In the past few weeks you've probably had a few holiday celebrations. Hopefully they've been filled with fun and relaxation alongside family and friends. Like most things in Antarctica, holiday celebrations here are a little more strange than usual. Strange in that you're surrounded by coworkers instead of close loved ones. Strange in that you've been working 65 hours per week, for weeks on end, and suddenly you're taking time away from the science. And strange because you're in Antarctica, where life is always a little odd. Here's a quick run down of how Eric and I have celebrated these past weeks, and some more in general about living in Antarctica.
Living in the Antarctic is certainly not for everyone. Although the mountains are beautiful, and the science presents once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, there are many inconveniences (probably no surprise there) that make working and living here difficult. In fact, when I tell most of my family and friends that I work in Antarctica, I get two typical responses. One is "Wow! That must be so cool, you're so lucky!" The other is "Wow! That sounds miserable, do you have to stay long?" And indeed, some days in Antarctica feel like the former, and others the latter, but more often than not we're very happy to be here.
I often describe McMurdo as looking like a cross between a mining town and college campus. Buildings are simple, efficient, and rather ugly. Streets are unpaved and muddy. Everyone wears hardy, weather-resistant clothing that is often ragged and dirty. But we're all here for really the same reason, much like students at a university. In fact, McMurdo is kind of like summer camp for scientists. We're all here for science, or at least in support of the science. Town might not be much to look at, but we do have a number of amenities. Hot showers are available almost regularly, although we're encouraged to bath only four times each week. Meal times in the galley offer many buffet selections that are filling, but the availability of fresh foods is extremely limited. Often times we actually enjoy being in the field camps more than town, as you can cook your own food and enjoy the solitude of your own tent.
Eric and I took our first trip of the season, via helicopter, into Taylor Valley for collection of some soils just four days before Christmas. Taylor Valley is one of the primary valleys where science occurs around McMurdo, and five permanent camps are located here. Each camp can house between 6-15 people at a time, and consists of typically a main hut (just a room or two) for cooking, socializing, and doing work. Around the camp are sites for individual sleeping tents, as well as fuel barrels (the camps run primarily on diesel, although some are outfitted with wind turbines and solar panels), waste barrels (all wastewater is collected for transport back to McMurdo), and heavy-duty cardboard boxes for solid trash.
F6 camp is where Eric and I stayed for this first sampling trip. From the camp, we took supplies for an afternoon of collecting soil and got on an ATV to drive around Lake Fryxell. The ATV is quick and convenient transportation around Taylor Valley, but it can only be used on the lake ice, never on the soil (it's too easily disturbed). The lakes in this part of Antarctica are permanently frozen, although small portions around the shoreline typically melt into a moat during the summer. When this happens, it's difficult to make your way between the soil and remaining ice on the lake, but early in the austral summer it's generally not a problem.
For a few days we collected soil samples from F6 camp, but were scheduled to return to McMurdo just two days before Christmas. Unfortunately our flight back to town was canceled when the weather turned sour with snow and poor visibility. So, instead of spending Christmas in McMurdo, Eric and I decided to spend our holiday at another permanent camp in Taylor Valley, Camp Hoare, which acts kind of as the epicenter of valley activity.
Camp Hoare has an annual Christmas Eve party that involves a huge meal, cookie decorating, a gift exchange, costumes, and loud music/dancing. This year we managed to accomplish all of these, including gingerbread house construction. Before any of this begins, we close shutters on the outside of the camp to block out the light. We light the interior with candles and Christmas lights and, this year, sat down for a feast of king crab legs, ham, stuffing, salads, and lots of desert. Afterwards we have a gift exchange, and this year I received an insulated water bottle and chocolates. Eric got a travel-version of the card game cribbage. Cookie decorating was also taking place throughout these events; I think something like 250 were made total. The absolute best was our gingerbread house though, which included stained-glass windows and a fully decorated yard. Christmas at Camp Hoare is also special because of showers, which rarely happen in the field. We dip water from a nearby lake, warm it over a stove, and fill a solar shower bag with it. It might not be much, but a primitive shower that washes away a week of grime is amazing!
Soon after Christmas we were able to get a flight back to McMurdo, where we would spend the upcoming New Years Eve. McMurdo celebrates New Years with an outdoor concert composed of "local" bands who have spent a month or two (sometimes much less) practicing. The event is appropriately called "Icestock." This year nine bands played on New Year's Eve and ranged from pop rock to folk/country. At midnight everyone counted down to the new year and we toasted with some cheap champagne. At the same time as the concert was a chili cookoff, which provided plenty of free, warm food to combat the chilly temps.
The holiday celebrations are definitely bittersweet occasions for all of us in Antarctica. While we certainly miss not having close family nearby this time of year, our colleagues become extended family who are sharing in a very unique experience at the bottom of the planet. I haven't made a New Year's resolution this year, but I think that trying to maintain a positive attitude for all life's experiences, even when all the hikes seem uphill with an icy wind in your face, seems appropriate. Well I think that's about all I should write for now. Again, if you have any questions about our experiences, please post them under the "Questions" tab. We'd love to hear from you!
Happy holidays everyone!
Kevin G.
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