A Happy McMurdo Thanksgiving

On a station that will take any reason they can find to throw a party, you have to know we're celebrating Thanksgiving. This is one of two major holidays that the galley goes all out for—the other being Arbor Day. No, it's Christmas, obviously. I'll keep saying this: food is morale. And while we're all probably the furthest away from family you can be, those touches of home are important for mental health and just enjoying the season.

(The Williams Field crew)

Part of getting into the season is getting the galley decked out in properly fancy attire. And by that I mean table cloths. Nice black or red ones with floral embroidery, but tablecloths nonetheless. And I guess some additional vacuuming. But holidays are only as much fun as you make them, and for some of the stewards and cooks, the traditional black Antarctica logo hats were replaced with some festive and some straight loony hats. Professionalism can be a bit lax on holidays; I think that's fair.

What also makes this a different meal is that it isn't so casual. You don't just blow in and take what you can get during the dinner rush. We're set up for three services over the afternoon, and you need to sign up for a time slot before the meal. Luckily I'm on the night schedule, so the midnight meal sign up is sparsely populated. As far as I can tell, this is to help the front and back of house keep the entire galley in working order and not have to feed the full 850 staff a fine meal in the first three minutes.

But separating out the service times also allows for something I wasn't aware of. See, for the past two weeks, front and back of house have been preparing for this meal. The kitchen has been prepping ingredients and setting up pans and containers so that once the cooking begins, they can take whatever they need and quickly send it into the ovens or steamers. The front of house has been setting up decorations, cleaning extra spaces, and stockpiling drinks, napkins, utensils, and everything else needed to actually eat the meal. A lot of work goes into serving this many people. But then the question comes: when do galley staff get to celebrate the holiday? Turns out we had set up a separate meal time at noon for the galley to be able to enjoy the meal just like anyone else. I had not realized this was a thing until I was hanging in the galley on my holiday day off (more on that later) and was told to come join. I think I missed a memo somewhere.

So that lets me talk about the most important part of the day: food. Now I'm sure some of you have large families. If you have to cook for more than seven people, it can be a bit of a challenge. Thus you might expect that some sacrifices would have to be made in terms of quality to feed 850 people. Nah. Everything was excellent and I don't imagine it would have been better at home. We had everything you would expect: stuffing, dinner rolls, green bean casserole, all kinds of veggies, real mashed potatoes, and of course the stars of the show, full roast turkey and glazed ham, carved right on the line. And also plenty of sugar with pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies. The real surprise to me was that wine was available, red and white. There was a whole table set up with wine glasses and someone distributing a (reasonable) glass of wine to anyone.

It didn't take too long for the first galley people with their plates to start shifting the nicely made up tables into one long table for as many of us to sit at as possible.

(The never ending table of food service.)

I heard more than a few people say that it was nice to be able to casually sit down with everyone for what might have been the first time. More often than not, we're all busy and our breaks are the only time we have to unwind. And front and back of house usually don't have overlapping breaks. So all of us together for a meal was a new experience.

While food is the main attraction, there were a few other Thanksgiving activities that were planned. We had our very own 5K Turkey Trot, with a track leading around the base, out and back again. The weather was cold(er) and with some slight snowfall, which is a rarity, so I commend any of the runners who even attempted it, let alone completed it. Other activities include weekly karaoke being moved back a day to coincide with the holiday, and many of the clubs and social groups getting together to do fun, Thanksgiving related activities.

Speaking of the holidays, most people had Saturday off, as well as the usual Sunday off. This is known as Town Hours and is the most common schedule: six days on with Sunday off. For the galley staff, we have to adjust. Everyone has to eat, so the kitchen can't close for a day off. Everyone in the galley has a certain day off in the week so that we mostly have a full staff every service. And so that they don't miss any holidays, they get floating holiday time for every time Town Hours has one off. So people in the galley were getting their Thanksgiving holiday throughout the month of November, and the same will be true for Christmas, New Years, and any other federally recognized holidays. For me, since I've been working at Williams Field of late and my schedule is a bit odd, I get normal Town Hours, so I was able to enjoy most of the Thanksgiving activities.

The holiday has been something that I think everyone was looking forward to, and even now that it's passed, the good will that it brought us isn't likely to fade for a while. Being away from home is tough for many of us, so coming together like this and feeling like a part of a community, even in a small way, is comforting. And we all have things to be thankful for. Myself? I'm thankful for Starlink Internet. And I mean that mostly seriously (mostly...). McMurdo in the digital age like it let's me share these stories with all of you. And more importantly, it lets me take part in my family's weekly Zoom call and stay connected with my parents and brother. That means a lot to me, and without that family connection, I think life would have been much harder down here.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

The Past, Frozen in Time

The wild, untamed nature of Antarctica is part of its charm, but it's also underlined by the history that covers it. Explorers have been coming to the edge of the world for a long time, with the first landing on the main continent of Antarctica probably taking place in 1821. A lot of dedication and lives went into making all this possible, and it's something that everyone here feels in some regard. From the various historical artifacts on display, to the pictures on the walls, to the names of mountains and landmarks, my daily experience is steeped in the history of this place. And is most clearly shown in the Discovery Hut.

Viewable from most places on station, Discovery Hut on Hut Point is a moment in history that stands to this day. With careful tending from those who came before, this historic structure reminds everyone of who came before and what they had to go through. Now over a hundred years later, having the chance to look inside and get a feel for what life was life is pretty amazing.

(Zoomed in view of the hut from the chapel in town.)

I'm not a historian, so I won't try and give you the full details of everything that surrounded the hut and the expedition that allowed it to be built. As a short overview, Discovery Hut was built in 1902 by Robert Falcon Scott and his expedition team during the Discovery Expedition, 1901-1904. While it was supposed to serve as a land main base and living quarters, it was hard to keep warm and mostly used for storage; the crew that would use it spent most of their living on the ship. It was used by a few more exploration parties during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration before being left behind and buried under snow. It was found again in 1956, remarkably well-preserved, (we'll get to that later), and was
eventually declared a historic monument under the Antarctic Treaty.

The Wikipedia article can give you just as much context if your curiosity has been sufficiently whet. So let me just tell you about what it's like to actually see the hut and go inside it.

But before we head inside, let me introduce you to Nigel. I don't know if there's an official name for this seal, but I'm calling him Nigel.

(Nigel has had a rough few decades.)

Nigel here is a great example of what happens to life out here. He's basically totally mummified. While it's doubtful he was there during the 1902 exploration, Nigel has been around for a long time. There are a number of places around where you can come across similarly mummified penguins and skuas. Because of the freezing temperatures, most things that die and don't get immediately eaten tend to just end up preserved. The same is true for things like rations and leathers (foreshadowing).

Now one interesting thing about the modern buildings is that they all have double entrances. The door you enter typically leads into a smaller space with another door that opens into the building. The first door is almost always unlocked, even if the entrance door is locked. I've had to duck into a building before just to generate some warmth before heading back out. I bring this up because the hut has the same feature, an entrance to the facility and an indoor entrance to the main building. Off to the side is a room where hung seal blubber and some skulls sit, still mostly intact and preserved.

(Reminds me of my closet back home. Need to clean that....)

Inside is not much more than a large box, still full of many of the supplies and items that the team left behind. The room is sectioned off with heavy curtains, a tradition that lives on here at McMurdo to keep your bed private from your roommates. And while I can't imagine it provided much protection, anything that helps keep the wind at bay was likely a welcome addition.

We still see the provisions they left behind, including some hard tack you could probably still eat. But why would you, honestly? Off to the side is some additional seal blubber and skins, again well-preserved and fascinating to see.

(Basically a chocolate chip cookie....)

There are really only three rooms: the central storage room, the living space with the stove and sleeping pallets, and what was apparently a lab.

(Gift Shop)

(Home Sweet Frostbite)

(Mad Science Lab)

Admittedly, even after seeing it in person, there's not much spectacle to it. But the weight of the history it represents can't be overstated. I'd have regretted it had I not taken the time to tour it, and even with my poor photography skills, I think it's a memory I'll hold on to for a long time.

For Today's Menu

One question I hear often is: what do you actually cook? Everyone might be expecting MREs and freeze-dried everything. But something that one of the winter chefs told me is that it apparently takes more effort and energy to rehydrate and reassemble a meal than it does to do what we do. We don't have astronaut food here; most of our freezer looks just like any frozen food warehouse. And the menu here is surprisingly robust.

Much of what we have down here will be familiar to those of you in food service. Names like US Foods, Sysco, and Rich's are well represented on our packaging. And boy do we have boxes. Thursday is our food pull day and when I come in for my mid-rat shift, the coolers and freezers are stacked to the ceiling with boxes of frozen foods. You might be surprised to learn that while we might get three hundred pounds of fresh oranges in a fresh delivery, we'll go through that before they even have a chance to think of going green. The fresh product—known as "freshies" to those in the know, and also to the insufferable—is very much a highlight for everyone down here. When we have real salad on the line and fruit readily available, you can almost feel the atmosphere liven up. And you know we've got too many millennials on base when we put out a huge bowl of avocados and they're all gone by the end of lunch. Green grapes are my poison and it's hard to be restrained when I'm grabbing a bowl of them.

Of course we have a lot of canned and shelf stable product—what kitchen doesn't? Things like pastas and legumes will live forever down here, but we also have many sauces and canned items that give us more options when the fresh stock is dwindling. While you won't be finding any A5 wagyu or white alba truffles, everything that we have can be turned into some pretty excellent dishes. We have a five-week rotation on our menu, so hopefully everyone down here won't get too sick of what we're having. (Having worked at a place with a one-week menu rotation, let me tell you that peanut butter and jelly very quickly became the only option.)

Let me just list some things that we've had on the line:

• Jerk chicken
• Italian beef
• Homemade mac and cheese
• Taco Tuesday (every Tuesday....)
• Philly cheese steak sandwiches
• Lentil Bolognese
• Jambalaya with mussels
• Steak (New York Strip, Ribeye, Sirloin, and more)
• Seared tuna
• Roasted Brussel sprouts
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Beef mole
• Pork vindaloo
• Blackened salmon
• Pulled pork
• Chorizo paella
• Leg of lamb
• Crab cakes
• Sauerbraten
• Char siu pork
• And a lot more.

Quite the list right? And certainly more intricate than you might expect. Most of the other cooks and chefs down here have a pretty robust knowledge of the work and lots of experience. It's not just cafeteria food or whatever we have lying around. A lot of work and pride goes into the food. I've heard from others who have worked in similar remote locations that the food we provide is leagues better than what they've had to live on. I don't say that just to toot our horn—although that is a bonus—but to show that we're able to do so much more at the edge of the world than you might think.

I'll say this a lot, but food is morale. For those working down here—thousands of miles from home and loved ones, in the harshest climate, and only a few luxuries—they need to find the good things where they can get them, and food is one of those. We keep all kinds of things stacked here. Do you want chocolate chip cookies 24/7 (I'm looking at you, Dad)? We got it. A bunch of cereal all day (Froot Loops included)? Better get it fast, it goes out quick. A virtual waterfall of orange juice? As long as the machine is working, absolutely (so like 50% of the time). Our bakers turn out fantastic desserts at every meal: trifles, cakes, pastries, the works. While we can't meet every demand, and some things are just not realistic given our situation, everyone should be able to find a few things that they like and keeps them going.

I'm not much of a trained chef, but I'm learning a lot down here from people with loads of experience. And if we can all put that together to make the rest of staff's time on the Ice a bit easier, I think that's a win for everyone.

Avoiding the Ice Crazies Through Strategic Use of Sunlight

Last week we talked about the social and recreational environment inside the base. But for many, it's the outside that draws their attention. Of course, we're all mesmerized by the Antarctic environment—just being here is often fulfilling enough for those of us not inclined to the outdoors. But for those with a hunger to explore, or just better hiking shoes, there are plenty of outdoor activities to engage with.

Before we begin, however, let's take a moment to discuss health and safety—just like I had to. I mentioned in a previous article how much focus on safety there is, and the same is true for recreational safety. The Outdoor Safety Lecture is the standard for all program members to get them acquainted with the procedure to explore wisely. Importantly for long hikes, we're shown the process of checking in with Comms and keeping in contact. Most long hikes require you to have at least two people and meet with the communication team, set up an estimated return time, and take a radio with you. If you don't return by the estimated time, or answer any emergency radio contact, then the whole search and rescue team—including the helicopters—have to mobilize to find you. So if you were already home and in bed, that's going to be a real embarrassing conversation later.

Hiking is probably the main outdoor activity down here. There are a surprising number of trails available, with some as short as a mile and change, and others a full nine-mile excursion. We have fifteen marked trails, although some of those are trails within other trails. Each line is carefully marked as to avoid anyone wandering off the trail, or worse, into a dangerous ice field. Crevasses are a common feature out here, often hard to identify due to the snow, and very often far deeper than you expect. A crevasse that looks a few inches across on the surface can be tens of feet deep, and still wide enough to get caught in. So when hiking, following the guidelines is critical.

The shortest and likely the easiest hike is to Hut Point. Called such because of the original exploration hut that still resides there, Hut Point has a lot of history behind it and probably deserves it's own article in the coming weeks. Hut Point is visible from most points in McMurdo and offers a great view of the station on one side and the sea ice on the other. It's where I've seen some seals pop up and sunbathe themselves as well.

Another hike of import is Observation Hill. Affectionately known as Ob Hill, Ob is practically right in town and visible from pretty much anywhere. It's not uncommon to look out the galley window during breaks (at any time of the day) and see people standing on the summit. At only 750 feet high, Ob Hill isn't a real mountain climb, but it certainly gives a great top-down view of the base. Ob Hill is also home to the Everest Challenge. If you climb Ob Hill thirty-nine times, you'll have climbed just a few feet more than the height of Mount Everest. For accomplishing this feat, you receive the prestigious award of a cool sticker. Our executive sous chef Max has already accomplished this feat, as have others, and the many main body hikers are well on their way. There is even a story passed around from some past year where one person did the Everest Challenge in one day. Sounds like madness to me, but this place gets you like that.

The most ambitious hike here is the Castle Rock Loop. A full nine miles from beginning to end, this hike takes you to the iconic Castle Rock, a large crag that served as a landmark for explorers back in the day. It's a red-brown rock that contrasts dramatically with the white and blacks of the snow and rock. It's not uncommon for this trek to take seven hours or more, so there's some careful planning that needs to go into undertaking it. Information from Comms. and the weather team is the most important part before setting out. Just because the weather is nice at the station doesn't mean that it won't turn on a dime and make you scramble for your survival bag. There are a few huts along the way for shelter. Though sparse, they'll get you out of the wind and let you warm up. Once at Castle Rock, if you included it in your itinerary for Comms., you can climb to the top for a unique look at Antarctica. The Loop is for the most seasoned hikers, and not one that someone like me might readily undertake.

Although I keep mentioning hiking, there are a couple other options as well. We've got access to wide-tire terrain bikes, if you want to make the Castle Rock Loop in five hours, rather than seven. While you do have to be aware of the ice, the bikes are surprisingly stable and the ride is fun. While you won't be making any Tour de France showings, it's another great story to tell. Along with bikes, cross-country skies are also available, with some specific paths dedicated to them. While you can still make the Loop and other straight hikes with the skis, you also have access to some of the airfields and outposts.

There are plenty of opportunities to tour the continent if you're willing to put in the effort. A hike in this climate will definitely take its toll on you, different to most hikes you might be familiar with. But for the chance to see parts of the world so few people get to see and experience the unique beauty of it, what better reward could you ask for?

Just don't forget your check-in times. Seriously. The embarrassment is palpable.