Current Temp Ambient: 36
Windchill: 29
Windspeed (knots): light and variable
Last week I got extremely lucky and got to ride in a helicopter to the Dry Valleys, a series of valleys that are part of the Royal Society Mountain range across the Ross Sea from where McMurdo is on Ross Island. The Dry Valleys are one of the most unique environments on the planet. There are dry parts, glaciers, lakes, crazy rock formations, simply amazing.
I went with my friend Brian (nickname Baby Duck, don't ask, you don't want to know), who is a comms tech. That means he setsup radio repeaters and satellite dishes so all of the scientists and staff at the field camps in the Dry Valleys can look at Facebook while they are out there (and call McMurdo, and email and stuff). They had a bunch of extra seats on the flight, and it was my turn to go on a fun trip, so he took me with him! We made two stops, first to Mt. Voslyps, not that exciting, then to a mountain called 1882 (in reference to it's height in meters), which is by far the coolest place I've ever been. It was a gorgeous day, GORGEOUS! I didn't even need Big Red (the parka they give us), though I wore it just so it wouldn't blow away in case of a gust.
In this video, you will see the same type of helicopter I went in, a Bell 212, picking up a load of lumber to take to one of the field camps. Next you'll see the inside of the helo I was in, then a view or two from inside, then the landing, and finally my hiking video from the top of 1882.
Awesome, awesome day, enjoy the video!
