I awoke in a panic as I looked at the two empty bunks next to me. Light was streaming through the windows and a digital clock across the room read 12:36. I was tired from travel and am known to be able to out-nap a cat, but this time I blew it. I slept in and missed the plane. I hurried and swung my head around towards the other bunks and saw people all around. I hung over the side and peered at the ones below and saw rows of slumbering souls. Whew. It was only a little after midnight. I forgot it stays light for 24 hours a day. This same situation happened two additional times throughout the night and I never learned my lesson from the previous ones. Some things never change.

The morning finally came and we boarded the Air Force plane in our extreme cold weather gear: goggles, boots, balaclava, coveralls, down parka, gloves, etc. The current temperature indicated the air hovered around minus 45 degrees with a windchill factor of negative 75. Climbing on board the plane an A.F. serviceman took my carry on luggage. All the seats faced the center of the aircraft, lining both walls and creating only two rows of passengers. Carry-ons were stacked in a neat pile in the center of us. The toilet was on an elevated platform with a giant shower curtain draped around. Everyone put in their ear plugs as the propellers churned into a high pitched whine.

The three hour ride seemed worse to me than the 14 hour flight we had taken only days earlier from LAX to Sydney, Australia. My back was aching on the nylon wire seats. My body temperature started rising from the gear and I had to shed layers. My restless night before made me just want to sleep. The next thing I felt was the small plane, with 40 people aboard, being tossed around in harsh Antarctic winds. The pilot fought through the turbulence as I fastened my seat belt. I couldn't even tell we had touched down until the plane abruptly came to a complete stop. Either the landing was amazingly smooth in the snow, or the last half hour or so was really rocky. I thought we were still in the air, but soon the doors opened at light streamed inside.

I zipped up my coat, put on my balaclava and goggles and cinched up my mittens. My heart raced as I looked outside at the frozen barren desert. Whirling drifts of ice crystals blew around in different directions. Men in the distance piled large mounds of snow higher using heavy machinery. A brand new building E shaped building, the new $165 million dollar project of the National Science Foundation, sparkled beautifully in the sunlight. Adrenaline started pumping through my system. I was actually at the South Pole. A place no one on the planet had seen a mere 100 years ago, and probably less than 10,000 have ever seen at all. I felt very honored and privileged to be on such an adventure and to be able to experience this fascinating location on the globe that others died trying to reach decades ago.

The thin and cold air started penetrating my senses. My fingers started to get cold on the walk from the plane to the building. My body, although bundled up, could sense the enemy systematically and effectively creeping in the infinitesimal openings of my seams and zippers. My heart rate increased, due to the fact that I just went from sea level to an atmospheric pressure of about 10500 feet. My breaths became more short, shallow and labored. Just last week they had to put a resident suffering from HACE in an oxygen chamber for 8 hours before he was flown out. I would just relax and adjust. I grew up in the Rockies and have good lungs.

I received some diamox pills to help with the altitude adjustment. They told us to take it easy and drink lots of water. I went to the doctor and they checked my blood oxygen levels and heart rate. Heart rate was in the mid-sixties which is very good. It's supposed to increase about 20-25 beats per minute for about four days until your body adjusts. Blood oxygen levels were at about 90%. It will get better as I acclimate.

The building here is brand new. I feel like I could be in a nice office building in New York, equipped with a gym, sauna, weight room, music room, galley, arts and crafts room and a couple of lounges. Tomorrow they are showing the new Warren Miller movie Dynasty. The people are nice, the food plentiful and good. I have been told I should consume more than 5,000 calories per day because that is what I will be burning working outside in the cold. So tonight I've had cookies, ice cream, cake, steak, potatoes, and coffee. If gluttony is a sin, I'm feeling like I need to be rebaptised after that meal. An all you can eat buffet for free, every meal. We'll see how fat I get.

I'm going to check out my room now. Haven't seen it yet. All I know is it's in a little shack called a jamesway about an 1/8 of a mile or so from the base. They have no doors and rumor has it there is ice on some peoples floors. Bathrooms are a good walk so I got an empty coffee can to pee in at night. Don't want to take 15 minutes putting on gear just to strip it off moments later. We'll see how I'll sleep and hopefully I won't kick my can over in the morning.

written by  JCinTheSouthPole on November 6, 2009 from Christchurch, New Zealand
from the travel blog: South Pole
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haha, you really are an awesome writer Jakes. Loved the C130 ride. C130's are an awesome sight, but Ive never been in one that was flying. I know theyre loud as mutha fuhh.
Looking forward to PICTURES!!!

written by  Jared Carson on November 6, 2009

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I've heard you burn a ton of calories there. Hope you get a chance to describe the work you are doing. I picture you shoveling snow or something. :)

Found this picture of a jamesway, but not sure if this what it looks like:

http://www.sethwhite.org/images/pole2004/around%20the%20station/jamesway.jpg

written by  Jason on November 7, 2009

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Farmboy huh? You still think you're a little ole farm boy Jake...what did I tell you about that? :-)

written by  Tara Botwick on November 11, 2009

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