why i'm here part 1

 auroras behind ARO

dancing on the flagline

super swirl

the station and auroras, this photo by Jens Dryer
all other photos by Christy Schultz


greetings from aurora central!
so far the end of april and beginning of may have provided stunning examples of the celestial shows i have been hungry for since i first decided to spend the winter at the south pole.  we all carry radios and have an aurora channel programmed in so that when anyone is outside and witnesses a show they can let the whole station know to get outside.

one of our community members recently received news from home that a family member has passed away.  this was truly my greatest fear when i decided to commit to 9 months here without the ability to leave if something tragic happened.  of course it is these terrible circumstances that awaken the spirit and bring a perspective that allows for all of us to appreciate each other.  i hope these images find you all well, please take a moment today to reflect on all the goodness in your life.  take care, karengrace

darkness this way comes...

greetings from the almost dark south pole!
i hope this finds you all enjoying a post easter glow and the spring in full bloom! since i last wrote the sun has vanished from sight but it's light still lingers below the horizon. the moon has joined the celestial party and the stars are becoming brighter everyday.  we have already had the pleasure of some spectacular auroras and the anticipation for the solar shows to come have conjured up a primal excitement that i really don't have words for... we have a channel on our radios specifically for aurora sightings, whenever anyone catches a show they call in with the location in the sky and the station empties to witness the brilliance.  one of our astronomers, Robert Schwarz has been teaching a wonderful class and i have been soaking it up! i've taken many astronomy classes over the years, but this one is specific to the skies here, it is just an example of how the community members come together to contribute their talents to make our time here memorable! every weekend when the kitchen staff is enjoying their time off members of the community step up and cook meals for everyone to share, it has been such a treat. i cooked an indian feast with some friends last month, there have been meals of fresh pasta,  and my next meal will be chicken and dumplings, there are all sorts of imaginative dishes!  the greenhouse is producing an abundance of greens, we get more freshies in the winter than we did in the summer! we have covered all the windows with cardboard to prevent light pollution for the telescopes, and many folks designed artistic covers for the cardboard, it definatley adds a cheery feel to the station.  i am the south pole corespondent for the Antarctic Sun which is a published paper featuring news from the 3 USAP stations, use this link to check out the latest:
http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/aroundTheContinent/contentHandler.cfm?id=1201
and 2 more sights to check out:
www.polarwinter.com   and   www.southpolestation.com

all of these photos have been taken by Christy Schultz who is the NOAA officer here for the summer/winter, and she's my friend and has an awesome camera and a great eye, she is gracious enough to let me share her photos here.

take care, karengrace

this is the view of the station from ARO-Atmospheric Research Observatory during twilight

this is ARO, behind ARO is the Clean Air Sector, believed to be the cleanest air in the world

this is the view of the flag line from the 10 meter telescope, or the South  Pole Telescope- SPT, to the station                     MAPO, which houses 2 more telescopes is in the foreground

this is Destination Zulu-DZ , the back entrance to the station with a Pisten Bully pulling in to drop off cargo

again, this is ARO with the full moon blazing

some of the 1st auroras of the season!

sunset dinner

greetings from the last days of sunshine for 5 months...
this evening the galley staff is preparing an amazing meal for us: herb encrusted filet mignon, lobster newburg, duck salad, and fine hand-made chocolates to mention just a few of the delicacies we will enjoy! we had quite a cold snap last week, it was -89 ambient and -127 with windchill... now i know what cold really is!  we are still working on mapping the "berms" - these are the outdoor storage places for the vast majority of our cargo and supplies.  it is quite important that we have perfect maps and photographs of each berm, of which there are 9, so that when we need to retrieve anything during the dark months it will take a minimum amount of time...it will be quite cold!  we just plumbed in a fancy new espresso machine, i held a barista class and have found myself back in the bliss of making great coffees for my colleagues!  one of the astronomers here, Robert Schwarz is holding an amazing astronomy class here, it's been great to learn about all the splendor that is just beyond the sunset!! we have, with the aid of matching funds donated $10,000 for the quake survivors in new zealand.  just as we get this out to our friends to the north the tragedy in japan struck.  it is strange to be down here as events shape the contiousness of the rest of the planet, the most common way we hear about world events is by friends and family sending us news.  our satellite connectivity is still shotty and up during work hours mostly.... with the combination of our space-like station and the flat beauty of the polar region it feels like outer space, especially with the feeling of desolation.  when i use the term desolation i mean it without negative connotation, it really is the best word for our life here.  i am going to upload some photos from my trip back through mcmurdo after r&r.

these are some of the 15 emperor penguins who wandered close to the pegasus airfield in mcmurdo for  several weeks of standing still to molt! 

notice the heaps of old feathers littering the ice

just a little chilly!

i hope this finds you all well enjoying the splendors of spring!  take care, karengrace

the end of summer

greetings!

this past summer was incredibly busy and between our unreliable satellite connection and my work schedule i've had no time for blogging.  it is now autumn at the South Pole, the sun is falling quickly in the sky and we have just a few weeks of sun remaining.  we still have much to do to complete the station closing activities, but we seem to be doing well with all of our tasks.  there are 49 of us here for the winter, the last plane left on my birthday and we don't expect a plane in until the end of oct. at the earliest.  we have a great crew of people and it seems that we have a wonderful sense of community that is developing.  i am working with 3 great folks in materials and am still the head of the emergency response team 3, which is the logistics branch and i am also the recreation coordinator for the winter.  i know that when the sun sets things will drastically slow down, but for now it still feels like the craziness of summer with less people!  i moved into the station after i returned from r&r in christchurch.

it has been difficult to hear about all of the destruction of the last earthquake, we have felt so helpless here.  there were 592 people who are involved in the antarctic program that were in christchurch when the quake hit.  amazingly, no one in the program was injured, but many of the folks who live there were not so lucky, we are still receiving reports of the terrible reality that has befallen many of the kiwi's who support us while we are in n.z.  there was noticeable damage when i came through at the end of sept from the quake that they had earlier in the month, this was the beginning of their nightmare.  when i was there for r&r in jan. the damage from the large quake they had in dec. illustrated another layer of destruction, but this last shake was by far the worst yet.  there are still missing people and the aftershocks are still happening.  we have started a relief fund from the station but we wish we could do more.  i am hoping to write more as the winter sets in and i find time to relax, i bought lots of yarn and art supplies on r&r and i'm looking forward to learning how to knit!  i will write another entry soon... until then, i hope this finds you all healthy and happy and enjoying the prospect of a splendid spring!

this is in a courtyard where i have spent lots of time in christchurch,

 next to a brewery called 'the twisted hop'

  

this is another part of the same courtyard, i fear it is all gone now

this is a beautiful corner near the city center

this is an example of what christchurch looked like in january, now the destruction is much worse

this is me with a sweet puppy at 'dogwatch' which is a dog adoption agency.  they let me come and help 

with the dogs, i knew that being away from animals would be one of the most difficult aspects of the winter here... it was a perfect way to spend a day!

              take care, karengrace

photos from 'ice burg and hut fun'

loving

the 

ice burg

speechless.

the ship broke free of this anchor and drifted out to sea before the sea ice refroze- long winter!

penguins that were being used in biological research, left in the stables.

provisions left in the stables

the stables, built on the southern edge of the hut

the dark room chemicals

the dark room from the outside

a penguin on Scott's table

scientific instruments from the turn of last century

more science

the kitchen

everything beautifully preserved

bunks with a desk in between 4 beds 

more bunks

a staple even then.

tools inside the door

blades for the sleds

the hut was insulated with hay bails

for my dad

these are amazing! strategically placed by the Kiwi's they keep the annual snow drift from covering the hut!!

the hut

the deltas we transported out on

ice burg and hut fun

Hello,
the following entry was from 11/1/10,  currently the south pole has been experiencing difficulties with our satellite that allows for larger data transfers.  So, all the photos i have to post with the following entry will hopefully be up soon. cross your fingers for our satellite!
but for now, i wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving, today we will have our big meal and celebrate with 2 days off. the second week of November brought us "death claw 2010" which was a serious storm that produced white out conditions and kept all flights from coming in for 8 days.  since we only have 4 months to accomplish 12 months of work, 8 days is quite substantial.  there was a rope line, which is a rope tied in between flags that we could hold on to so we could navigate between summer camp and the station, it was an epic storm.  we have had some hurdles to the start of this season, but it has only brought us all closer together.  I am enjoying getting to know the 45 others i will be spending the winter with, we are ready for February so we can relax from the summer maddness and enjoy the aurora and the splendor of this amazing place.  currently the station population is 250 and growing.  I would love any mail you would like to send down, my address here is:

Karen Grace Clark, RPSC  Winter-over
South Pole Station
PSC 468 BOX 400
APO AP 96598

the last mail from the states can be sent by mid- January, otherwise it won't make it in.  I hope this finds you all well and enjoying a beautiful time with friends and family.  Take care and be well,
karengrace


Greetings!

i'm still in mcmurdo. we were due to leave 1.5 weeks ago and have had many transports to the ice runway, and even took off on saturday. we returned quickly due to a rupture of a gasket in the hydraulic line of one of the props. we had to shut down the corresponding engine on the other wing and make a speedy return! the positive aspect of this unfortunate event is that i was able to go on in this trip!! i waited in line on thursday for an hour to sign up for the trip... i had a feeling that we might not make it to pole.... we got back into town around 4:30 and mustered for the trip at 6... perfection!! we were gone for almost 7 hours, we took a DELTA, which is a wild balloon tired machine that introduced me to motion sickness for the 1st time in my life. along the way on the ice road (which was in rough shape due to how warm it's been) we found a seal breathing hole... sadly none were present! next we came upon the ice terminus of Mt. Erebus- the southernmost active volcano in the world. finally we came upon the ice burg!!! AMAZING. we were able to walk around the whole burg and snuggle up to it in a few spots...

within the next 2 weeks the it will be off limits because the sea ice will grow too thin and it may be on the move!! once we left there, we went on to the Scott Hut at Cape Evans. last summer i did many hut point tours here at Scott's hut on the base, with the hopes of making it out to Cape Evans or Royds eventually-this was my lucky year!!! we toured around the hut for over an hour then began the long journey home. it was almost 3 hours of extreme bumps, no visibility and no heat and so worth it!!! today we tried to fly twice, it sounds like the weather at pole will not be cooperating for the next few days... i may be here for over a month on this tour... a little daunting as i know my work is stacking up at pole.... oh well, i will have plenty of time to complete it over my next 12 months there!!!! i hope you all enjoy these amazing photos and that this post finds you all having a wonderful post halloween day!!!

take care and be well, karen grace