Hello from Antarctica!

[slowzuki]

Hello, a fellow on another board I'm on works as the power engineer for the south pole station.  I didn't pay attention too much but he lives in these elevated boxes near the geographical south pole I think.

He posted pics of some cool 4wd vans and some pics of the New Years Eve party with a band playing etc. Pretty neat place.

Oh I think there was a pic of some frozen fish from a tunnel too? Famous or part of a tradition or something!

[Ianab]

Scott has sent me the pictures for posting, but I'm away from home today and wont be able to resize them till tomorrow...
Check back then.  

Ian

[Ianab]

Here's Scotts Pics resized for your viewing pleasure  :D

This is a pictures of some of the equipment we used early in the season to
clear a runway on the sea ice.

Me running a loader with forks.

Me on one of the D8R's

Cool stuff , literally   :D

Ian

[Ianab]

Scott just sent me thru some more pics of summer on the ice.

This is a picture of a C-17 that I took from a D8

Loaders clearing snow from the ice pier.  Thats one of the early exploreres hut
in the background.

A D8R pulling fuel tankers.

Cheers

Ian

[Norm]

Cool stuff, thanks Scott and Ian.

[Paul_H]

Thanks Scott and Ian,I really enjoyed the pictures.Looks like some big mountain peaks in the background.

[Ianab]

A few more pics from the ice 

This is one of the old modified and stretched D8s.  This one is named Mary
Ann.  These cats have been working here in Antarctica since the late 1950's.

[Ianab]

This is Winter Quarters Bay at McMurdo.  The fuel tanker The Paul Buck is tied
to the pier unloading fuel.  The U.S. Coast Guard ice breaker The Polar Star is
tied up next to the Paul Buck.  In the Background to the left is the National
Science Foundation research vessal The Nathanial B. Palmer. And to the right is
the Russian ice breaker The Krasin.  It was hired by the NSF to assist in ice
breaking down here.

[Ianab]

This is me, I had just unloaded a New Zealand helicopter off of a trailer. It
is done for the season here and is going to be loaded in a C-141 and flown back
to Christchurch.

Interestingly enough I've got pics of an almost identical chopper. I think Scotts is a later model than the one that I used to ride out to the offshore rigs here.

http://www.geocities.com/ianab/maui/maui08.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/ianab/maui/maui.htm

Cheers

Ian

[WV_hillbilly]

  Great pics. Kudos for the tag team effort you guys. That old dozer is neat looking with all the space between the cab and engine. I am surprized to see a ripper on the back of the new D8.

[desdawg]

sawinmontana, you are a better man than me. I grew up in Northern Montana, did a 14 year stint in Colorado and have been here in the sunny AZ for the last 19. I have a Feb. 3rd birthdate and have a couple of backhoes, a Bobcat and a grading tractor. Maybe we went to different schools together? And I am happy to report that I don't miss the snow and ice at all. High 64 today and climbing into the 70's by the end of the week. . Different paths. Stay warm.

[MULE_MAN]

Nice picture's Scott & Ianab I never seen a D8 dozer like that before
That's pretty interesting stuff what your doing up there, But I don't think
I could stand that kind of Cold weather

[Emrldashbr]

Wow those are some great pictures.  I wonder with the sun going around 24 hours a day, does it get hard to keep track of which direction is which?  Or do you have to keep something in site all the time as a reference point?  I have enough trouble in the woods when its dark and I forget my compass. ;D

[sawinmontana]

Thanks Ian for taking care of the pictures for me.

Paul_H, those mountains in the background are called the Royal Societys. They are part of the Trans Antarctic mountains.

WV_hillbilly, In places down here the snow gets so hard that we have to rip it first to doze it.

desdawg, Where abouts in Montana did you grow up?  I'm from Northwest Montana. A little town called Eureka, just north of Kalispell.  I know what you mean about the snow and ice although I couldn't stand the heat down there in AZ.  Down here in Antarctica we are having some nice late summer weather.  Lows are down around 15 and highs of 20.  But we do have lots of sunshine!  Our first sunset isn't till February 21.

Mule_Man, I'm not "up" there, I'm "down" there!

Emrldashbr,  Yes you do need to keep  something in site to keep your bearings.  You can kind of tell by how long a shadow is cast.  The sun is lower in the sky when its to the south.

Cheers,
Scott

[ADAMINMO]

That is pretty cool.  I was just reading through this post since Jeff brought it up in another post. The cool thing is that I think my Dad was stationed at McMurdo at that same time!! What are the chances of that?I am pretty sure he was there in 2005 or 2006.He sent me alot of cool pics he had taken.What a cool cold place!!  8)