Summer Camp

Ironically, I ended up with less internet access in port than at sea and since the last time I posted McMurdo has come and gone. During our five day stay much has happened so I will be writing in sections.

We found ourselves moving away from our few day rest stop in the ice the very next morning and soon found ourselves in the ice channel the Russians had made for us. However, we spent most of the day parked in the ice channel again simply staring at McMurdo station with longing since the ice breaker was occupying the ice pier.

Going Through The Ice Channel, McMurdo On Our Left

The Landscape

McMurdo Sound doesn’t have a typical dock, and they have relied on the same 20ft thick ice pier for the last seven years to secure the ship. However, the ice pier was in terrible condition this year (only 10ft thick and part slush) and we were told that we may not even be allowed to walk across. Regardless, a station that only receives three ships annually doesn’t have the capability to dock multiple ships at a time.

However, we started moving forward at 20:00 and approached McMurdo that night. We  were allowed to observe the smooth navigation into McMurdo sound from the navigation bridge and found ourselves staring at “Antarcticans” staring back at us with their own binoculars.

Pulling Into McMurdo

The Ice Pier

With the ice pier being unreliable (we will be the last ones to use this ice pier, it will be discarded), the docking arrangement was quite unique and our deck crew had to shoot (using a gun) our lines to shore on both sides to secure us in what ended up looking like a spider web. By the time we had finished docking it was already midnight (…on a Friday….), and we were not allowed ashore until the following morning when the ice pier was reorganized for our passage.

Midnight Arrival (Conor had finished the sign barely 12 hours before)

A look towards "Discovery Hut"

We were finally allowed ashore the following afternoon after a briefing. Ross Island was a desert, and we quickly discovered that the ground was completely loose gravel and extremely dusty. McMurdo station has very odd operating hours, since everyone works for most of the day (except Sunday). McMurdo also understandably has a lot of rules starting from trash separation to check out procedures (you’re not allowed to just wander off).

We soon discovered that the 2000 people here lived in what resembles a summer camp. Most everyone has roommates (up to six people in a room), lives in a dorm, everyone seemed to know everyone else, there is one dining hall with set meal times, and yes people like to sit with certain people (it almost felt like a high school cafeteria). The workers there were all the adventurous type, and their profession varied from dishwashers and heavy equipment operators to military personnel and scientists. This being said, everyone there was there for the experience, and everyone was the adventurous type.

For our checklist of the day we climbed Observation Hill which gave us a great view of everything around us. The hike wasn’t too long, maybe 45 minutes, but the trail was fairly steep and the footing was consistently loose. It was also quite the adjustment from not really used to walking on ship to suddenly hiking up gravel.

Cadets On the Move

You can see Observation Hill in the background

A view of McMurdo from above

Looking out at Scott Base (The Kiwi (aka New Zealand) Base)

After reaching the top, we thought we saw a different trail leading down the opposite side of the mountain. Nope, we soon discovered that it was absolutely not a trail, and ended up essentially sliding down a steep mountain slope of loose shale and gravel.

The "Path"

The Pond at the end of said Path

We were allowed to dine at the McMurdo dining hall and enjoyed a really great meal. The food at McMurdo station is excellent, especially the bakery. (The bread and desserts were absolutely ridiculous.)

McMurdo station has two bars and a wine and cheese café. (The drinking age is 18)

One of the bars was hosting a blue grass event featuring local musicians and we had a fantastic time learning how to jig. We were also surprised that a six pack of Corona cost only $6.50 and mixed drinks were $4 each! We made friends with many Antarcticans and ended up trading ship tours for tours of cool places around McMurdo Station.

Getting back across the Ice Pier was …. Fun.

Some Consequences