Because it seemed like a good idea at the time....: January 2014

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Race to the South Pole

After Thanksgiving, the Medical Department hosted an event titled Race to Pole. The idea behind this health incentive program was to increase exercise among the station population and combat the newly started 24 hour pizza provided by the galley. The rules were simple. Create a team of 10 walkers or 5 runners and log your miles as a team. The first walking team and the first running team to complete 833 miles (the distance from McMurdo Station to the South Pole) would win a special prize. If no team completed the miles by February 1st, the team closest would win. Any individual who completed 100 miles would receive a special prize as well.

Medical didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

Little did they know, McMurdo Station is swimming in thru hikers and ultra marathon runners. Shannon (AT and Camino del Santiago thru hiker) and I quickly compiled a list of all the thru hikers we knew on station and made the ULTIMATE WALKING TEAM. Our plan was simple, we would complete 833 miles in one week while working our usual 60 hours a week. Our team consisted of 8 stewards, 1 cook, and one guy from IT (6 thru hikers, 1 backcountry hiking guide, 1 Outward Bound guide, and 2 that promised they would log the miles) and we completed 840 miles in 7 days. It was a blast. Most of us woke up at 4:30 am to complete 12 miles before our 10 am shift. On my 28th birthday I completed a celebratory 28 miles! I was also the only one on station to complete 100 miles in the first week (not to toot my own horn too much;) When we posted our miles to medical they were mad, they were expecting the program to run until February and not be finished in 7 days. Oops! The first running team to complete the race finished about 10 days after us and were also all galley employees. We are still awaiting our prize but are hopeful it will be a sweet boondoggle!

Carolyn

Panorama of Castle Rock (exposed looking tooth) with Mt. Erebus in background

Looking back down the trail towards Base

Sparkly Snow!

Hiking down towards ice shelf

Looking back up trail

Our team is Pole Position Prancers

30 Day Ob Hill Challenge

When we arrived in Antarctica at the end of October, I was feeling rather squishy from the long bout of couch potato sitting with Lyme Disease this summer. So I decided a little butt kicking was in order. At McMurdo we have Observation Hill, an almost 600 foot tall hill that ascends in about .4 miles. For the next 30 days I was determined to climb Ob Hill (which I fondly referred to as Obby the Bobby) thirty times. I had a great time completing the challenge and felt like I gained a lot of my endurance back.

At the beginning of November it was a challenge since most of the hill was covered almost entirely with ice and snow and temperatures were regularly around 10 degrees. This proved fun since the hill turned into a "choose your own adventure" path since there was no clear trail up the hill. Gradually, the weather improved and snow melted into larger icy sections. This was great for some butt sledding in sections too icy to walk on. At the end of the month, the hill was almost snow free, exposing the large sections of rocks and crags. At the end of thirty days, I had successfully climbed 18,000 feet of vertical ascent!

The top of Ob Hill still remains my favorite spot here at McMurdo. From the top you have 360 degree views of the ice shelf that extends out to the mainland and TransAntarctic Mountains, the Kiwi Scott Base on the other side of Cape Armitage, and beautiful birds eye views of McMurdo Station. On a clear day, Mount Erebus can be seen puffing smoke from the active lava pools. It is also peacefully quiet compared to the large heavy machinery buzzing around the streets of MacTown. As the month progressed, I could see the waterline come closer and closer to base as the non permanent sea ice broke apart. For the first time I saw Snow Petrels playing in the wind currents around Ob Hill, a nice change from the usual Skua gull birds stealthily watching to steal your food as you leave the galley.

On Christmas Day I participated in the Ob Hill Up Hill Challenge, which is a race to the top of Ob Hill. I walked most of it and completed the challenge in 11 minutes 37 seconds! Here are a few pictures from my month of hiking.

Carolyn