I'm going to McMurdo Station, Antarctica in a couple of days

[jbane]

Anybody been there, what's it like?

[cynatnite]

1. Ann Curry from Today Show was there not long ago...

Ask her. She did a good job reporting.

[villager]

2. Wow!

Shades of "Ice Station Zebra!"

What an adventure, eh?

[jbane]

7. I love Ice Station Zebra

I own a copy of it. When I signed on for this assignment I thought of that movie.

[Patsy Stone]

3. My best friend

has been down there several times. She loves it. It's kind of like a commune, but very, very cold.

Best of luck. I hear the C-130 trip from Christchurch is a rough ride.

[madokie]

4. too durn cold for my old ass ;-)

http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/vtour/mcmurdo/

[Bicoastal]

5. And I thought *I* was sick to death of Election 2008...

...are you planning to stay there until after Super Tuesday? If so, save a bunk for me!

[jbane]

8. I'll be there till 14/Feb

It's a Navy gig.

[MrsMatt]

19. my sister in law went twice as a beaker

which is what the military personnel call the scientists.

She had a great time out in the field - her fellow researchers called her a camel because she always held it (she didn't want to urinate in a bottle, you can't just pee on the ground there)

[JohnnyLib2]

11. LOL! (and DUzy alert.)

:kick:

[Wickerman]

6. I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say

Cold?

:dunce:

Sorry, couldn't resist. What a great thing to do! What is your line of work? For how long?

[jbane]

9. Navy Public affairs...

and I'll be there for about 21 days.

[Delphinus]

20. Keep an eye on what's going on down there,

and not just the stuff we're supposed to know about. See if there are some clandestine operations happening, which other countries are represented, etc. Then let us know, as long as you won't get into trouble.

Have a safe time and enjoy!

[jpak]

10. This time of year - it's bustling

We sailed down from NZ on the Palmer and flew back on a C-141 - very uncomfortable flight.

I hope the seats on C-17's are better the webbing we had to sit on...

I just got an email from a friend down there - she said they were having a wicked snow storm (go figure).

If you get the time and the weather cooperates, check out some x-country skis and do the Castle Rock Loop. I did it a few years back and it was one of the coolest things I ever done:)

Be prepared to spend some $$$$ on souvenirs at the station store and at Scott Base (just over the hill) - and save some space in your personal luggage when you fly out of Christchurch.

Check out the brews and pizzas at Dux Deluxe in Christchurch too and the Wunderbar in Lyttleton (take the #28 bus from CC).

If you are doing Happy Camper School - good luck... :evilgrin:

[roamer65]

12. Don't forget to look up at the sky down there at night.

There are many constellations that we cannot see from a large part of the Northern Hemisphere. I remember looking at the sky in Australia. It was neat to see Crux (aka the Southern Cross).

[Poiuyt]

13. My cousin does research at Palmer station

Does that count?

[eShirl]

14. all I know is from reading Bipolar Dave's website/journal a few years ago

http://www.bipolardave.com/

(he was stationed at McMurdo a couple winters I think?)

[AZBlue]

15. Wow - what an opportunity!

Keep us posted on your adventure.

[Barking Spider]

16. I was there two years ago.

I was there with a science team 12/2005 to 1/2006. We stayed in "town" for a couple of days before heading out to WAIS for a couple of weeks.

How long will you be there? What is your purpose for going?

McMurdo resembles a strip mine more than anything - Ugly with a capital U. The people are great. Very helpful and nice. Food is cafeteria-style, but its still pretty good and it is all you can eat. Housing is dorm style. If you are traveling with a team, you'll probably share a room with people you know. Otherwise, you're assigned roommates. Flights are on military aircraft - you can check out the flight deck and stuff. Station store has just about everything you might need - to save space in baggage, you might consider waiting until you get to McMurdo to buy things like toiletries and a towel. Weather will likely be hanging around 32F most of the time - pack jeans and sneakers. When I was there, the Internet was slooooow. Slower than dial-up, but I think they were about to upgrade, so you might have an easier time checking in on DU and such. Phones worked fine - only problem was trying to call home on a holiday, as everyone on base was trying to the same. Be prepared to recycle - all waste must be pre-sorted into about a dozen categories.

The added bonus of it all was Christchurch, NZ. Its kind of expensive, but fun. And since its the middle of summer there, the weather is beautiful. The botanical gardens are a must see. After three weeks on the ice, hanging out in lush green gardens with shorts on was a perfect remedy.

I've got a ton of little odds and ends floating in my head, but it would take me several hours to write them all out. Do you have any specific questions?

Here's hoping you see a seal or a penguin! We saw seals, but that's it.

Cheers!

[tsuki]

17. I have a friend there. He emailed some great pictures. He is on

another tour. Asked to return.

[knitter4democracy]

18. Make sure you have lots of wool socks.

Wool, alpaca, and other good animal fibers will keep you the warmest.