Saturday, December 19, 2009

Wine server at Thanksgiving.
Probably as much fun as eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday, December 18, 2009

I like to call this one our "band photo" and I am the front man!
This is the three of us on the telescope. We just finished the project of siding the building and the scientists let us up on the telescope for a photo. This just gives you perspective of how big the 10 meter/South Pole Telescope really is. I'm in the middle again.
This is most of the tents we set up when we were camping. The wind wall behind me is explained in the name and does a really nice job. We were petty lucky with decent weather when we were camping, around a high of -15 or so. You know you live in cold conditions when you look forward to -15.
That is what it looks like outside of the station, nothing, flat and white as far as the eye can see. It is a continuous 24 hours a day of sunlight throughout the summer season. The sun on sets and rises once a year.
This is our snow survival instructor giving us a few tips on snow survival and snow camping. Every time I go camping at the South Pole, it makes me want to go camping even more at home.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

At snow survival school, "camping in Antarctica", about to put buckets on our heads to simulate whiteout conditions. This is the 3rd year in a row that I have had the privilege to go camping while at the South Pole.
Our camping kitchen, boiling hot water for expired freeze dried meals. Wasn't too bad!
At work. I'm the short guy.


That's not my tooth, just ice.





This is a shot I took inside the dome. The dome has now been replaced by the elevated station. They are currently tearing down the dome as it has been the icon of South Pole since the 70's.
That's just me out on the job of the telescope.
Contrails from a C-130.



The Dome entrance.




Everyone in the break shack after work.
A pilot preparing the "Twin Otter" to take off to a field camp somewhere around the continent. The other plane that you can see the nose of is a DC-3.

This is what it is like when mail arrives the South Pole. If it is a large quantity, we chain together and pass the boxes up the stairs and down the hall. So that could be your package in the picture if you send me one.....
Andrew V. Williams, RPSC
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400
APO AP 96598





Devon and myself doing a self-portrait in front of the South Pole Telescope. The telescope is also known as 10 meter telescope because of its size.




Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Devon and I working in one of the Jamesways next to the Carp Shop. We just finished building a table for my jobsite out at SPT.

This is the South Pole Telescope before we started siding the building.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Home sweet home again! This is Jamesway 4 (J-4), where I live. If you can see the little sign above the door, it says "J-4" in the diamond. Above the diamond it says "Larry" from "Larry, Curly and Moe" from the old days when the Navy was running operations at the South Pole.
Standing under the South Pole Telescope. This is the foundation for the huge telescope. The South Pole Telescope was one of the first projects I worked on installing siding.

The geographical South Pole and the flags that surrounds it.

My Jamesway room after being "teepeed".



The tape measure salute for one of the winterover carpenters leaving. I am the 3rd person standing on the left.






Monday, December 14, 2009

More Pictures :)

Arrival at the South Pole for the 3rd year in a row. I was on the one year plan of coming down to the ice. But it's good to be back!

Getting ready to depart to the South Pole on a C-130 run by the New York Air National Guard.


Arriving at McMurdo on the C-17 after the 5 hour flight.



A DC-3 plane sitting on the "Ice Runway" at McMurdo.






Finally, a blog!

Some of the most majestic sites I have ever seen in my life, some of the Transantarctic Mountains. This is inside the C-17 flight from Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo, Antarctica. The flight takes roughly 5 hours on the C-17.









I finally got around to getting my blog posted. Although this is only the first entry 5 or 6 weeks into the journey, I will post mostly just pictures. If you are interested here is my address down here at the South Pole:
Andrew V. Williams, RPSC
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400
APO AP 96598
Smaller packages make it faster!
And here are the blogs from my previous two adventures to Antarctica:
Year 1, Oct. 2007 - Feb. 2008
Year 2, Sept. 2008 - Feb. 2009