![Click to enlarge](img/th_5094.jpg) | Lifting the farfield flat onto the roof of MAPO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5095.jpg) | Lifting the farfield flat onto the roof of MAPO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5097.jpg) | BLASTbus electronics. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5098.jpg) | Removing the 4 Kelvin stage from the cryostat. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5099.jpg) | An empty K1. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5100.jpg) | Jamie checks the tightness of some screws. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5101.jpg) | The farfield flat on the roof. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5102.jpg) | Robert's flags on the roof of MAPO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5103.jpg) | Colin, Clem, Robert, and Phil lift the farfield flat. It's both big and heavy. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5104.jpg) | Walkng the flat into the groundshield. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5105.jpg) | Walkng the flat into the groundshield. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5106.jpg) | Fit-check: can we get it through the groundshield door. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5107.jpg) | Yep. Looks like. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5108.jpg) | That was the easy part. Now the hard part: how to get it up on top of the telescope. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5109.jpg) | Sarah and Grant disassemble the K1 telescope. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5110.jpg) | Sarah and Grant disassemble the K1 telescope. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5113.jpg) | Yes, the humidity inside MAPO really is below 10%. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5115.jpg) | A jug of I suppose we should call it "tea" that's been sitting in the galley window and steeping all season. |
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(24708x2453, 10823.68 kb) One last 360 degree view of South Pole from the Dark Sector Road. There are stitching issues.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5131.jpg) | Inbound tourists. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5132.jpg) | Inbound tourists. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5133.jpg) | Inbound tourists. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5134.jpg) | Inbound tourists. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5137.jpg) | Taxiing across the road. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5138.jpg) | Taxiing across the road. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5139.jpg) | Taxiing across the road. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5140.jpg) | Taxiing across the road. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5141.jpg) | Taxiing. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5143.jpg) | Taxiing. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5144.jpg) | Taxiing. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5145.jpg) | Taxiing. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5146.jpg) | Taxiing. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5147.jpg) | Not quite sure that's the right word. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5148.jpg) | The sign on the emergency kitchen supplies cabinet in the Game Room (AKA the Emergency Kitchen). |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5149.jpg) | My ride back to MacTown. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5150.jpg) | My ride back to MacTown. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5151.jpg) | Loading cargo. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5152.jpg) | The fire truck waits on the side lines, just in case. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5153.jpg) | Loading appears to be done; let's get a move on. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5155.jpg) | One last look at the dark sector. |
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(8264x2408, 3405.82 kb) South Pole Station from Peligroso.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5160.jpg) | Mountains! My first view of geography in about a month. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5161.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5162.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5164.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5165.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5166.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5167.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5168.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5170.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. The flat part in the upper left is the Ross Ice Shelf. Foggy. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5171.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5172.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5173.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5174.jpg) | More Transantarctic mountains from the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5176.jpg) | Our flight number (Skier 23) and our mission designation (papa-one-six-four) on the side of the crew's lunch cooler. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5177.jpg) | Those spools just fit. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5179.jpg) | Back at Pegasus Blue Ice Runway. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5180.jpg) | Black Island. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5181.jpg) | The view of McMurdo from Pegasus. It's about a forty-five minute drive in a van, via a somewhat indirect rout. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5182.jpg) | Flight crew. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5183.jpg) | A ship in Winter Quarters Bay. |
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(7438x2440, 2520.06 kb) Winter Quarters Bay, where the USNS Richard G. Matthiessen awaits lading, with the Royal Society Range on the horizon.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5187.jpg) | Containers ready to be loaded onto the ship. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5188.jpg) | Containers ready to be loaded onto the ship. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5189.jpg) | A look back at the McMurdo dorms from Winter Quarters Bay, with Observation (Ob) Hill in the background. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5190.jpg) | A burnt out shuttle van waiting to be shipped back. Looks like good times were had in MacTown this summer. |
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(11021x2500, 5905.41 kb) Chin-Lin checks over the operations in Winter Quarters Bay from Hut Point. The prominent hill at centre is, of course, Ob Hill.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5196.jpg) | 100 year commemorative plaque outside Discovery Hut. |
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(6798x2423, 2864.13 kb) Scott's Discovery Hut at Hut Point. It was a pre-fab outback cabin from Australia. Apparently it works quite well at keeping things cool, which wasn't really what they were after.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5200.jpg) | Discovery Hut's verandah. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5201.jpg) | Enter at Own Risk. I still haven't managed to make it inside the Hut. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5202.jpg) | Discovery Hut plaque. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5203.jpg) | Icebreaker on the horizon. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5204.jpg) | Vince's Cross at the end of Hut Point. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5205.jpg) | The Transantarctic mountains across the broken ice of McMurdo Sound. |
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(23976x2406, 8452.10 kb) A 360° view from the end of Hut Point, where Vince's Cross would be had I not cleverly removed it from this image. At left, looking roughly west, you can see the inbound icebreaker on the horizon. Hills on the left are known as Danger Slopes (where Vince fell to his death); on the other side of White Dome, the hills are known as Arrival Heights. Discovery Hut is in the midground, with Winter Quarters Bay behind it, and McMurdo behind that. Then you can see Ob Hill, behind which is White Island, and next is Black Island, with Royal Society Range at right.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5220.jpg) | Open water at Hut Point. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5221.jpg) | Vince's Cross plaque. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5222.jpg) | A trail marker. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5223.jpg) | A freshies container. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5224.jpg) | Salmon River Inn. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5225.jpg) | Royal Society Inn, where the USAF is housed. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5226.jpg) | Shackelton's Hut, where I spent the night. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5227.jpg) | Sarge's grafitti. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5228.jpg) | I don't think these chairs were really designed for this porch. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5229.jpg) | The results of the South Pole Contingency Marathon posted on Highway One in McMurdo. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5230.jpg) | McMurdo General Hospital. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5232.jpg) | The HELO pad. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5234.jpg) | JP-8 (jet fuel) storage tanks. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5235.jpg) | Volcanic rock on Ob Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5236.jpg) | A view across the Sound. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5237.jpg) | A new box partway up Ob Hill. I think it's supposed to have a climber's logbook in it, but it wasn't there. There was a broken pencil, and a non-working pen, however. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5238.jpg) | Scott Base (green) and Willy Field and the Balloon Base (distance) from Ob Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5240.jpg) | Chin-Lin at the summit of Ob Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5241.jpg) | MacTown. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5242.jpg) | Chin-Lin at the summit of Ob Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5243.jpg) | The Ob Hill Cross. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5244.jpg) | Windmills! (It's a pilot project investigating other forms of power generation. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5245.jpg) | Pegasus Runway from the top of Ob Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5246.jpg) | Seals among the pressure ridges. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5247.jpg) | One more seal. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5248.jpg) | The Ob Hill Cross plaque. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5249.jpg) | Looking back up after descending the Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5250.jpg) | Curling Equipment. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5254.jpg) | No horseplay, okay guys? |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5255.jpg) | The icebreaker and the Chapel of the Snows. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5256.jpg) | Another picture of the Chapel of the Snows. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5257.jpg) | The icebreaker with impressive fata morgana in the background. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5258.jpg) | Minna Bluff amplified by fata morgana. |
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(10486x2497, 3767.30 kb) The icebreaker parked in McMurdo Sound, with crazy quantities of fata morgana on the horizon. This was taken from the "beach" down below the Station. At left is Cape Armitage, the foot of Ob Hill. At right is Hut Point, where you can see the roof of the hut itself.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5264.jpg) | Inbound HELO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5265.jpg) | Inbound HELO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5266.jpg) | Inbound HELO. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5267.jpg) | Just checking: yep, fata morgana still going on. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5268.jpg) | Waiting to load the 17 back to New Zealand. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5269.jpg) | A very strong groundling loads a palet. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5274.jpg) | A crewman consults with the loadmaster before taking off. |
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(13155x2568, 7564.29 kb) PAX redeploying from McMurdo to Christchurch on a mostly empty C-17. This was the view from my seat, shortly after take-off. This is why you always opt for the cargo seating along the sides if possible: infinite leg room.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5284.jpg) | A map on the C-17. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5285.jpg) | The view from the flight deck. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5286.jpg) | The flight deck. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5287.jpg) | The view from the flight deck. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5288.jpg) | Me on the flight deck. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5289.jpg) | Chin-Lin investigates the loading ramp. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5290.jpg) | Chin-Lin investigates the loading ramp. |
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(6737x4593, 6111.23 kb) The view tailward. As you can see, people have made themselves as comforable as possible. (The two sleeping bags are for crewmen).
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![Click to Enlarge](img/th_img_5295_pano.jpg) |
(6537x4474, 5984.26 kb) And the view noseward. Still lots and lots of room. Also some panorama generated re-arrangement of heads.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5299.jpg) | Sunflower Crunch ...? |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5302.jpg) | ... or delicious, all natural Sample Only? |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5303.jpg) | My last freshie. Back in New Zealand, it's just fruit. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5306.jpg) | Playing Scrabble on the plane. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5308.jpg) | Unloading in Christchurch. A speedy operation. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5309.jpg) | Everything must go! Including the seats. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5310.jpg) | Power confusion at the CDC in Christchurch. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5311.jpg) | A duck paddles under a bridge across the Avon River. |