134M about a 440ft free fall lasting a little over 8 seconds.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
New Zealand Adrenaline
I've been having such a good time in New Zealand that I haven't got around to posting any pics. After leaping into the Nevis Gorge I figured I could take a few minutes out of my busy schedule and post a couple pics. This is so far the biggest rush I've had in the land of the kiwis.
134M about a 440ft free fall lasting a little over 8 seconds.
134M about a 440ft free fall lasting a little over 8 seconds.
Friday, February 13, 2009
South Pole
On January 12th I took a C-130 from McMurdo Station to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Here are some photos of the flight.
Inside the C-130
More of the Transantarctic Mountain Range
The South Pole Station sits at about 9300 feet, but because it's located at the earth's pole it has a high pressure altitude making it akin to being at around 10,500 feet. The station's lowest temperature while i was there was -75 F factoring in the wind chill and -57 F ambient.
The Pole runs almost entirely off diesel fuel offloaded from C-130's. A month into the summer a traverse loaded to the gills with fuel (150,000 gallons) drove across the stretch between the McMurdo Station and the South Pole. The journey took them around 60 days, and will probably continue to be repeated in the future in an effort to cut down the amount of fuel flights needing to head to the Pole. My main task while I was at the Pole was to offload the fuel off the C-130's after they touched down.
View of the Transantarctic Mountains 
Inside the C-130
More of the Transantarctic Mountain Range
The South Pole Station sits at about 9300 feet, but because it's located at the earth's pole it has a high pressure altitude making it akin to being at around 10,500 feet. The station's lowest temperature while i was there was -75 F factoring in the wind chill and -57 F ambient.The Pole runs almost entirely off diesel fuel offloaded from C-130's. A month into the summer a traverse loaded to the gills with fuel (150,000 gallons) drove across the stretch between the McMurdo Station and the South Pole. The journey took them around 60 days, and will probably continue to be repeated in the future in an effort to cut down the amount of fuel flights needing to head to the Pole. My main task while I was at the Pole was to offload the fuel off the C-130's after they touched down.
Science is the biggest consumer of fuel at the station. These buildings are large water heaters, heating up massive quantities of water to use for drilling deep into the ice.
While the water is being heated the contraption in the background on the right pumps it into the ice until a 2km hole is created. After the hole is made the scientist lower an $8000 computer down into the ice. The computer is never retrieved, but it sends data about neutrinos back to a massive supercomputer (in the background on the left.)
The fuel arch. All the fuel offload from C-130s is pumped into here. The arch contains 45 - 10,000 gallon tanks, which are connected to the stations power plant. The temperature in the arch hovers at around -50 F.
Aside from the bone chilling temperatures the weather at the South Pole is much more consistent and sunny then McMurdo, providing plenty of opportunities to witness sundogs.
Sometimes when we're marshaling in C-130's they don't put the brakes on soon enough, and we have to push them back into place. I had to use both hands for this guy.
Me hauling the de-fuel nozzle back from a C-130. The most important thing to remember is that the props are always spinning down at the Pole so don't go near them.
These bad-ass trucks just showed up out of the blue. They drove from the east coast of Antarctica setting up the finish line for a European South Pole X-country ski race. 
Me holding on at the South Pole
The South Pole with the new station in the background
The true geographic south pole does not itself move, but because the pole marker sits on top of glacial ice which moves (10m every year) the position is annually re-determined and the marker moved.
My home - a double canvas walled Jamesway.
My little cubby of a room. Since the walls are made of canvas its basically like sharing a room with 9 other people - you can hear everything (hence the single-malt scotch on the dresser).
My buddy and fueling comrade, Andrew, got an opportunity to ride in an Otter and snap South Pole Station photos. Here's three of his pics.
The new station on the upper right and the famous S. Pole dome on the lower left.
On the return flight back to McMurdo I snapped few more shots of the Transantarctic Mountain Range.
While the water is being heated the contraption in the background on the right pumps it into the ice until a 2km hole is created. After the hole is made the scientist lower an $8000 computer down into the ice. The computer is never retrieved, but it sends data about neutrinos back to a massive supercomputer (in the background on the left.)
The fuel arch. All the fuel offload from C-130s is pumped into here. The arch contains 45 - 10,000 gallon tanks, which are connected to the stations power plant. The temperature in the arch hovers at around -50 F.
Aside from the bone chilling temperatures the weather at the South Pole is much more consistent and sunny then McMurdo, providing plenty of opportunities to witness sundogs.
Sometimes when we're marshaling in C-130's they don't put the brakes on soon enough, and we have to push them back into place. I had to use both hands for this guy.
Me hauling the de-fuel nozzle back from a C-130. The most important thing to remember is that the props are always spinning down at the Pole so don't go near them.These bad-ass trucks just showed up out of the blue. They drove from the east coast of Antarctica setting up the finish line for a European South Pole X-country ski race. 
Me holding on at the South Pole
The South Pole with the new station in the background
The true geographic south pole does not itself move, but because the pole marker sits on top of glacial ice which moves (10m every year) the position is annually re-determined and the marker moved.My home - a double canvas walled Jamesway.My little cubby of a room. Since the walls are made of canvas its basically like sharing a room with 9 other people - you can hear everything (hence the single-malt scotch on the dresser).My buddy and fueling comrade, Andrew, got an opportunity to ride in an Otter and snap South Pole Station photos. Here's three of his pics.The new station on the upper right and the famous S. Pole dome on the lower left.On the return flight back to McMurdo I snapped few more shots of the Transantarctic Mountain Range. 
Hikes, Plane Crashes, New Years, Rugby, and an IceBreaker
Here's a whole mishmash of Antarctica stuff.
One of the recreational highlights in McMurdo is the Castle Rock Loop. A couple of buddies and I did the hike one fine Sunday afternoon, and here are the pics:
Castle Rock is the outcropping on the far right and in the middle is Mount Erebus.
Closer view of Castle Rock - it looks like it'd be at home in Utah or Arizona
Side shot taken as were climbing to the top.
The glory shot on top of Castle Rock with Mount Erebus looming in the background.
During the work week, I had to head out to Pegasus to fuel a large C-17. The only way to get there was by Piston Bully, which can take a very long time (max speed in the dirt: 5 mph & snow: 12 mph). To reward myself for the hours wasted mimicking a sloth I took a short detour out to the wreckage of a US Navy P2V Neptune that crashed back in the mid-50's.
Some photos of the wreckage - still looking pretty sharp for having crashed over 50 years ago.
To celebrate New Years the community gets together and puts on IceStock, which involves loads of bands, food and of course booze.
Baby New Year and Father Time ring in the New Year. 
Another age-old tradition on the Ice is a yearly rugby match between the American and Kiwi Bases. The Kiwi's have yet to lose a match, and this one looked like it might be the exception, but in the end the Kiwis got their victory once again.
Just before I left to head to the South Pole the Odin (icebreaker) arrived clearing the path for the fuel tanker and cargo ships.
One of the recreational highlights in McMurdo is the Castle Rock Loop. A couple of buddies and I did the hike one fine Sunday afternoon, and here are the pics:
Castle Rock is the outcropping on the far right and in the middle is Mount Erebus.
Closer view of Castle Rock - it looks like it'd be at home in Utah or Arizona
Side shot taken as were climbing to the top.
The glory shot on top of Castle Rock with Mount Erebus looming in the background.
During the work week, I had to head out to Pegasus to fuel a large C-17. The only way to get there was by Piston Bully, which can take a very long time (max speed in the dirt: 5 mph & snow: 12 mph). To reward myself for the hours wasted mimicking a sloth I took a short detour out to the wreckage of a US Navy P2V Neptune that crashed back in the mid-50's.
Some photos of the wreckage - still looking pretty sharp for having crashed over 50 years ago.
To celebrate New Years the community gets together and puts on IceStock, which involves loads of bands, food and of course booze.
Baby New Year and Father Time ring in the New Year. Another age-old tradition on the Ice is a yearly rugby match between the American and Kiwi Bases. The Kiwi's have yet to lose a match, and this one looked like it might be the exception, but in the end the Kiwis got their victory once again.
Just before I left to head to the South Pole the Odin (icebreaker) arrived clearing the path for the fuel tanker and cargo ships.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Antarctica: Pressure Ridges
Photos from a tour of the pressure ridges out in front of the NZ base. These ridges are formed by constant heating and cooling of cracks in the ice, causing ice to expand and force its way out.
A good example of a pressure ridge
Scott's Base (NZ base)
Me in front of some ridges
Cool ice formation
A massive ridge called the Cathedral
A good example of a pressure ridge
Scott's Base (NZ base)
Me in front of some ridges
Cool ice formation
A massive ridge called the Cathedral
Antarctica: The Adventure Continues
Here are some more pictures I took while out at the airfields.
This photo captures a commonly sighted phenomenon down here known as a "sun dog." According to Wikipedia "it is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds."
The crane on the back of the truck is hoisting a payload for a long duration balloon launch.
Filling the balloon with helium, the design and size of the balloon allows it to fly for over a 100 days.
Me wrapping my mitt around the balloon
A successful launch
Stoked to be riding the snowmobile
A little less stoked after this unfortunate accident - thankfully I didn't tip it all the way into the ocean.
C-17 Globemaster III much much bigger than the C-130
This photo captures a commonly sighted phenomenon down here known as a "sun dog." According to Wikipedia "it is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds."
The crane on the back of the truck is hoisting a payload for a long duration balloon launch.
Filling the balloon with helium, the design and size of the balloon allows it to fly for over a 100 days.
Me wrapping my mitt around the balloon
A successful launch
Stoked to be riding the snowmobile
A little less stoked after this unfortunate accident - thankfully I didn't tip it all the way into the ocean. C-130 Hercules coming in for some fuel
C-17 Globemaster III much much bigger than the C-130
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