Let's face it, I've been fairly lazy about updating my blog this year. But I have been reminded and I probably should do a little writing as the end of season three approaches. Another great season too. I feel pretty lucky. Below is my crew, hometown, New Hampshire folk except our fearless local leader (foreman) Steve who's from the West Coast. Not his fault of course!

When I last left you three months ago we were flying over some of the Antarctic mountains, headed once again for South Pole. Well, I arrived in good spirits, having been reacquainted with old friends and met some good solid new ones.
It's a bit difficult to write about another season at Pole because they really are all so similar. Small changes in scenery and evidence of new snow piles on station engross us but our work is probably the most diverse thing in our lives down here.

Cleaning out a cold building over at MAPO, in order for a science group to move in. They did receive heat.
This season we started off with (and in fact our ending with ) a rash of maintenance on portable buildings on station. Below are photos of some of the buildings we worked on, in the field and out back of our shop. This tripod below had its footers dug out from the snow and the camera taken off of it so it could be stored out on the line, awaiting another purpose in life.

These buildings below were cleaned out and the plywood one directly below was outfitted for a winch that would be tethered to a small blimp. The blimp had some sort of instrument mounted on it to monitor ice particles in the air.


Above are the boys working on the roof, preparing it so that the winch cable can be put through and tether the balloon. In the Background are the other portable buildings being used by this science group.
Below is the frame that was created to support the winch cable after it had come through the roof of the building. The cable was small but quite tough, made from Kevlar if I remember correctly.

The tripod and this building below were part of AASTO, ( The Automated Astrophysical Site-Testing Observatory) which was decommissioned in 2005. AASTO was home to a number of experiments including measuring emissions from the earth's atmosphere and measuring turbulence in the atmosphere. There was also some talk that some studies from this building had something to do with extraterrestrial life! Okay, so I really don't understand what was going on there even after reading the information online but this green modular building is pretty cool. It is both skiddable and forkable and was created to plunk down anywhere on the continent as needed. This building got sent back to McMurdo this year for some new and exciting assignments.

Below is the crate I made for the cryostat for BICEP telescope that got taken off-line this year. Eventually it'll have a new and improved cryostat put in so it can look deep into the universe again.

I got to practice working in different mediums with this one as the cryostat was actually in a crate inside this one and needed to be well cushioned. The cushioning product of choice for this were old (like 1970s looking) spring mattresses old gym mats, the kind that velcro to walls and each other. In case anyone needs to cut up said gym mats at any point, I suggest using a skill saw and then taping the new seams shut, maybe even using a heat gun to make the tape stick.



Above is the finished cryostat box, complete with sharp-looking metal edges made by our resident tin-knocker. Below is the South Pole Telescope (the big part on the left) with BICEP telescope's ground shield showing on top of the blue building on the right.


Above is Kate working on a platform for one of the solar outhouses; one of the portable buildings and the cryostat crate behind her.
And now I've left this blog so long that I'm in New Zealand with the wind blowing through the palm trees outside and ducks swimming in the pond. It's a far cry from that snowy plateau above. I can't say I miss it, but I did have yet another wonderful season. If I feel motivated I'll add some more South Pole info from this past year but I'm thinking my next blog might be filled with green NZ pictures (and sheep of course).