McMurdo Base Station and Happy Camper School, November 20, 2005 Options

[Dena_Rosenberger]

McMurdo Base Station and Happy Camper School
19 November, 2005

Hello from the Ice! Apparently, my journal posting from November 16 was lost in space. Visit the Gallery for photos of New Zealand, the trip to the airport, and more!

Where’s Rosenberger?
In Antarctica!

When I arrived at McMurdo Base Station (MacTown), after attending an orientation briefing, I got my dorm room assignment and headed over to check it out. My roommate is a teacher friend of mine who has been coming to Antarctica for four years, and she really knows how everything here works! We had worked out ahead of time that we would be roommates. The dorms are 2-storey with a long hallway and you share a room with at least one other person. Second floor in my dorm is for women and there is one large bathroom with showers (hot). About a thousand people are in town at any given time, some scientists and some support people. There is a large cafeteria where everyone eats (food is free and all you can eat AND not horrible), a gym for working out and climbing wall, a 2-lane bowling alley, a coffeehouse, and many labs, dorm buildings, and storage and maintenance buildings. At midnight, I went outside to take pictures. The sun goes around in the sky and dips down a little bit on one side at “night,” but doesn’t set! It is a little colder at night but the sun is still shining away.

Ob Hill (Observation Hill) at midnight from McMurdo:


Sunshine behind a building in McMurdo at midnight:


Looking east past my dorm building at midnight:


Looking east from my dorm window at midnight:


Happy Camper School
Everyone who comes here for the first time has to go to Happy Camper School, a two-day outdoor survival camp. First, we had classroom instruction in hypothermia, which is when someone gets too cold for their body to function properly. This can result in death if not attended to.

Erik Johnson, one of our Outdoor Survival trainers:


> Susan Detweiler, our other Outdoor Survival trainer:


Next, we boarded a transport vehicle called a Delta for our trip out to a desolate area several miles away from town.
> Our ride to the Outdoor Survival Camp:



The weather was absolutely beautiful with very low winds. We were VERY lucky!! Sometimes, it is -30 at Happy Camper School, and they will not cancel it for weather.

Heading for more lessons in the instructor's hut:

Susan shows us how to prime and light a variety of stoves:

We also learned how to use the emergency radios.

We walked about a half mile away to our camp site where we learned how to set up tents and build shelters out of snow. Eric and Susan showed us how to set up a yellow “Scott” tent (the only approved Antarctic tent, made for high winds) and cut blocks of snow for a wall.
Putting up a Scott tent, Mt. Erebus is in the background:



After some warnings about where NOT to go, they left us there at Ice Station Antarctica for the night with Mt. Erebus, a very active volcano, puffing away in the distance.
> Are you leaving us alone out here??


We also learned how to build a Quinzee hut, which is kind of a snow cave. You put all of your gear into a big pile, cover with a tarp then with several feet of snow. Tamp it down then let it sit for a few hours. Pull out the gear and tarp, build an entrance with a cold sink, add air holes and hollow it out a bit from the inside. You sleep very well out of the wind, but make sure you have lots of padding under your sleeping bag to insulate you from the ice. Well, we didn’t feel like building one because we wanted to take a walk instead, so two other women and I found an abandoned Quinzee from previous Happy Campers which we took over, just widening it a bit. Some people slept in the Scott tents, or the other mountain tents we set up. Some dug little fortresses under the snow, and other groups found other abandoned Quinzees. Our Quinzee had a little star sculpture on top.
Our acquired Quinzee, ready to go:


Entering the Quinzee:


It was beautiful inside the hut, with the sun shining through cracks and turning the ice a brilliant turquoise.


We also cut a communal dining area where we boiled water for our freeze-dried meals.


You can play Frisbee anywhere!


This camp is on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, which is 200-300 feet thick and doesn’t melt or break off from the continent. It is called “fast ice” and it rests on top of the cold ocean water below.

In the background of the picture above, there is a low white mountain on the left, cleverly named “White Island” and a dark mountain on the right, called “Black Island.” Between them is due south towards the South Pole (850 miles away), and this is where the severe storms come from. If you see clouds appear between these two islands, you have 1-2 hours to prepare yourself for potentially a week of whiteout conditions (this means no more Frisbee).

Finally done!


> Our camp from a distance:


> Penguin sculpture on fortress roof:


A Brown Skua showed up to look for food. The Skua is Antarctica’s only scavenger/predator bird. It is somewhat larger and much more aggressive than the California gull, and less attractive. It has a large curved beak and will attack you and take a sandwich right out of your hands if you are not careful. They also hunt and kill baby penguins if they are left unguarded. Due to the Antarctic Conservation Act, you cannot approach or do anything to alter the behavior of these vicious birds. The scientists say it is heartrending to watch them pick off the baby penguins at the rookery, but you are not allowed to interfere in any way.



Day 2: Leaving the camp to the elements:

> That's one small step for Rosenberger, one giant leap for El Capitan High School:


What's next?
Tuesday, we head for our field site, Pony Lake, if the weather permits. Pony Lake is named after the ponies that Ernest Shackelton brought with him in the race for claiming the South Pole a century ago. The lake is surrounded by 40,000 penguins! Again, we are not allowed to do anything that might alter their behavior, so we must be very careful since it is the breeding season. Monday will be a day to prepare for the field!

Current Conditions at McMurdo Station
A high pressure system to the north is pushing a “cloud shield” over McMurdo Sound, with a “significant” weather system expected Monday.

Right now:
Moderate winds (~12-18 knots)
Temperature: 7 oF/ -14 oC with a wind chill factor bringing it to -29 oF (That’s 61 degrees below freezing!)
Pressure: 29.365 inHg
Sunset: February 20 at 1:38 am

In 1977, the highest wind recorded for November was 89 mph

[Lindsay Ferguson]

Hey Ms. Rosenberger,
I'm glad you liked Pablo! I made him just for you!
Have you done the climbing wall yet? I'll bet thats fun. Why do they only have free food and all you can eat? What is the time difference? Is it difficlult to sleep when the sun never sets? Will Erik Johnson and Susan Detweiler be doing research with you? Do they run Happy Campers? Why did you get to ride in a Delta? I love your Quinzee hut! The inside looked so beautiful! I hope theres no whiteout while you're out there. That would be terrible if you had to quit playing frizbee for a whole week! Don't let the brown skua take your sandwhich! Hey! Have you seen any penguins yet? When can I see some pictures of you with them? They should make a movie called "March of Ms. Rosenberger"! So, What does 61 degrees below freezing feel like? Pretty clod i would imagine. Does a snow hut tunnel cave thingie keep you warm? Is frozen ice cold Snow! Why do you have "February" as the date for the sunset? I thought you said the sun never set??? Sorry bout all the questions, I'm just very interested. Hope to hear from you soon!

~Lindsay

[Guest]

Hey MS.Rosen i was just on my way to bed when i thought about you. I liked the way the ice apartment looked like from the inside. My hardiest thing for that experience would be going to bed when the sun is shining through my window. I would not know when to set my alarm clock, Oh yeah how do you exactly do you know what time it is. Another question how do you call people, if you can not use your cell phone,because every one knows that i cant live without my cell phone. Its about 10:15 now and its sunday skool tommorow. BYE. Jamie from 3rd period.

[Eric Garcia]

yea once again i cant believe how awesome....yet crazy....you are for going out there haha...ur a stud rosen