Kimberly Goetz at McMurdo Station, Antarctica--This project required months of preparation.  In fact, preparations began more than 6 months before traveling south!  Seal tags were calibrated, prepped, programmed and tested; field gear was gathered, packed, and shipped; permit applications were submitted; logistics were arranged; medical clearances were obtained.  The list seems to go on and on with many long nights spent at the lab. 

On January 4th, 2010 a team of five researchers, including myself, deployed to the ice.  After picking up our Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear at the Christchurch Deployment Center (CDC) located on New Zealand’s South Island, we boarded a US Airforce C-17 for the 5.5 hour flight to McMurdo Station.  Unlike many flights before and surely many after, our flight was lucky enough to reach the station on the first attempt.  The poor souls on the flight before ours reached McMurdo but were not able to land due to fog, forcing them to boomerang and fly the 5.5 hours back to Christchurch only to try again the next day.  

During the flight, we sat on jump seats that ran along the sides of the plane.  They were similar to movie seats in a huge theater but the space in front of us was filled with cargo for the remote field station.  The noise from the props was loud enough to prevent any meaningful way of communication.

Once the C-17 landed on the ice, we were greeted by “Ivan the Terra” – a large orange vehicle that looked like a cross between a bus and a tank than anything else.  On the 40 minute ride from the airfield to the station, we passed by a handful of Emperor penguins that appeared as confused as I was in this foreign land.

Upon reaching “Mactown”, we were herded into the station’s galley where we were briefed on station rules, housing, lab space, weather, and scheduled trainings.  Condition 3 weather was considered normal operating conditions and overall ‘good’ weather.  I soon realized that my idea of ‘good ‘weather was very different from ‘good’ weather in the Antarctic.  Here, condition 3 means temperatures above 75 below zero and winds calmer than 48 knots.  During condition 1 and 2 weather, special permission must be obtained before leaving the station.    

The entire first week was devoted to training.  We completed vehicle training so that we can drive trucks, pisten bullies, and snow machines.  Because the ice is unstable this time of year, we also completed advanced snow machine training and sea ice training.  In addition, we were required to attend briefings on radio communications, radiation use, and helicopter operations.

Perhaps most challenging class we were required to attend was “Happy Camper School”.  During this training we camped on the ice for two days after learning all the necessary survival skills.  We dug trenches, erected tents, built snow walls to keep the wind out, and constructed a make-shift kitchen.  We melted the pristine, untouched snow for drinking water.  The next day, the instructors picked us up and taught us additional skills such as using a HF radio and how to navigate during white out conditions.  If I learned only one thing, it was that I surely didn’t want to ‘winterover’ in Antarctica.

Next, we are planning a reconnaissance flight and snow machine trip to examine ice conditions and to search of seals.  Stay tuned!