All of these first pics are from Happy Camper School which Scott attended this week. This first pic was the snow dwelling made by Gabriel, a son of missionaries in Columbia.
Oops, actually this pic is of one of the South Pole traverse sleds getting set for the big journey.
Scott shoveling snow at Happy Camper school. They got sweaty, then they got very cold.
Snow drift wall - the snow is quarried out from the surface of the ice.
You could sleep in a tent but Scott slept in a trench he built. I would have gotten claustrophobic with snow packed right over my face - like sleeping in a cold coffin.
Scott got to head out on the ice for this survival training course. Unfortunately I will eventually have to go too. My expression won't be nearly as cheerful because you have to construct a dwelling to sleep in and you are working at sub-zero temps with the wind whipping. Even the station Dr. got frostbite on eight fingers doing this same training last week. Campers are given sandwiches, chips, and outdated (from the mid-90's!) dehydrated meals (Leonardo Fettucine Alfredo or Santa Fe Spicy Black Bean Stew) and chocolate bars, and they are driven out several miles from the station and left there for about thirty hours. The leaders warned them that they would have terrible gas from the dehydrated food, and sure enough, Scott reports that he practically asphyxiated himself in the snow pit he built himself to sleep in. Apparently snow structures have an amazing ability to keep wind out and farts in.
I got to help drive the group out and I had to chuckle at how they were jammed into the Delta like sardines. Look at how excited Scott is! Everyone has to bring all their issued gear, but it is never enough to be completely warm.
Bare hands at sub-zero temps! Crazy man.
This is the last week of training - next week the station is up and running at full capacity and I will be doing 12-hour shifts. This week we still had a lot of down time so we went out and helped the food personnel move tator tots, Canadian bacon, and broccoli spears around in freezers. Volunteerism is strongly encouraged here and our bonuses are partly contingent on how many hours we give back to the community. The only problem is that if you volunteer, you have no time at all for rest and exercise. People tend to run themselves ragged and lots of people have the crud (McMurdo speak for a nasty cold that doesn't go away).
I got to go to Crary Lab today for another tour. Apparently the ocean floor here is teeming with life. This is a sea spider. The scientist told us that if we held the fish or spider in our warm hands it would feel like boiling water to them because they are used the water that hovers just above the freezing point.
All of these first pics are from Happy Camper School which Scott attended this week. This first pic was the snow dwelling made by Gabriel, a son of missionaries in Columbia.
Oops, actually this pic is of one of the South Pole traverse sleds getting set for the big journey.
Scott shoveling snow at Happy Camper school. They got sweaty, then they got very cold.
Snow drift wall - the snow is quarried out from the surface of the ice.
You could sleep in a tent but Scott slept in a trench he built. I would have gotten claustrophobic with snow packed right over my face - like sleeping in a cold coffin.
Scott got to head out on the ice for this survival training course. Unfortunately I will eventually have to go too. My expression won't be nearly as cheerful because you have to construct a dwelling to sleep in and you are working at sub-zero temps with the wind whipping. Even the station Dr. got frostbite on eight fingers doing this same training last week. Campers are given sandwiches, chips, and outdated (from the mid-90's!) dehydrated meals (Leonardo Fettucine Alfredo or Santa Fe Spicy Black Bean Stew) and chocolate bars, and they are driven out several miles from the station and left there for about thirty hours. The leaders warned them that they would have terrible gas from the dehydrated food, and sure enough, Scott reports that he practically asphyxiated himself in the snow pit he built himself to sleep in. Apparently snow structures have an amazing ability to keep wind out and farts in.
I got to help drive the group out and I had to chuckle at how they were jammed into the Delta like sardines. Look at how excited Scott is! Everyone has to bring all their issued gear, but it is never enough to be completely warm.
Bare hands at sub-zero temps! Crazy man.
This is the last week of training - next week the station is up and running at full capacity and I will be doing 12-hour shifts. This week we still had a lot of down time so we went out and helped the food personnel move tator tots, Canadian bacon, and broccoli spears around in freezers. Volunteerism is strongly encouraged here and our bonuses are partly contingent on how many hours we give back to the community. The only problem is that if you volunteer, you have no time at all for rest and exercise. People tend to run themselves ragged and lots of people have the crud (McMurdo speak for a nasty cold that doesn't go away).
I got to go to Crary Lab today for another tour. Apparently the ocean floor here is teeming with life. This is a sea spider. The scientist told us that if we held the fish or spider in our warm hands it would feel like boiling water to them because they are used the water that hovers just above the freezing point.
6 comments:
hahaha scott's farts are always asphyxiating! cool spider! haha i love your little stories, as always!
miss you!!!
ahh! i almost didn't recognize jammer joe! haha!
That spider is insane. How big was it?
is all this farting contributing to global warming? glad to know you're having fun. happy halloween
How much have you found out about that huge spider? I thought Scott's gas story was really funny! Is it boring down there or is it cool (pardon the pun)?
Scott - how was sleeping in your ice coffin?
Jen - Hope you have fun digging your snow fort and I've been practicing the Amelie song!
Hope you guys stay warm and have fun!
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