ANTARCTICA WEEK 1: THE ARRIVAL
After a delay due to inclement weather, the September 19th Flight brought us to the Ross Ice Shelf midday on September 20th. Members of the New Zealand Air Force were the stewards while we glided over the cracking sea ice and monumental mountains covered in miles-thick ice that before our pilots landed the 757 onto the frozen ice shelf. Some of us, more experienced than others wore a few layers while myself and a handful of first-timers stuffed our pockets with our belongings and made our way off the plane weighing over 100lbs more than usual.
Frozen Eyelashes, Frozen Eyeballs, Frozen Nostrils, Frozen Everything
Jack Cox - United States Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation
Covered in cold weather gear, a parka, pants, and boots, I excitedly made my way off the plane and the happy tears sliding down my cheeks soon became frozen and stuck to my mask. I could feel my eyelashes freezing as they stuck together with every blink and my nostrils became coated in a thin layer of ice with every labored breath.
McMurdo Research Base from the sky. My home for 5 months during the Austral Summer.
IVAN THE TERRA BUS
We waddled our way onto Ivan The Terra Bus™️ and were warmly welcomed by an enthusiastic driver who wished and hoped that the views were breathtaking because otherwise we would “fog up his windows.”
Walking across the Ross Ice Shelf.
Fogging up the windows.
Overtaking the Kiwi Caravan™️ in Ivan The Terra Bus on our way to McMurdo Base.
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