How do we get down here?

A common question that I get before leaving for the ice is how the travel is arranged and which countries I will have to enter.  It's a reasonable question considering that Antarctica is the most isolated place on the planet.  First things first, the USAP books and coordinates all of our travel.  It would be a whirlwind without those folks.  When I left for Palmer in 2014, I flew out of Boston to Miami airport, connecting to a red-eye flight to Santiago, Chile.  In Santiago, I had a layover of a few hours where my research team and I ate some lunch.  Quickly after, I flew to Punta Arenas, Chile, stayed there for a few nights in a hotel and then took a four day cruise through the Drake Passage on the Antarctic Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould.  The Pole, being much more isolated than Palmer station, requires a whole other slew of connections for the USAP to arrange.

The Neumayer Channel at the Antarctic Peninsula on the LMG

I left for the Pole from Denver this time around as I am now a Colorado resident.  Jason and I arrived at the airport pretty early so we decided to grab a beer at one of the airport bars.  A nice gentleman from North Dakota actually paid for our tab as he was interested in hearing our stories about Antarctica.  From there, we flew into San Francisco.  Again, we had some time to spare so we got some dinner.  We figured that it was our last time in the United States for almost an entire year so we might as well enjoy some classic American foods - cheeseburgers and french fries with a local microbrew.  After that, we had to board the dreadful flight from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia.  I say dreadful because it is an ungodly long flight to cross the Pacific Ocean.

We hit Sydney and only had an hour to waste before our connecting flight to Christchurch, New Zealand.  He went to go exchange some money for more Kiwi dollars, and I waited by the gate to ensure that it didn't change on us last minute.  The flight to Christchurch was speedy relative to the last flight we had, and we were certainly thankful for that.

Upon arrival in Christchurch, we met with the USAP representative at the airport to help shuttle us and our luggage to the hotel.  Unfortunately Jason's luggage got lost during the last leg of the flight, but it arrived a few days later and was shipped off to the South Pole for him.  Once we arrived at the hotel, we were essentially free until the next day.  In the morning we had to get up early to go get our ECW (extreme cold weather gear).

The next day, the shuttle arrived again to ship us off to the CDC (clothing distribution center).  At the CDC, they had our ECW bags pre-packed with all of the clothing that we would need during our deployment.  I had requested ahead of time to get FDX boots instead of bunny boots (military issued cold weather boots), and they luckily had fit me pretty well!  We all take the few hours at the CDC to try on our gear.  It is imperative that everything fit properly as there is a limited amount of ECW available here at the Pole.  Most sizes here for our non-emergency cache of clothing actually don't match the population either (i.e. plenty of XS Big Reds and not so many of the larger sizes for the men).  Many blogs of previous Polies document the ECW that we get, but, as a brief rundown, I'll go ahead an rehash the elements of a South Pole outfit:  insulated black Carhartt bibs, suede mittens or gloves, polyester glove liners, a Canada goose red parka (Big Red!), fleece sweatpants/long underwear and zip-up sweatshirt, hats, bear paws (if requested...I requested them but haven't used them yet...they are also called military overmitts), a Carhartt jacket, a Carhartt hood, balaclava, and neck gaiters.  We have to bring our own wool socks nowadays (in 2014 they were provided), so Jason and I did plenty of shopping for some thick wool socks prior to deployment.  I also opted to bring my own wool hats and multiple balaclavas for layering.

At the CDC we also do a few orientations to prepare us for our flight and arrival to the ice.  Most of these videos are related to not packing a pest and being a good community member.  Antarctica is a pristine continent that is void of much human influence still.  We try our best to not bring along any seeds or dirt that could potentially cause the growth of an invasive species on these lands.  Considering how isolated we are and how long of a deployment we have, it's crucial that we all try to treat each other with respect.  It may seem silly to have to watch a video on not slamming doors while on station, but when in the thick of the winter even these slights can cause a commotion.  We have a few day sleepers on station, and if we all went about slamming doors then they would never be able to get a proper night's rest.

After our trip to the CDC, we were free once again.  Jason and I spent the afternoon walking around Sumner Beach near Christchurch, and then later in the evening went to dinner at the Christchurch Botanical Gardens.  It was the last bit of greenery that we would see for a while as well as the last bit of fresh food.  I quite enjoyed my seafood that night, and it is a meal that I hope to have upon returning to the city in November.

The following day, we boarded our C17 flight to McMurdo Station.  The US Air Force runs all of the flights to and from the ice on this side of the continent, hence the use of military airplanes.  Again, the shuttle transported us to the CDC.  At the CDC we got our laptops scanned to ensure they were safe for connecting to the government network and donned our ECW for the flight.  We were required to weigh-in with our ECW on and our carry-on luggage so the flight crew could estimate fuel needs.  The flight to McMurdo took a few hours, and, all things considered, it really wasn't that bad.

Arrived in Mactown!  Photo of the C17 on the skiway.

Our noble chariot to escort us to the main station (McMurdo).  It was much too warm for all of the layers that I was wearing.

Jason flew to the South Pole the day after we arrived in McMurdo.  I was not manifested for a flight to the Pole until about six days later as I had a few trainings to complete in "Mactown."  It was a slow week, but I appreciated the chance to explore another Antarctic station, even if the station is a college hippie commune meets mining town.

When you get manifested to fly to the Pole, the day before the flight you have to "bag drag."  Essentially you pack up your belongings, clean your room, and carry your stuff to the logistics building to weigh everything (you and ECW as well again) and drop it off.  The following day you arrive in your ECW with your carry-on luggage and emergency ECW gear at this building again, and a bus will shuttle you to Pegasus Airfield.  At the airfield, you board an LC-130 for the flight to Pole.  I learned quickly that it is an important distinction to mention the "L."  Apparently the "L" stands for the skis of which the planes are equipped rather than just wheels.  My flight was slightly delayed, so we all stayed warm inside the skiway galley.

LC-130 in McMurdo, prior to our departure to the South Pole

After another three to four hour flight, you finally arrive at the South Pole.  The plane's engines remain running as it is just too cold to turn them off.  Luckily there are a number of people directing you on where to walk when you get off of the plane.  It can be a bit daunting disembarking from a live plane with its propellers running just feet away from you on top of the fact that it is colder than most have ever experienced and more white than you could imagine, but their help puts you at ease.

Arrived at the South Pole.  The cones are there to direct us off the skiway towards the station.  Jason is the guy standing in the background dressed in black (no Big Red for him).

And voila.  I arrived at the South Pole.  Jason was waiting for me at the skiway to help carry my extra ECW bag and backpack to the main station.  His help was much appreciated as I definitely felt a bit out of place once landed.  The best way to describe this place is like being on a space station.  It is unlike any location that I have experienced in the past.  I have been here since February at this point, and at times it is easy to forget just exactly where we are.  This is truly the most isolated spot on this planet, and I'm glad that I finally got the opportunity to be here.

Me at the end of the world