![\"Helicopter](\"http:\/\/blogs.uml.edu\/antarctica-2015\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2015\/10\/DSCF3480.jpg\")
<\/a>Helicopter on board the C-17<\/p><\/div>\n
I must admit, when I stepped out of the C-17 and onto the ice shelf, I was grinning like a fool.<\/p>\n
We boarded a long, red, bus-like snow vehicle with thick wheels and a max speed of 2 mph when going uphill. On the hour-long ride we passed rippled pressure ridges in the ice, which gets pushed towards the land and then pushed backwards by sea ice. Getting into McMurdo Station, we lucked out majorly with the weather. It was sunny, relatively warm (-23\u00b0C), and without wind. Nearly tropical, compared to what I\u2019d been preparing myself for.<\/p>\n
We were briefed as soon as we got into station, a strangely sprawling mass of warehouses, colorful cargo containers, and dormitories. I\u2019d been told to prepare for ugliness, an army-base-like town. It\u2019s not aesthetic, for sure, though it\u2019s also undoubtedly less organized than a military establishment. Perhaps it’s just new eyes, but it looked…happy. Colors and business and purpose.<\/p>\n
Being in a dorm gives a distinct college feeling to the place. Our dorm\u00a0has two to a room, with very decent bathrooms across the hallway. And the mattresses are plush! Way better than what I sleep on at home. All in all, pretty impressed with the place, considering how difficult it is to get materials to the island.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Planes land on the snow-covered ice shelf at the McMurdo research station. It\u2019s flat. In cooler weather, you can land a wheeled plane on the ice. Passengers prefer this because then you can fly on a C-17, which only takes … Continue reading