Bill's 2022 Antarctic Adventure

1-30-2023   Penguins and whales and seals oh my…..Now that the ice has largely cleared from the sound the wildlife is visible everywhere. Unfortunately, everything I saw today was too far away to even attempt to capture them in a picture. I can tell you what I saw though. When I was on my treadmill in the gerbil gym, I had a great view of the open water.  I watched a killer whale slowly cruising the sound. For a while he pushed a big sheet of ice around. I’m not sure if he was playing or practice hunting or maybe a little of both. The seals are visible everywhere but as the ice recedes, they move further and further up on the ice shelf to get away from the encroaching orcas.  The animal that really steals the show is still the Adelae penguins. We watched them cavorting in the water, zooming along, launching themselves out of the water and eventually making something akin to a Do Do bird landing on the ice. After the landing they shake themselves off and then become v...

1-29-2030 22 days until I return to real life. We had a celebration of life for one of our long-time weather forecasters today. We released a weather balloon with notes and comments about Joe. It will do its job sending back weather data and then land somewhere on the continent never to be touched again. I’m hoping to release a balloon this coming Wednesday or Tuesday. A friend and I went for a long walk to arrival heights. We are required to use the “back trail” because of ship off-load operations on the normal trail. The weather was good, but the wind was rather blustery. Fingers and face get cold so quickly when exposed to the wind. We traveled a short distance on the Castle Rock trail and ran into an iron sculpture of a man skiing. All in all, a nice restful Sunday. I‘m headed off shortly to a science lecture.

1-28-2023 I forgot to tell you the dentist gave me a clean bill (no pun intended) of health and even cleaned my teeth for me. Now that’s McMurdo service! The floating pier is coming along nicely although they have run into some weather delays. I included a couple of pictures. We soon will be able to commence unloading operations. My wife noticed they have set up another camera, like the one I posed for a couple of weeks ago, looking down on the ship docking area. If you can find the site, take a look. Overall, it was a pretty quiet day. I did my morning exercise, did my weekly laundry, had lunch, took a short nap and then headed off to work. We had a third day of howling winds and reduced visibility but did manage to recover a couple of stray aircraft. Just another day on the tower.

1-27-2023 Gerbil gym… I’ve talked about it on a few occasions but when I was working out today, I realized I haven’t sent any pictures, so I’ve included a couple for you today. Historically what is now the gerbil gym started its life as “the Acey-Deucy club” on the Navy base. This was a club for enlisted people in pay grades E-5 and E-6. They also had a club for E-1’s through E-4’s known as the Enlisted Club. Chiefs (E-7-E-9) had the Chiefs Club and of course what we now know as the Coffee House was the Officers Club. I have spent many hours in the gerbil gym. It’s good for the body and soul I think, and it helps pass the hours when not at work. The alternative is to spend time at the bars. I can tell you from personal experience that far more people spend time in the bars. The last two days, weather wise, are what people expect to see in Antarctica. Heavy winds and blowing snow continue again today. It is significant because there is much flying and resupplying that remains to be d...

1-26-2023 I fulfilled a bucket list experience today when I was asked to co-host the “Steve and Steve Show” on Ice Radio. That’s 104.5 on your FM dial. The man who hosts the show “Big Dave” is one of the controllers I work with. There was no script but my work with an Improv Group many years ago came in handy. I’ve included a few pictures from inside the studio. I forgot to get one of myself at the mike, but I’ll go back to get one later. I already have fans. Several people came up to me and told me I sounded like a “real” DJ! Fun, fun, fun. Right now I’m at work in the middle of a blizzard. The wind is howling with heavy snow, blowing snow and drifting snow or just another day in North Dakota! I hope it clears up before shift change time or I might be spending the night in the tower.

1-25-2023 Ice Pier….I know I’ve talked about The Ice Pier before but today was a momentous day for the old girl. Ever since I’ve been coming here and I suspect many years before I came, the Ice Pier has been used as a staging area for securing and off-loading ships of various kinds. It’s just a big floating slab of ice and it has served the purpose well for many years but last year they broke it. I’m not sure how they broke it but they broke it bad enough that last winter was not able to thicken and repair the break as they had hoped. The back-up plan was to have the first cargo ship bring in a floating pier system. It’s hard to see but that floating pier is all stacked on the deck of the freighter that pulled into port today. People in the “know” tell us it will take 2 days to assemble the new pier and then they can begin the real work of unloading the ship. I was up early enough this morning to witness the ice breaker breaking the ice pier away from its mooring. The pier was then g...

1-24-2023 The flight line ballet….I watched two of our aircraft land tonight as I do many nights here but tonight I watched the flight line ballet unfold before me. By this time of the year all the dress rehearsals have been completed and everyone associated with unloading and servicing arriving aircraft operate like a well-oiled machine (I know it’s an old cliché) The radio traffic is also well rehearsed and executed. It’s a fun show to watch. I’ve included a picture of the aircraft and Ivan the Terra Bus to give you an idea of how big Ivan is. It’s the first vehicle most of us ride when we arrive and although she has many hours on her she still does a good job. Believe it or not there is a company in Canada that still makes this very specialized vehicle. Tomorrow they are planning to move the Ice Bridge. I don’t believe that has ever been done before. I hope to have some pictures for you then.

1-23-2023 Misc… I thought I’d include a few random pictures I’ve taken recently just to give you a little more flavor of McMurdo. Road signs aren’t necessary since there’s only one road with McMurdo at one end and Scott Base at the other. The funny thing about the signs is that someone turned them around. If this causes you to get lost not even google maps can help you! I still like looking at the sign for my airport. I still answer the phone in the tower “Williams Tower William speaking”. I know it’s weak, but it makes me smile. The Ice Breaker left port today so they can begin the preparation for the big supply ship that is coming in sometime this week. It certainly looks and feels like a winter day today, a foreshadowing perhaps. I snapped a picture looking towards the tower from the galley with the sun in the picture. It certainly has sunk lower in the sky. I got an interesting picture of an area they call the pressure ridges. The vertical push of the ice gives a clue of mother...

1-22-2023 The Chapel…. I’ve been going to church every Sunday since I’ve been here. As I said before in a blog, I’m the exception to the rule. We had a priest for a few weeks this season, the first in 3 years they say. We are having a Catholic service on Sunday’s and I’m doing the readings each week. We had our biggest group this week (8). Three of the eight are leaving today to go home. I thought you might like to see some historic pictures of the Chapel. The temperature today is quite cold with a howling wind. The ice crystals are blowing again giving the effect of being inside a snow globe. Recently people were strolling around outside. Today they are briskly walking or even running. A taste of winter ahead they say!

1-21-2023 Lasts…..As I sit down to type this blog tonight I’m beginning my last midnight shift as an air traffic controller. I don’t think this will be a memorable last but as I get older, I realize more and more that I am at an age when I will be experiencing more lasts. Some will be memorable, and some will be forgotten as soon as the occur. I remember the last time I saw my mom before she died although I didn’t expect it to be the last. I remember the last letter I wrote to my dad when I told him how much I love him. I remember the last time I did a forward dismount from a bike and from our horse. I vividly remember the last day I wore my Navy uniform because it signaled a significant life change. I remember the last time I saw the sun go down even though it was months ago. Sometimes I don’t even know it’s a last until it’s too late. Lasts are a reminder that life is fleeting. They’re a thing you can’t change but they are also a thing you can embrace as part of the fabric of your l...

1-20-2023 Towering cumulus…. As I’ve told you before Antarctica is a very arid continent. Because of that we rarely see cumulus clouds let alone towering cumulus. As my grandson Trent knows these are clouds most often associated with heavy rain or snow events. Thunder and lightning are also associated with them. While we don’t get the thunder and lightning here, we do have some beautiful towering cumulus clouds visible from the tower tonight. You can see them in the distance behind the tail of the C-130. The hill to the right of the tail is “Ob Hill” McMurdo is just on the other side of OB Hill. A few days ago, I was on the phone with my wife, and I told her I was getting short. In military parlance that means your tour of duty or career are coming to an end in the very near future. In both instances that is the case with me. She told me I wasn’t “short” until I had 30 days left. Today is that day for me. I’m scheduled to leave the Ice on the 20th of February so you can officially c...

1-19-2020 Ship change. If I already told you this forgive me the cold is fogging my brain (probably been fogged for a long time without the cold) The Natty B. has left port and gone on to do scientific research around the continent so the Coast Guard took the opportunity to park so the sailors could have some R&R ashore here at McMurdo. The Navy ship handlers have also arrived on station as well as a new group of Air Guard folks. Along with our new arrivals came our old friend Covid so back on go the masks that everyone hates to wear…. As they say, “it is what it is”. The main corridor in building 155 (the galley and main admin bldg.) is called “highway 1”. Along highway 1 is a large TV monitor which has a daily list of activities on base. There are also sign-up sheets for various activities and a bulletin board which is open to all for any and everything. The bulletin board is pretty much uncensored so what you read there can raise your eyebrows. Sometimes it makes you laugh, so...

1-18-2023 Beating the truck… There’s a place on the trip from McMurdo Station to Williams Field that requires crossing over from land to water or in our case ice over water. We lovingly call it “the transition”. Kind of like passing from life to death it’s the most dangerous part of the trip. The risk of breaking through the ice is minimal but getting stuck in the mush is always a great risk this time of year because of “warm” temperatures. To help minimize the melting process the shuttle drivers stop before the transition at a cleaning station. The cleaning involves the driver going around the 15-passenger van with a 3 foot long 1-1/4 inch diameter dowel rod beating the living snot out of the van. Usually, no body damage is done because they are beating the wheel wells and the step ups on the van. After the “beating” you drive across 30 feet of rumble bars a process that rattles your teeth. They should have a disclaimer about people with bad backs, pregnant women etc. when you initia...

1-17-2023 As I was riding to work tonight, I glanced up at the sun and realized it’s beginning to feel a little like twilight. In fact, from its zenith on December 21st the sun has descended enough that if it had an elbow it could lean on the mountains to help keep it suspended in the sky. The days of constant sunlight are coming to an end. Checked off another block on the obligatory Ice checklist a couple of days ago when I spotted two Adelie penguins frolicking on the ice near Hut Point. They play like little children. They’re very animated in their conversations and the way they wave their flippers around is just plain cute. After a little play on the ice they both dove into the water and continued their play there. All the conversations I’m involved in and overhear revolve around plans after the Ice. It’s fun to listen to the animated conversations. It reminds me of the penguins with animated talk and waving of hands and arms. I’m down to about 30 working days left and then I’m ...

1-16-2023 I visited Scott Hut today and actually went inside. When I first came to the Ice it was open all the time to just visit. Guess what happened? Artifacts started disappearing. Now to enter the hut you must have a qualified docent and there must be always two people minimum in the hut. Still, it’s very cool to wander around in 1912 pretty much just as the explorers left it. I learned something very interesting about the hut. It was purchased in 1902 prefabricated in Australia. It was designed for use in the very hot outback. I don’t think they knew at the time the design of the hut kept it cooler inside than outside. I don’t think the salesman indicated that was a feature of their hut. Because of that the explorers rarely stayed in the hut itself, opting to stay on board the much warmer ship. Of course, when the ship was eventually crushed by sea ice and sank to the bottom they opted to stay in the Hut until rescue arrived. Living conditions were very primitive as you might gue...

1-15-2023 It was a good day…. It all started last night when at dinner, a young man who drives me to the tower, came by my table and told me that Starlink had been activated. It turned out he was right and today, for the first time in 4 months I was able to see the faces and hear the voices of my wife, my two children and all five of my grandchildren. In addition, it was my son-in-law’s birthday. It was indeed a good day. Today also saw the arrival of our first ship of the season the Nathaniel B. Palmer. She’s a research vessel and is in town for a few days for fuel and R&R. It was fun watching her cut her way through the ice to get to and tie up at the Ice Pier. She did all the work while the Coast Guard ice breaker stood watch in the unlikely event help was needed. I also got an inside tour of Scott Hut (more about that tomorrow). The weather was beautiful, and I had the day off from work. It was a good day.

1-14-2023 I’m back at it again. I found another artifact. I’m sending along a picture but to give you a relative idea of its size; it’s about three- and one-half inches across and about one-half inch wide. When I picked it up on the shoreline in a beach full of lava rock it stood out very clearly because it is so white. I thought it was just an old animal bone (penguin I thought). On closer inspection I realized it was in fact a bone of some kind, but it had been used as some sort of handle or tool. Each end had been drilled out and a braided line had been attached. Remnants of the line can still be seen on both ends. In addition, you can clearly see where the bone has been eroded by a rope of some kind repeatedly passing over it. I’m in search of an archeologist in hopes he/she might help to identify it. By the way, I still haven’t heard back about my other discovery but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s cool finding things like this especially the bone because that clearly dates ...

1-13-2023 Another walk tonight and another score. I was hiking on arrival heights, and I got as far as the memorial tribute to the man Williams Field is named for. I always stand facing the memorial and usually take a picture with McMurdo in the background. For some reason tonight I walked past the memorial towards the cliff and looked back. At the base of the memorial was what on initial inspection looked like a Rubbermaid lunch box. It turned out to be a geocache (probably spelled that wrong). I was able to open it and inside there were several items people had left inside. There was also a small spiral notebook. I made an entry in the notebook and left a small sea star I found earlier on the walk. The star was long ago deceased. I’ve included a picture of the sea star (star fish) its legs are turned in but was probably the size of a silver dollar stretched out. Still no sign of the elusive penguins but I’m optimistic and will continue to look until I find the little critters.

1-12-2023 We almost had it…..One of the big downsides to living on the Ice is slow internet. I’ve shared with you in the past how very, very, slow it is. A huge carrot is being dangled though that could revolutionize our speed. We have all the equipment and the satellite in place to get Star link here at McMurdo. It has been here all year and a few folks have had access to it. We were all set to begin using it base-wide this Tuesday at 2:30 pm. The excitement was overwhelming as we all waited for the big switchover from 1970’s internet speed to 2023 speed. For some unexplained reason the long-awaited day failed to arrive. The only explanation was an email to all employees that a decision was made to postpone the service. To say that a huge pall fell over the entire station is a vast understatement. With time running out in the season we find ourselves waiting again. The great orange carrot continues to be dangled. I thought you might like to see my view from the control tower looki...

1-11-2023 Super cool….I heard through the grapevine that penguins had been sighted again last night at Hut Point so after work today I went in search of the elusive birds. Unfortunately, they were gone by the time I got there but one of my work associates had really good pictures of them. It was a group of 6 young males out wondering around. That’s not the super cool thing though. After I unsuccessfully looked for penguins I walked around, off the beaten path near the Hut. As I was headed home, I looked down in what had been a puddle. Normally the puddle would remain all season and freeze over in the winter. We’ve had three days of bright sun and warm temperatures and the pond had completely dried up. In the dried mud I spotted something and on closer examination realized it was a mitten a really, really old mitten. The palm was in very bad condition and had obviously been worn out. I picked it up not knowing what to do with it, so I headed over to the Hut and intended to leave it ou...

1-10-2023 First some fun…I finally got a picture taken of me at MY airport. Almost as significant, especially for my brother Mark, is the short sleeve shirt with an outside air temperature of about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. I also captured a picture of a fallen warrior. Actually, it’s an old, retired piece of Navy heavy equipment that found a second life here. Unfortunately, I think it has finally given its all and passed on to the big construction site in the sky. Finally, I caught a cool picture of a cloud formation over Mt. Erebus. It’s called alto cumulus castellanos. It kind of looks like two white UFOs parked over the mountain. They are cool to look at but don’t appear all that often. It was especially cool because there were no other clouds in the sky at the time, I took the picture. Some sadness entered my life today as I was told two former work co-workers, one of them I first met on The Ice, have gone into hospice care. One with only hours to live. In addition, the daughter of...

1-9-2023 I don’t have enough words in my lexicon of literary license (a feeble attempt at alliteration) to describe how spectacular a weather day it was here today. Add to that, I worked in the control tower today, so I had a front row seat to natures majesty. It was just plain a great day. When I told the cashier at the store about my day, she paused looked at me and said, “are you being serious of facetious”? I’m serious I said. They don’t happen all that often. I’m old enough and thoughtful enough to enjoy them for what they are, not overthink them, but just enjoy them. If your day wasn’t like that just know that days like this are possible. Wait for them, watch for them and when they come enjoy them and if you can spread the joy. It was such a nice day that I went for a long walk after work. I saw over a hundred seals laying out on the ice and I think in their own way they were having a great day as well. I saw large areas of open water which was also nice to see. I think I’ll...

  1-8-2023 Brrrrr…..I hope you got a chance to see me on the live camera feed from Observation Hill (Ob Hill) today. It’s about a 30-minute walk to the camera and it was January North Dakota cold on the way there! The walk was up hill and into a 30-knot wind. I had everything working against me except the knee-deep snow.  Deni captured a few pictures and sent me one. It’s kind of cool looking at a picture of myself taken in McMurdo and sent from Florida. The camera site is halfway up Ob Hill at the former location of the Navy’s nuclear power plant. The plant was dismantled long ago and only the foundation remains. I’m excited to return to the control tower starting tomorrow and I’ll be there until the end of January. I’m always amazed how fast time flies in January. It’s been a great late life adventure but I’m ready to catch the big bird home.

  1-7-2023 Racy…This next bit has nothing to do with Antarctica and you might find it a little offensive especially if you are offended by the mention of anatomical body parts like  penis  for instance (I thought it might be less offensive if I made it smaller).  It involves a speechless, red-faced moment between a father and daughter. Several years ago, I was visiting at my daughter’s house, and she asked me to go to the grocery store for some items. It was a rather innocuous request and one I had done many times in the past without dire consequences, so I agreed to go. One of the items she asked me to pick up was some avocados. Then she asked me if I knew how to tell if an avocado is ripe. (don’t tell anyone if you know where this is going) I always aim to please, so I told her I didn’t know. Without batting an eye she told me to hold it tightly in my hand and if it felt like an erect penis it was properly ripe……….red face, speechless moment!! She was right, as usu...

  1-6-2023 Bill in front of the webcam on our Saturday. Video…. I was talking with my wife yesterday and she reminded me that you can watch a live video feed of McMurdo station Antarctica. There are three different cameras views you can watch. She told me what she saw, and I explained what she was looking at. We had a lot of fun with it. Then it occurred to us that she could see me live and in person if I positioned myself in the cameras view. As soon as I finish with the blog today, I’m taking a hike to find one of the cameras and if it looks like I can get my handsome face in front of it I’m going to do that next Sunday at 2:00 PM my time 8:00 pm EST. She is going to attach the link to this blog so you can see some of what I see every day.  https://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm   In other news, the ice breaker continues the tedious process of opening a sea-lane into McMurdo. It is oddly mesmerizing watching him go back and forth in the sound. The seals se...

 1-5-23 News…..I was thinking about news yesterday when I got some news that we had been patiently waiting for. The news came in a routine email addressed to everyone here on station and it spread like wildfire! The news made me ponder for a minute; would it have spread faster had it been bad news. Moreover, what if it had been a juicy bit of gossip.  Over the past few years, I have made a conscious decision to avoid broadcast news as much as I can. I find it mainly disheartening because it’s usually bad news that sells (particularly political news). That has been one of the pure joys of being here is rarely encountering outside news sources. Of course, you can go online and seek it out, but it rarely comes looking for you. Sadly, I’m mentally preparing myself for reexposure to all the bad that’s happening in the world and happy that I had this brief respite from it.  Oh yeah, the news was we are no longer required to wear masks inside buildings anymore. I haven’t decided...

  1-4-2023 I have a jacket at home that has patches sewn on it from various places I have been in my life. Yesterday I got a patch from here in Antarctica. I’m excited about getting it and I have enclosed a picture. I’ll get it sewn on my jacket as soon as I get home. I talked about the ice breaker arriving yesterday. It usually takes about 5 days for the first channel to be cut from the ice edge to McMurdo. I asked a helicopter to give me an update on his position. He replied, “wait 5 minutes and look out your window and you can see for yourself”.  I thought he was kidding but I looked anyway and there, lo and behold, was the icebreaker. I snapped a couple of pictures for you. The fact he was able to get to McMurdo so fast is a good indication of how thin the ice is this year.  I didn’t see any of the orcas, but I know they are out there and coming into the sound. About 50 seals have been out sunning themselves on the ice for several weeks now. It’s time for the seals to...

  1-3-2023 The ice breaker is here! I was talking to a helicopter last night and shortly after he departed, he told me he just saw the ice breaker pulling up to the ice edge to begin his work. I believe it’s the USS Palmer a U. S. Coast Guard ship. The ice is thin this year (relatively speaking) so he should be able to open the ship channel in just a few days. Another ice breaker is also scheduled just in case a little extra help is needed.  I was told earlier this week that we won’t get a tanker this year since they have enough storage capacity now to only require a tanker every other year. The good news is that we will get two supply ships. It’s kinda like Santa Claus coming to town. We, the regular folk, don’t have any idea what’s on the ships but it’s fun to speculate. Most of yesterday’s snow has melted even the icicles have almost all melted but it sure was a pretty day. I was in the gerbil gym this morning doing some yoga and I thought if you’re looking for a good exerc...

  1-2-2023 Let it snow…. I woke up this morning to a sight I haven’t seen in three seasons here. There was 6 inches of fluffy white snow on the ground. We do get snow but not in amounts and accumulation like this. The continent is dry like a dessert here, so snow is even uncommon. The mountains around the base that yesterday was barren of snow and very dark with lava rock today are blanketed with snow. The silky smoothness of the snow cover on the mountains looks like fondant on a cake. I took lots of pictures but with white snow against the white sky it was hard to get any contrast. The temperature here is still relatively warm so the snow is melting rapidly much like a late April snow in Minnesota. The rest of my morning was spent in the gerbil gym exercising and then I spent a little time in the Skua store sorting and hanging up cloths. It’s off to work in a few minutes to get my work year started. 

  1-1-2023 I didn’t… I made it to 11:45 and then went to bed so I didn’t witness the countdown to 2023.  I wish you the best of luck staying up tonight. I always say this, but I can’t believe another year has slipped away. I think I’ll quit looking at the chronological calendar and just keep track of how I physically feel and how I mentally feel. So physically I feel 40 and mentally I feel 18 (with experience)! I walked around after brunch today. I walked in a different direction than I normally walk and took some pictures of things I normally would not see. I walked towards Scott Base (New Zealand’s base) and walked down to the ice edge in an area they call the pressure ridge. People who live on lakes up north are familiar with this effect and the ice is pushed up vertically by melting, freezing and water pressure. It creates some really cool ice sculptures. They’re a little hard to capture in photos but I’ll send one along. Tomorrow its back to work with about 50 days more o...