The dry valleys

 Having spent most of my working hours at McMurdo patching drywall, it was a welcome change to get to go work out in the field. My bosses arranged for everyone on my crew to get to go out at least once. Myself and two other carpenters got to take a helicopter ride out to Bull Pass in the dry valleys to tear down an outhouse and assemble a new one, then close down the camp for winter. The dry valleys are spectacular, I felt like I was on Mars. Aside from a few glaciers there is no snow at all. The freezing wind blows constantly and has shaped the rocks into fascinating formations. We spent the night at the hut at Bull Pass, then we flew up to Mt Newall to do the same job. The view was like nothing I have ever seen.

 Mummified seal in the valley, miles from open water. This has probably been here for thousands of years.

 Bull pass hut and communications station

 Lake Vanda

 The Onyx river, at 20 miles, it is the longest river in Antarctica

 Mt Newell

 Waiting for the helo

 Mt Erebus 

 Mt Newall hut and communications station

  

Icestock

Every New Years eve at McMurdo station there is a concert known as Icestock which includes a number of bands, a chile cookoff, a pig roast, and a whole lot of drinking. The origins of this festival began over twenty years ago at the carp shop and eventually moved outdoors. I had the honor of playing in three bands which sounds fun until you realize that it's only 33 degrees out. This is particularly difficult for guitarists, especially when you can't feel your hands.