Hello-hello,
It's raining, spring rain, here in Christchurch, saturating the many beautiful gardens. Good day for email.
On Friday we finished our search and rescue training with our Kiwi counterparts. They were fun, though at times I really did have difficulty understanding them. For example, they might say that someone had iggs in the tint after having six. Then of course there are the many different words and phrases (which are fun, refreshing) to complicate communication.
With them we are the Joint Antarctic Search and Rescue Team, about a dozen plus total. Their base is about 2 miles from ours and quite a bit smaller.
Three days (2 overnights) of the training was held at a "skifield", one quite a bit different than what we think of in the US. Probably like what US ski areas were 40 (yeah, 40) years ago. It was cool, very rustic (rope tows for which one needs a harness and nutcracker device to hang onto the rope) and would NEVER be able to get a dime of insurance in the US! One actually needs to pay attention to avoid getting hurt (really hurt).
This is where several of us were fascinated with the concept of an alpine parrot: the kia. At this high use place they were quite habituated, like a marmot sometimes (or, based on photos, like what raccoons do when they get inside: unbelievable), and curious. We couldn't even leave the stretcher outside during lunch as the kias will make a mess even of nonfood items. Very curious, and I have to say I enjoyed their "attitude".
They are dark green, like the beech forests here, with some orange undertheir wings and tail, only seen in flight. They are the largest of the parrots and I'm told they have flown off carrying a boot, only to drop it into some inaccessible place. Hold onto your hat.
We worked on litter raises and lowers on snow and scree. On scree (mountain gravel, and in this case: steep) they drive in what are the equivalent of those green steel fence posts for stringing barbed wire. One uses a sledge hammer to drive them a couple feet into the steep scree and tie them off together to make an anchor. It looks sketchy, but it's surprisingly strong.
The last day we drove to the local hills and did a vertical litter raise and lower, overlooking a beautiful sea port (Lyttleton). We also covered crevasse rescue, a bit of first aid and patient packaging, communications, a bit of GPS, and other related stuff. This is my area of weakness for the job, but it's not exactly microbiology and I've been loving learning it.
So that fellow in our team about whom I was a bit concerned (and the others too) rose to the occasion (ie maturity) on the training and now I've decided that he too is a good guy, yea. I quite like our crew. There are 5 of us here now, and our supervisor is on the ice now with another instructor, "the sea ice guy" from whom we'll learn about sea ice (cool!) so we can then teach those who know even less than we do.
Christchurch sports the Canterbury Museum, started 1870, which houses a very nice section on Antarctica and includes many artifacts given to them as early explorations parties returned from the ice (those who did return). Quite a history, the "Heroic Age" of Antarctica exploration of which the familiar Shackleton is merely one of numerous interesting stories. A number of their huts still stand, freeze dried (including part of a dog, still in the collar) on the ice. More on these when I get to explore them. There's one near McMurdo at, you guessed it, Hut Point. Cared for by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
The museum had a Primus Comet Scout stove from the early part of the last century. Esp. considering the almost-century of time, it was astonishingly similar to some stoves still in use (Optimus suitcase stylestoves). Amazing.
For living in Christchurch we get a stipend, one that covers more than most of us will spend on living expenses. This of course means that we can live lower on the hog (but still quite well, I might add for those who know me too well) and save up cash for our post-ice adventures.
The currency here is a real advance over ours: probably cheaper for the treasury than ours. I quite like the one and two dollar coins (easy to distinguish in the hand, by thickness too) and the bills are made of some rip-proof material. They are colorful so easy to quickly distinguish, and include a small clear window. They also have characters such as penguins, other birds, the queen in her younger years, and even Sir Edmund Hillary on them. Another real bonus is that they have elimated the silly penny. This means that change is simpler, and you don't have to be irritated by the marketing trick of "only $999,999.99". Items are sold in more straightforward units, like a buck.
Ok, that's enough blabbering for now. Tomorrow we pack and deal with some administrative stuff, then Tues we get up at 2am for our flight onto the ice. They like to arrive early for some safety reason... I hope this finds you well.
Love and the Southern Cross, Susan
September 27, 2003
September 15, 2003
Antarctic job overview, LINKS; excited to be going!
Hello friends and family, old and new, near and far,
I stand wide-eyed on the cusp of my adventure.
On Wednesday I fly to New Zealand for search and rescue training, then on the 30th we fly “onto the ice” for 4 1/2 to 5 months working in Antarctica. I am psyched.
Really psyched.
I am finding that I am more excited about this adventure than I have been about anything I can remember in my entire adult life. I’ve been fixated on this for weeks and can hardly sleep some nights.
As many of you have expressed an interest in hearing what's up down there, here’s some information to help you picture the setting. I’ll be based out of McMurdo, the main US station (there are 2 others, and a number run by other nations; all for science). A very industrial little town with a dynamic population, so I hear. It is located on a dry spot essentially on Ross Island and houses about 1100 people during their summer, about 35% which are women. I think the population is about 1/4 scientists, and the rest of us are support staff. All kinds of sciences: atmospheric, astronomical, biological (esp marine), geological, geophysical; glacial; including a lot of climate research. They also have an Artists and Writers in Residence Program.
I will be working in the Field Safety Training Program as an Instructor, one of seven (all guides). I have reason to believe my supervisor is both a good person and a good guy to work for/with; very important. We'll teach classes to prepare the scientists (and I think everyone else too to varying degrees) to stay safe on the glaciers, sea ice, and in the chilly temperatures: “Happy Camper” class and Survival School.
We also accompany scientific expeditions as guides while they conduct their research (this is the part I’m most psyched about, the science exposure as well as seeing remote parts of the continent). We also function as the search and rescue team. I look forward to gaining that experience, but hope to do so in non-gruesome or tragic situations.
We will have email access, but working 6 days a week 9 hours a day probably won’t leave me a lot of time/energy for extensive emailing. A certain amount of my free time will be getting real exercise. Rumor has it that skate skiing is the activity of choice around the flats of McMurdo so I’ve bought the gear and I will learn. I am planning to send out occasional updates on the life I experience down there, hopefully with photos attached. I am guessing I won’t write a full-on solstice letter this year.
Lots of daylight during the solstice at 77 degrees south! But not for awhile. It‘ll be cold when we arrive.
I’ve been reading about the continent, the wildlife, the landscape [would you believe there are ponds down there in the dry valleys, the saltiest water in the world, about 35 times saltier than oceans, so salty they NEVER freeze. That‘s just the tip of the-- I won‘t say it], the history, the job, the local culture to some extent (interesting, it sounds like), and trying to learn some of the language down there to reduce the clueless feeling while I figure out what's going on. There are of course many kinds of sea ice (cool!), endless acronyms for facilities and bureaucracies, types of aircraft and snowmobiles I have to learn about (no wait, I mean “get” to learn about. Insert forced smile. I love the noise and stink, really. Industrial mountaineering, yee haa.). All kinds of new realms.
My goal while down there is to get to the South Pole Station and do a yoga headstand next to the ceremonial South Pole (100m or so from the real one) with the camera held upside-down (I know, I know: just rotate the photo). I've been practicing getting up into the headstand without a wall, but don't know what it'll be like wearing 20 pounds of clothing.
I can receive mail down there; below is my address. RSPC is Raytheon (yup, I’m selling out) Polar Services Company, which has been contracted by the National Science Foundation’s US Antarctic Program, which oversees the entire scene. The NSF contracts the military to fly us around and handle that type of burly logistics. Apparently the flight to the ice is heinous: a noisy, cold, and cramped cargo plane for 6-7 hours; lovely.
If you’re curious, here are some websites that might be of interest (as if you don't have enough to do):
This is the USAP/Raytheon website with numerous links:http://www.polar.org/
“USA Today” article describing what goes on down there: http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/cold-science/life-work/mcmurdo-station.htm
Here is an article about diving under the ice, something in which I will NOT be participating. However, it does describe the Field Safety Training Program in which I will be working: .http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/diving/index4.html http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/99/fs_usap.htm
I have to say I’m bummed to be leaving now. It’s cooling down (snow in the high country!) … a nice time to be around.
I hope you've had a rewarding summer and are looking forward to a cooler fall. I also hope you're able to live the life that you find the most deeply satisfying, whatever form that may take.
Love, health, and a wonderful winter, Susan
Did I mention how excited I am?
I stand wide-eyed on the cusp of my adventure.
On Wednesday I fly to New Zealand for search and rescue training, then on the 30th we fly “onto the ice” for 4 1/2 to 5 months working in Antarctica. I am psyched.
Really psyched.
I am finding that I am more excited about this adventure than I have been about anything I can remember in my entire adult life. I’ve been fixated on this for weeks and can hardly sleep some nights.
As many of you have expressed an interest in hearing what's up down there, here’s some information to help you picture the setting. I’ll be based out of McMurdo, the main US station (there are 2 others, and a number run by other nations; all for science). A very industrial little town with a dynamic population, so I hear. It is located on a dry spot essentially on Ross Island and houses about 1100 people during their summer, about 35% which are women. I think the population is about 1/4 scientists, and the rest of us are support staff. All kinds of sciences: atmospheric, astronomical, biological (esp marine), geological, geophysical; glacial; including a lot of climate research. They also have an Artists and Writers in Residence Program.
I will be working in the Field Safety Training Program as an Instructor, one of seven (all guides). I have reason to believe my supervisor is both a good person and a good guy to work for/with; very important. We'll teach classes to prepare the scientists (and I think everyone else too to varying degrees) to stay safe on the glaciers, sea ice, and in the chilly temperatures: “Happy Camper” class and Survival School.
We also accompany scientific expeditions as guides while they conduct their research (this is the part I’m most psyched about, the science exposure as well as seeing remote parts of the continent). We also function as the search and rescue team. I look forward to gaining that experience, but hope to do so in non-gruesome or tragic situations.
We will have email access, but working 6 days a week 9 hours a day probably won’t leave me a lot of time/energy for extensive emailing. A certain amount of my free time will be getting real exercise. Rumor has it that skate skiing is the activity of choice around the flats of McMurdo so I’ve bought the gear and I will learn. I am planning to send out occasional updates on the life I experience down there, hopefully with photos attached. I am guessing I won’t write a full-on solstice letter this year.
Lots of daylight during the solstice at 77 degrees south! But not for awhile. It‘ll be cold when we arrive.
I’ve been reading about the continent, the wildlife, the landscape [would you believe there are ponds down there in the dry valleys, the saltiest water in the world, about 35 times saltier than oceans, so salty they NEVER freeze. That‘s just the tip of the-- I won‘t say it], the history, the job, the local culture to some extent (interesting, it sounds like), and trying to learn some of the language down there to reduce the clueless feeling while I figure out what's going on. There are of course many kinds of sea ice (cool!), endless acronyms for facilities and bureaucracies, types of aircraft and snowmobiles I have to learn about (no wait, I mean “get” to learn about. Insert forced smile. I love the noise and stink, really. Industrial mountaineering, yee haa.). All kinds of new realms.
My goal while down there is to get to the South Pole Station and do a yoga headstand next to the ceremonial South Pole (100m or so from the real one) with the camera held upside-down (I know, I know: just rotate the photo). I've been practicing getting up into the headstand without a wall, but don't know what it'll be like wearing 20 pounds of clothing.
I can receive mail down there; below is my address. RSPC is Raytheon (yup, I’m selling out) Polar Services Company, which has been contracted by the National Science Foundation’s US Antarctic Program, which oversees the entire scene. The NSF contracts the military to fly us around and handle that type of burly logistics. Apparently the flight to the ice is heinous: a noisy, cold, and cramped cargo plane for 6-7 hours; lovely.
If you’re curious, here are some websites that might be of interest (as if you don't have enough to do):
This is the USAP/Raytheon website with numerous links:http://www.polar.org/
“USA Today” article describing what goes on down there: http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/cold-science/life-work/mcmurdo-station.htm
Here is an article about diving under the ice, something in which I will NOT be participating. However, it does describe the Field Safety Training Program in which I will be working: .http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/nsf/diving/index4.html http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/media/99/fs_usap.htm
I have to say I’m bummed to be leaving now. It’s cooling down (snow in the high country!) … a nice time to be around.
I hope you've had a rewarding summer and are looking forward to a cooler fall. I also hope you're able to live the life that you find the most deeply satisfying, whatever form that may take.
Love, health, and a wonderful winter, Susan
Did I mention how excited I am?
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