Bill's Antarctica assignment on the ICE !!

My Great Adventure begins

 01 Jan, 2009 as one of the Chosen Frozen !!!

After 19 hours flying, crossing the International Date Line and gaining a day, and crossing the Equator, I finally arrived at the Antarctic Centre in Christ Church, New Zealand.

They had my clothing already to go but here is the selection one has to make for working at McMurdo Station. 

I did not have a lot time as they put me on a LC-130 with ski's for the 8 1/2 hour flight to Williams Field Antarctica.  I took this picture from Ivan the Terra bus with the Antarctic mainland for a background. I am really in Antarctica.   Wow  !!!

This is my Big Red Canadian Down super warm coat which I have only had on one time. By the time Feb 18 arrives when I leave the Ice, I am sure it will be used quite a bit as the temperatures will be well below zero !!!!!!

Here is a view of McMurdo Station taken on a vehicle training run with Shuttle Bill. He had me drive every road around the station to become familiar with the area. Quite a picture looking across the Ross Ice Sea toward the Antarctic Mainland....

Another moring and getting ready to transport 120 folks out to Pegasus Field on their way to Christ Church and then home for the season.  I will be getting on Ivan next week, Feb 18, and heading for two weeks in New Zealand then back home to Montana.  Ye  Ha  !!!!!

We also drove old Navy Delta's over the summer as the big wheels worked better on the soft snow and slush.

Mount Erabus (12,250 Feet) an active volcano that we see every day driving out to Willy Field ice runway.

Proof Positive that I finally had one of my dreams come true.  McMurdo Station (Ross Island) with the Continent of Antarctica in the background !!!

Swedish Ice Break Oden clearing a channel from the ocean to McMurdo so the annual Tanker and Cargo vessels can dock to unload supplies for the next year.

Ken Borek aircaft from Canada that support the National Science foundation every summer. I met one of their mechanics (Rod Amateur Call VE6IGG) and became good friends as we worked the Ham Radio shack on Sundays. Left is the Twin Otter that Rod and his crew are taking back to Calgary Alberta Canada this week via South Pole, British Antarctic Station Rothera, Argentina, Venezuela, Houston, Tx, and finally Calgary.  The converted DC3 is to the right and will leave in two weeks.

A view from the top of Scott Hill looking down at the New Zealand Antarctic Base of Scott Base. In the distance is Willy Field for ski aircraft and the Long Duration Balloon buildings. You can just make out the Willy Field Road which is about 4 miles out on the Ross Ice Sea !!

After passing Scott Base this is where we transition from land to the Sea Ice for the ride to Willy Field or Pegasus Field on the Ross Ice Sea.  Yep, we are real Ice Road Truckers !!!

This is a shot of the Ice Pressure Ridges marked on the previous picture but a view from the Willy Field Road !!  Some of these ridges are 20 - 25 feet tall !!!

This is a nice view returning to Mac Town from Willy Field. There are three Ice Road lanes and one tracked vehicle lane so Mac Ops can keep two groomed while we drove on the third.  When the lane we were driving on became rough, we would switch lanes and Mac Ops groomed the bad lane. Observation Hill is on the left and gap to its right is the pass back to McMurdo Station.

Here is a nice shot of McMurdo Station and Scott Station with Mt. Erabus in the background taken from Pegasus Air field out on the "ICE".  Willy Field is to the right of Scott Station about 4 miles and we take a right turn just before Willy Field and drive about 7 miles to Pegasus Field. When the Oden was breaking ice a few days later, she was between Pegasus Field and McMurdo Station. I was a strange site to see an Ice Breaker between Pegasus Field and McMurdo.

Coming back from one of my shuttle runs to Willy Field, I spotted what I had been waiting to see. An emperor penguin walking down one of the lanes on the Willy Field Road. I was told they shed feathers about every 5 years and this guy is shedding . For Logan McNeil back in Helena, Montana, here is a picture of a real Chilly Bird Logan !!!!! Hi Kenney, Katherine, Evon, and Dwayne McNeal in my home town of Helena, Mt.  I have taken about 300 pictures and will share them when I get home.

The new Hygain TH-7 antenna for 10/15/20 meters was finally installed behind the Ham Shack. Thanks to the Riggers who braved the cold to help us get the antenna installed.

After getting the new equipment on line, Mike Poole got on the air ( CQ CQ CQ de KC4USV McMurdo Station Antarctica)  to make a few contacts around the world and to make sure everything is working. I spent Sunday, my day off, at the Ham Shack talking with other Amateur Radio Operators around the world and with my Ham friends in Montana.  If I go back to Antarctica in October 2009, I will add computer digital modes to the station and activate the Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) to make school contacts.  The National Science Foundation likes the idea of school contacts via Ham Radio as students learn about Antarctica and communications. Great learning experience for them and me.

I took this picture on my very last drive out to Willy Field. I stopped at the top of Scott Hill and took one last look back at the ICE road I had been driving over the last 6 weeks. Note all the Weddell Seals on the ice !!! As I reflected back, I knew that I would be back to this place of extraordinary beauty. Carol King came to mind as I watched it change with the slowly setting sun.  "An everlasting vision with an ever changing view.  A wonder us woven magic in bits of blue and gold (White Gold). A tapestry to feel and see impossible to hold."

End of the season photo with the Shuttles gang. Top left Bob, Bill (Smokey my radio name. Can't have two Bill's), Geoff, Jana, Ginny, Jo Jo, Kathy, Char, Jami, Tara and Jen. Bottom left is Bill, Brandon, Kris (Our Boss - Great Lady to work with), Audrey, Jim, Taryn, Kelly, Joe (Will be 80 years young on 22 Feb, 2009) , and center bottom Chris (Pinky Radio name. Can't have two Chris's).  I was truly a wonderful time with this great bunch of folks over the last 6 weeks.  Thanks everyone for a great learning experience with some great people. Hope to see you October 2009 !!

This is my second year on the Ice 2009/2010.  After two days briefing in Denver, Colorado, 18 hours of flight time on an Air Bus A380 then two days in Christ Church New Zealand, I am Back at McMurdo Station Antarctica November 21, 2009 1330 local New Zealand Time.

First view of Antarctica through the small window of an Air Force C-17. One hour before we land at the Ice Runway near McMurdo Station.

Here is the inside of the C-17 and as you can see we are packed around the cargo.. All in all it was a good flight of 4.5 hours from Christ Church New Zealand to Antarctica.

I took this picture of the C-17 we flew in taxing out and heading back to New Zealand.

Here is the Temporary Ice Runway about 5 minutes from Mac Town where we landed in the C-17. This will be closed about the middle of December and all flight operations will be moved to Pegasus Field out on the Permanent Ice Runway on the Ross Ice Shelf. The temporary Ice Runway will become a channel for the Ice Breaker when it comes in about first week in January  to open the ice for the annual unloading of two vessels (1 Cargo and 1 Fuel).

I went cross country skiing with three good friends Rosaland, Ginney, and Ann from McMurdo around Cape Amatage over to Scott Base and back on a most beautiful day in Antarctica.

My next day off, I climbed to the top of Observation Hill to see the Cross again that is dedicated to Scott and his team that perished on their return trip from the South Pole.  This is a nice picture looking down at Mac Town and out in the distance you can just see the open ocean and Ice Edge where the Ice Breaker will be coming in to clear a channel.  The Ice Edge is about 14 - 16 miles out in the distance..

Yep the Adale's are here this year !!!!!

At Scott Base got a chance to see a Weddel Seal and her Pup near the pressure ridges that form when the McMurdo Sea Ice collides with the Ross Ice Shelf.

I had some questions about Pegasus Air Field so when the opportunity presented itself pictures were obtained. This is the entrance end of the permanent Ice Runway on the Ross Ice Shelf. The Runway is located about 7 miles line of site from McMurdo Station but the drive over the ICE is about 14 miles one way.  Above is the fuel Pits for the Air National Guards  LC-130 ski equipped aircraft and then the cargo storage area.

The cargo area is above right and to the left is the main area of Pegasus Field which includes Galley, Towers, Air National Guard support, and Air Field Support Buildings.  The runway is off the picture to the left and is a 10,000 foot Ice Runway which can land wheel aircraft (C-17 and Air Bus A-319) along with the ski equipped LC-130's and Ken Borek Twin Ottters and DC-3 with Bosler conversion of Turbo Prop Engines....

Here is a great Helicopter shot of what we call the Transition area where we go from the land of Ross Island onto the permanent Ross Ice Sea.  The pressure ridges on the left are when the McMurdo Ice collides with the Ross Ice so the road on the ice is always built around this area.  Scott Base New Zealand is upper left and we drive up the hill on the far right to McMurdo Station.

A group of four Emperor Penguins showed up just outside Pegasus Field 5 days ago. They were just off the ice road we drive on and attracted quite a bit of attention over the last few days.  As you can see they were up to posing for pictures by all the Tourists...

One even took a bow for the cameras......