What will we stand for (or against)?

“Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas, has it been five years?  Six?  It seems like a lifetime, the kind of peak that never comes again.  San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world, whatever it meant…

   There was madness in any direction, at any hour.  You could strike sparks anywhere.  There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning…

   And that, I think, was the handle – that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil.  Not in any mean or military sense, we didn’t need that.  Our energy would simply prevail.  We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave…

  So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look west, and with the right kind of eyes you can see the high-water mark – that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”  - HST "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (the motion picture)

 

Strange memories on this crappy, rainy night in Christchurch, has it been three years?  Four?  It seems like a lifetime, the kind of project that never comes again.  The South Pole in the first decade of the 2000s was a very special time and place to be a part of, but no explanation, no mix of words or pictures or procedures can touch that sense of knowing you were there and alive (and freezing your ass off) in that corner of time and the world, whatever it meant… 

There was snow and ice in every direction, on any day.  You could get frostbitten anywhere.  There was a fantastic universal sense that, although IceCube was a resource hog and the 800 lb. gorilla in the room, whatever you were doing was right, that IceCube was going to discover real science…

But does real science matter any more?  Maybe it has always been like this and I am finally opening my eyes (now that I have another, younger set of eyes to protect) but the world today, the "global climate", seems to be one crisis after another - an unending chain of brutal events, linked together by hate, religion and 24 hr media cycles.  What do we do about it?  Where do we jump on the merry-go-round and scream "This is enough!"?

The last few generations of "kids", specifically americans has been a colossal disapointment to the rest of the world, letting too many government blunders slide and giving up on the ideal of the press being an impartial & important part of a free world.  These generations start with Gen X (me) and extend through Gen Y, Z (if there is one) and the Millenials.  None of these kids has stood up for what is right, against what is wrong or gathered, en masse, to decide if they even know what is right or wrong.  We are all confused by the media and lulled into a sense of complacency by technology, video games and high-fructose corn syrup.  When was the last great american sit-in?  When was the last time a large mass of people made a stand that actually lead to change?  Where are the Watts riots of 1965?  The Detroit riots of 1967?  Maybe these are all events that were read about and not experienced... how about this one:  Where are the "peaceful" sit-in against Dow Chemical circa 1967 Madison, WI?  Today's graduates and generation not only would welcome Dow to town, but would be fighting for a place in line to get a job.  What happened to the San Francisco social scene of the late sixties/early seventies?  Things are not right in the US today - nor in the world - and we are all too busy to make a stand.

Has the machine finally won?  Is this the final stroke of the rise to power of the government/media/warmongers?  When will we decide to put our personal pursuits of comfort, possesions and status aside to conquer what is Old and Evil to make better times for the Good and Young?  This is a repeat of the sixties/early seventies in the US and we need to take a step back and decide where our efforts, energies and resources are best spent.

“Sheisters live from scheme to scheme,

but my 4^th quarter pipe dreams,

are seeming more and more worth fighting for.

So, I’ll curate some situations,

make my job a big vacation,

and I’ll say f*%k Bush and f#@k this war…”

- Kimya Dawson, “Loose Lips”, Juno Soundtrack

What keeps me going?

This should be short... but sweet indeed.


So, (did you ever notice that most sconnies - maybe 95% - start their sentences with "so..."), anyway, so, I just got off of another skype video conference with Christine and Mikey. If anybody is wondering, "How does he do it down there? What keeps him going?" That's it... I get to see the two reasons for living every other week or so. I get to hear them laughing together and I get to see him trying to crawl... almost there buddy, keep it up!... I get to feel like I'm there and a part of their lives, even though I'm over 9000 miles away. Everyone say that, "over nine THOUSAND miles away... wow, that's a large number. 9000 of anything is alot, but miles, they're huge, and so may of them.



Anyway, before I get too lost, I'll post a few pictures to show you what I mean, what keeps me going, what puts a smile on my face, even though I have to go outside, to work, everyday, when its -20F... that's all I have to say for now. Enjoy the pictures, I know I will.


Look how tall I am...

Almost crawling...






And smiles all around...

Where do I start?

Well, its been a long while since my last post. This is due to consistant & steady work, combined with lethargy and longing for home. It is true that we are working diligently to get to our stretch goal of 19 strings (which we will do ahead of schedule) but some things hve changed. I am now a solo-cable guy with the departure of Claire in late December and Tim moving to night shift to be deployment lead (although Tim is still a big part of the cable duties that get done... thanks a ton, Tim). The point is that now I am mostly working alone during the day, which is a double-edged sword. I like working alone, I can concentrate on the task at hand, but I dislike being alone, in the middle of nowhere, away from my family. But that will change soon! I am scheduled to leave the South Pole on the 27th of Jan (two weeks!) and after a night in McMurdo and a couple in Christchurch, I should be home on the 30th or the 31st.

On that note, let me catch you up on the last few weeks...

There have been quite a few goings-on around here, a birthday (mine), new years celebration, and drill baby drill! When I last left off we were preparing for a New Years Eve celebration of unmatched proportions and enthusiasm. My birthday here was quiet and pleasant without too much pomp and circumstance. It was a day of rest to mentally and physically prepare for the celeration to follow.

The 30th started off like any other South Pole day. A little overcast but temps around a scorching -5F. As the wind picked up a little, small ice crystals started to form in the air (I know, you might want to call them snowflakes, but they're not quite snow). Here they're known as diamond dust. They are what gives rise to one of the most stunning and spectacular natural phenomena, Sun Dogs. These are common to Antarctica but almost non-existant to the rest of the world. The crystals create an optical effect when they are blown past the sun, causing rainbows, bright spots and bright lines to appear. Words cannot possibly do these events justice, in fact, these pictures barely give an idea to the awe they inspire. I thought of these as my own personal birthday gift from God.

So you ask, "How could you possibly follow that up with anything better?" Well, how about a 104 degree hot tub, big enough for 60 of your closest friends? That will do just fine. The swing shift and night shift drillers worked diligently to prepare, fill and maintain the pool, while babysitting all the celebrators that came to partake (and par-tay).




Here's your author with a perma-grin and a hat full of scotch.

So, for two days, we got to forget what we were supposed to be doing and, for a while, where we were. It was a much needed interlude to a season that is shaping up to be 120% of the season we were planning (in about 95% of the time).

Now that we are two weeks into the new year, we have deployed 5 more stings and will deploy the 6th tomorrow (probably before anyone in the real world reads this). The drillers will take a day or two off and then the home stretch of 3 more holes will be started around Thursday or Friday.

Christine & Mikey - hey sweetie, hang in there... I'm coming home soon! I miss you lots and cant wait to be home. Love you both... lots!

Holiday Break

Its been business as usual on the IceCube front. We took a couple of days off for the Christmas holiday, Wednesday, Dec 24 and Thurs Dec 25. On Friday, Dec 26, drilling started again, in erenst and we deployed string #9 of this season Saturday night, Dec 27 into Sunday morning, Dec 28. Drilling has begun on hole #10. The drill is now at about 2000 m on the way down and the 12 hr reaming process will start in a couple of hours. NOTE: Drilling is on the way down and reaming is coming back up (I just learned that this season).

Saturday morning, I caught the worst bug I've ever had at the South Pole. It was a terrible cold combined with the worst flu, achy, vomiting, fever, you name it. I lost more than 5 lbs in two days... lots of bed rest and fluids, but now its on its way out, leaving behind a smaller, frailer, thinner Mike, with a terrible sore throat. Whatever doesnt kill you, makes you stronger, right?

Christmas was... well, it was... Christmas sucks at the South Pole. Sure you get to see snow all around, but is it really snow? It doesnt actually snow here, ever, so it really doesnt count as snow. Sure, there are decorations, a tree, wreaths on the walls, but does that make it Christmas? Bah humbug! The one saving grace Christmas had for me this year was the most wonderful video skype I had with Christine and little Mikey. I got to watch him open up presents, with family and got to see his reactions to his first Christmas experience! (not that he knew what was going on... but the paper sure tastes good.) That completely made the holiday worth it for me and gives me something to look forward to next year.

On the other hand, we had a great meal here, Beef Wellington, lobster tails, the best mashed potatoes (not from a box) and gravy, cherry pie, cheesecake... mmmm, it was great! Of course, there was so much, we had it again the next night. AND... Santa made a special trip all the way here to, well, get drunk, I guess. It looks like he had a great time.

So, as things start to gear up for the new year, I have started the countdown (ok, maybe a few countdowns). 2 days 'til my birfday! Yay! After this next deployment, only 6 more "scheduled" deployments (the NSF may grant us up to 3 additional) and 31 days left on ice... which means I'll be home in 35 days! Woo Hoo! We'll take a couple more days off for the new year and then its nose to the grindstone until its time to go home... one last push.

I cant wait to see all of you back home!

J-Mart has left the building...

"I went to Antarctica to be part of Antarctica, and then it became part of me." - Jerry Marty, NSF Representative to the South Pole

Jerry Marty is the quintessential Wisconsinite (Sconnie). Anyone from Wisconsin, or anyone who knows anyone from Wisconsin knows what I mean. He is kind, hard working, easy to talk to, easy to get along with, and concerned about everyone around him. Oh yeah, he's a Packer fan and he likes to drink beer.

I met Jerry 3 years ago on my first trip to the pole. He was a modest man, sitting in his modest office out in the Cheese Palace (named not only for the Sconnie that worked there, but also because it represents a large

cylinder of Colby cheese) and had modest ideals about how to get things done at the pole. I would later find out that he came to the South Pole first in 1969, just after graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Platteville, also my alma mater. He grew up in Monroe, WI and still likes to travel back to his hometown, where he takes an active role in the community and schools.

He returned to the pole for the 1974-75 season, with his wife, to help inspect and dedicate the new South Pole Station, the "Dome" or "90 South", as it is known. He has been to the pole every season since (Jerry, correct me if I am wrong). In 1993, he was given the reins to oversee the design, construction and opening of the new new South Pole Station, the elevated staion that I'm staying in now. And now, after 40 short years, he is retiring from the NSF and the Antarctic program.

Last Friday, after a short flag ceremony, he was presented with the flag that not only flew over the elevated station, but it was the same flag that flew over the Dome for the last 35 years. It was a very touching ceremony and a memory that I will cherish. Afterwards, a party was thrown and a couple more gifts were given. First, an IceCube Digital Optical Module (DOM) was presented to Jerry. IceCube decided to go against its self-imposed rule of not naming any DOMs after anyone still alive... we now have a DOM named Jerry Marty. After signing the DOM, Jerry was informed it will be deployed this season. Then, Beth Watson and Bob Spotz presented Jerry with a custom machined cribbage board, made by Bob. It was a tough secret to keep from Jerry, since the back of the board was available in the science lab for everyone to engrave their name on. The board turned out beautifully and will be cherished by Jerry. After all the gift giving, the party continued and everyone was able to spend time talking, reminiscing and drinking with Jerry, getting in their last good-byes.

Saturday morning, Jerry boarded the LC-130, never to return to the South Pole. It was very emotional for him, leaving the place he helped mold into what it is today. I am confident that we will someday be able to read about Jerry Marty, in the same way we now read about Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, Admiral R.E. Byrd and the Navy Seabees.

Movin' Right Along

IceCube is definitely in full swing this season. We've completed the deep drilling and deployment of 6 strings and are deploying the 7th right now. We should be able to get at least one more before Christmas (maybe even two) and another two before the New Year. This is, of course, barring any unforseen mechanical or other system failure and, God forbid, any injuries.

Drilling usually takes about 27 to 36 hours for one hole. This is from the time that the drill head enters the ice (about 75 ft. below the surface of the snow or the "firn") to when the 60 ft., 1,000 lb weight stack is pulled from the hole and detached. The drill is comprised of 3 separate spools, sending 2 - 4 in. hoses and one 1 in. cable down the 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) to the bottom of our hole. The cable's job is twofold: it supplies communicatiosn to the drill head so we can "steer" it and read out the pressure and temperature of the water, thus being able to calculate the lifetime of the hole (how long it will stay open to stuff our instuments down it), it also has a kevlar type strength member to support our main drill hose. The other hose is a return water line to resupply the heater tanks and return hot high-pressure water to the drill head.

The cable is taped to the main hose with a high-tech very expensive fiber glass tape. This activiy provides two of the most boring jobs available as a driller. One is taping the cable to the hose on the way down and the other is cutting the tape off as the cable/hose comes up. Again, this is a 30 hr. process on average. Yesterday, since cableguyland is a little slow in between deployments, I volunteered to cut tape. It was a great experience and it helps me "bridge the gap" between drillers and non-drillers. After all, we're all IceCubers, right?

During my tenure as drill tape cutter, we found a section of hose (most sections are around 100 to 150 meters) that appeared to have been slipping out or through its strain relief. This is characteristic of a hose that is pulling or elongating, called "necking", which compromises the structural integrity of the hose. Once we removed the strain relief, we also found a couple of half-inch sized nics or cuts in the hose. These signs all pointed to a quick hose change, which takes less than an hour (practice makes perfect). All of this is important because this hose carries superheated water at very high pressures, something like 190 degrees F at 800 to 1,000 psi (pounds per square inch). Any abnormality in the hose or thinning of the walls can produce a catastrophic failure of the drill or a dangerous stream of water vapor.

This morning, after deployment is finished, I will head out to the deployment site and complete the deployment by doing the "cable drag". This involves paying out the rest of the deployment cable off of its spool, dragging it over out drill/deployment tower and mating it to the surface cable in the SJB. In all, this process takes less than an hour and in performed by 7 or 8 people.

Then I get to have brunch... the only thing that gets me out of bed on Sundays...

Good-bye for now.

Air Drop

"There's a uh, big machine in the sky, some kind of, I dunno, electric snake, coming straight at us."
"Shoot it."
"Not yet, I want to study its habits."

- HST "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"



For the last few years, the Air Force has been practicing cargo air drops at the South Pole. These consist of several passes of a C-17 (sometimes two), dropping large amounts of cargo (mainly food items) about 3 miles out from the station. Since there is little to do here, the air drops are a very exciting social event. Everone gathers either out near the drop site or on the observation deck at the station. For anyone in the not in the military or those who are unfamiliar with aircraft, the C-17 is a sight to behold.



To say it is a large plane does not begin to describe it. Two years ago, I rode next to two helicopters and 16,000 lbs of beer and there was still enough room for 12 rows of first class airline seating and 80 other passengers lining the walls. After the cargo is dropped in 3 passes, the C-17s make a large circle (approx. 15 to 20 miles) to line up with the skiway and make a couple of low pass runs towards the station, finally ending in a 300 ft pass right by our observation deck. The sight and sound of these planes are awe inspiring.