D-L Has Left the Ice

I left on the second to the last batch of outgoing folks on Monday Feb. 13.  Will put up an album.  I am taking some time in NZ and just don't have the connections to catch up on the posts.

The sun goes round and round.

Got pictures.

Standing around with your pants off

I better say more here now.  It was actually supposed to be "Dance your Pants off" night in the B1 Lounge.  I sadly have not pictures.  The theme was to simply wear anything but pants, most people wore shorts.  I wore the pink dress from New Years so maybe I can pull a picture from there.  It ended up being more standing around talking than dancing.  But it was my last weekend there so it bears reporting.  Someone put old pairs of jeans up on the cardboard covered (to block the still constant sun) windows.  I did get to dance one with Jace.  Otherwise it was a bit of alcohol, visiting and just the "cool kids" hanging out.

Celebrating 50 years around the Sun.

I state it as 50 years around the sun because I am only getting younger every year; at least that is how it feels.  Being at South Pole for my birthday, this birthday was important to me.  It was a great time.  Just by chance the event of the night, Saturday Feb. 4, was called "Open Mic" where many talented people got up to sing.  A band played at the end for dancing.  Kathy made a cake for me and we cut that up on Sunday at the science center.  It was just the right size for the group that came to wish me well.  Some photos will follow, I am way behind on posts and will be putting in some place holders to fill in later.

The Antarctic Winds

Look here for pictures of how the blowing wind drifts

Station Photos

Click here for Station Interior Photos
Click here for Exterior Station Photos

Planned to say a lot about it.  And expect these albums to grow a bit.

Ladies Night at the South Pole Telescope

more later.

Centennial for Robert Scott's Historic South Pole Arrival

Scott's team at the Pole, Wikipedia Link

January 17 was the centennial of Scott Team's arrival at the Pole to find that Amundsen had already come and gone.  Combined with the grim fact that the team did not make it all the way back across the Ross Ice Shelf it was not as much of a to-do as last month.  We did however, on Monday have a special presentation by  Lt Col Henry Worsley of the Royal British Legion share some British Antarctic history and some of his own expedition experiences with the community Monday evening the 16th at 8pm in the Galley.  

Henry is a distant relative of the Captain of the Endurance, Commander Frank Worsley of Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916. Frank Worlsey also navigated Shackleton’s three life boats to Elephant Island and then the James Caird party to South Georgia seeking help for Shackleton’s stranded crew.  Frank Worsley is immortalized by a bronze bust that resides where he was born in Akaroa, NZ. 

Henry was the leader of the 2008-2009 Shackleton Centenary Expedition that recreated Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition that reached the furthest south until Amundsen’s expedition at a latitude of 88° 23′ S, just 112.2 miles from South Pole and he is here at South Pole this summer to celebrate the Scott Centennial.   He traveled both the Amundsen route and the Scott route and in his presentation he did not so much share his journeys as much as to give us a side by side and blow by blow recount of what is known of the two expeditions and a review of the Shackleton ground breaking trip which we rarely hear about.  

It was a fascinating lecture and showed also the different attitudes and approaches of the two teams.  While Amundsen was better prepared and ended up choosing the better route he also had a rather brutal and ruthless attitude especially towards the dogs teams.  Scott was also picking up samples and artifacts for scientific study as he went.  He reached the plateau following the Shackelton route about the same time as Amundsen reached the pole.  His route was both a more difficult journey up the mountains but also he was less prepared.  He made the Pole with 4 of his men, turning some around at the plateau.  But the Pole team didn't quite make it back to their major stock depot on the way back due to a storm and perished at their camp.

Celebration of the Scott centennial at the Geographic Pole

While Lt. Col. Worsley spoke mostly of these three intrepid expeditions, he did show pictures from the historic journeys side by side with his re-photography of the same locations.  Less hype than last month but it was quite a fascinating centennial.  For the ceremony itself on Tuesday,  several of us missed it due to a critical meeting that had been postponed from Monday which was the last step for us in allowing us to stay on for the winter contracts. The photo supplied above was from the Galley Scroll and is of the crowd who gathered around the new pole marker for a half hour local celebration of the event held at as close to the time of Scott's arrival as could be estimated, 6PM on the 17th.  (Note the British flag just behind Bill - the speaker).

New Pole Marker

The World Revolves Around Me!

 In other belated news.... We had a double ceremony on Jan. 1, 2012.  The usual pole moving ceremony was doubled up with another centennial celebration event.  A new marker was produced to commemorate the centennial replacing the old marker.  We gathered outside on another moderately cloudy day (not the norm really).  The large placard had already been moved leaving the old marker exposed.  Katie drilled the new hole and we gathered around the sign and Bill gave the short commemoration speech.  Many gathered around the sign for fresh pictures.  Click here for the album.  The ice moves 10 meters or 30 ft a year so every New Year the marker for the geographic pole is moved to catch up.  The ceremonial pole remains in place.  I did get out and get some new pictures today with Joshua who is here for a few days for close ups of the marker and my "The World Revolves Around Me" shots.

Old marker by the flag new one to be placed by the big sign, ~30 ft since last year.