Flight (hopefully) & pictures at last

Well, I had a nice day working at the BFC again. I set up, inspected, sorted, and disassembled 57 cots today, which was a great mind-numbing way to pass the day. The weather was beautiful again, but the wind really put an edge to the coolness. I can't get in the mindset that this is cold, per se, given what I will be subjected to in short order.

The first Basler flight to Pole got off the ground and successfully deposited the new season's cargo of Polies today. I'm slated for the flight tomorrow, weather permitting. Word filtering back from those on the first flight said that the views were beautiful, but we'll need some sort of scraper to keep our windows cleared of frost. We'll have to wear oxygen masks since the plane isn't pressurized, and the bathroom facilities are in a word, limited. Flight time is about 4 hours from here to the Pole.

This evening I walked over to Scott Base, New Zealand's base a bit over a mile from McMurdo, which was a first for me. Thursday night is "American Night" at their bar, and lots of people also pay visits to their store. Personally, I wasn't interested in alcohol or more junk to lug around in my computer's courier bag (my only baggage due to flight weight restrictions), but I successfully got yet another stamp in my passport. The wind was really strong on the way over, particularly in the valley between Ob Hill and Crater Hill. It acts sort of like a venturi and accelerates any wind blowing through it. It was neat to see the insides of Scott Base, but I didn't stay too long.

After many promises and much fanfare, here are pictures from the flight down from Christchurch, last weekend's trip to Cape Evans and Scott's hut, and McMurdo. Enjoy!