Shop and her hair twists

Shawn Cornish at the Ice Runway

Nichole at LDB

Freezer Cave

Digging the freezer cave for the LDB Galley. Makes a great walk in freeezer.

Aaron, Tom, Jeremy and Nichole

Jeremy Nylander and Nichole Lasich at LDB on a very nice day

Fuelies

Fueli Ed, from Columbus, Ohio, and Delta Scharen at the Ice Runway.

Little Emily fueling the Galley tank at LDB

Closer....

Closer.....

Too close!

The Icecap Jamesway @ the Ice Runway

The Tucker Snocat

Jamesway boxes and endwalls

Carpenters waiting for Fleet Ops and the Challenger to clear snow so that we can start building the Jamesway.

The footers on which the Jamesway will sit.

The Jamesay frame before it is covered. These Jamesway tents are sixty years old and were previously used in Korea during the Korean War.

Armitage Loop Ski Trail

Photos by Michael Deany

Scott Base (New Zealand) in the background

Necreous Clouds and the Armitage Loop