Two Weeks In

It's hard to believe that we've already been here for two weeks - and for just two weeks. Time passes so slowly and yet so quickly, and days seem to blend together. Things continue to be rather slow here. All of our scheduled flights through Saturday were cancelled due to weather. Sundays are no-fly days, so we all had a day off (more about that later). Today, stations were re-prioritized, and the plane went to a GPS-only site. So, I'm still here in McMurdo playing with batteries. I did get to (had to?) work on building some solar panel poles, which involved using power tools, so that was slightly fun. And, I've spent some time writing a research paper, although our time here is so fragmented by little tasks, that this is much harder than you'd think.

Feeling that I needed to get away from McMurdo, even if I couldn't visit field sites, I went for a hike yesterday on Hut Point Ridge Trail. Unlike the other "hikes" I've done, like the trip to Scott Base (really a walk along a dirt road) or Ob Hill (scrabbling up a mountain side and back down again), this hike was a more traditional hiking trail, with ups and downs and lots of meandering. I think that the views are not quite as nice from Hut Point Ridge Trail, but I think I like it best anyway. Because of all the dips and turns in the trail, you can't see McMurdo for much of the trail and unless another hiker is right on top of you, you rarely see them either. So, it's a nice hike for imagining that you gotten "away from it all."

The trail starts near Discovery Hut, which is currently undergoing preservation work. But, when I got to the trailhead, I found it was overrun with penguins. There were probably 30 of them running (okay, waddling quickly) around the hut and the trailhead. I waited for a long time to watch them, and to allow them to leave the trailhead so I wouldn't disturb them. This gave me plenty of opportunity to take pictures. So... more penguin pictures!!!

Synchronized waddling?

I also got to see a Weddell Seal from within a couple yards for the first time. It's true, they do look like they are smiling.

Finally, I made it onto the trail. You rise quickly up a ridge, and spend the rest of the time going up and down progressively taller hills. Here's a nice view of the initial climb looking down toward the hut.

Then you pass by a couple of specially protected areas, cross a mostly dry braided stream bed, and emerge on a road back into town.

The whole thing is only a little over 3 miles and would probably take only 1-1.5 hours if you didn't stop for penguin watching or side trails. But, it was a wonderful escape. Although it was quite windy, when I was in one of the depressions between hills blocked from the wind, I stopped and realized that I couldn't hear a single thing. It was wonderful and strange. And a little unnerving. After a few minutes of marveling at the silence, I felt compelled to whisper to myself to shake off the strange feeling that something had gone wrong with my ears. It was a little magical.