Dead Seals, Huts, and Live seals

Last night was beautiful. A half prepared bluegrass band appeared on stage, and jive dancing and swinging ensued. I say they were half prepared because of the lack certain musical instruments that being of the Banjo variety. They could have played in Texas cuz they got a fiddle in the band, but sure as that chicken shittin pellets in the coop they aint got no banjo. Dancing with Anna Marie was fun whilst running other dancers over on the congested platform. Speaking of congested, the antibiotics have all but destroyed the cold, while I still feel the need to cough up a lung now and then. A side effect of the lack of banjo.

Today we planned to hike to the observation tube that juts about 15 feet under the surface of the ice. Instead however I am waken up at 4 in the morning by my roommate. Or at least it looks like my roommate sitting on his bed. I look in his bed and sure enough he is sleeping in his bed. So I am thinking it is extremely early, and I am dreaming some trippy shit from the codeine they put in my cough syrup. The two people on my roommates bed start saying something about the chair that I have my gear piled in for quick escape in case the dole corporation ever catches up with me. I mumble something that resembles "Hmm take chair. stand on to get to bunk. Im going back sleep." a couple seconds later I get booted out of my own bed and I am thinking I must still be dreaming when I am standing next to my bed with my roommate staring at me with a forlorn glare, while a very large man proceeds to crawl into my bed. My eyes dilate as if under the influence and I realize what has just happened. I start to get upset with the person who just kicked me out of my bed (mind you he is more than twice my body size, and extremely intoxicated by this point) and my roommate who is a big fellow tells me to call the fire department. The unknown stranger claims that he is in his own room. After this goes on for a little while we find out which room he is actually in and my roommate bouncers his ass out of our room. And this is all before seals.

now for the cool stuff.

Discovery hut with Mt. Discovery in the backdrop

Observation hill and McMurdo in the background

Just a short hike from McMurdo can be found the remenants of one of Robert Falcon Scott's huts built in 1902. It is a very close walk to the hut, and inside can be seen old dry goods 5 score and 8 years old. It was built to house goods, and served as a terribly insulating sleeping quarters, so the crew mainly slept on the ice stranded ship.
A quick hike downhill reveals a wooden shack 50 feet from shore placed on the ice, and a giant Mario like tube sticking out of the ice next to the hut. These are the dive shack and Observation tube respectively. We all walked inside the shack and to our surprise there is this fella stickin his nose out of the water.

The dive hole in the hut

What is that thing floating upward?

Oh hey!

How are you mr. Weddell Seal?

This Weddell Seal bobbed up and down for a couple of minutes replacing the spent air with the musty humid shack air that he was not in the least bit querimonious about. There is a short video HERE of him breathing making ostentations sounds with his nose, but sadly all I could think about was how in the hell polar bears could grab these things and haul them on the ice. Yes Polar bears have grappling hooks for claws, and yes polar bears are non existent on the south pole, but these guys look slipperier than snot on a glass doorknob.

My friends left so I went for a hike in solitude to hopefully ameliorate this cold. Beautifully etched ventifacts and porous volcanic pumice composed rock everywhere. I will not show pictures of the ventifacts in hope that when I get to the dry valleys the rocks will be larger than cars. Here they are the size of baseballs. For those of you who do not know what a ventifact is...I am just going to link it...Here.  wait...woops I meant here. 

I did not make it to the top of this hike. I made it about 3/4 of the way and saw a glimpse of Mt. Erebus. Here is what I got out of it.

Hidden Mt. Erebus

Behind that ball there is a huge cloud surrounding and viciously incarcerating the steaming flowing magmatic volcano known as Mt. Erebus. Since it was cloudy I did not want to ruin my first glimpse of the mountain so I slowly backed away while facing it until out of view behind the hill. From there I noticed there were some gracious picture taking opportunities and me being as accepting as I am. Took them.

McMurdo from afar

This peak that I have fallen to love

 The peak above has stricken my fancy multiple times and I can not seem to lose it. It rises out of the sea to over 14,000 feet and as I would like to tell you more about it, I cannot. For this peak is named after a pedantic British fellow who lived forever ago, and at one time paid a large sum of money to a society that announces its adventurous endeavors with the intention of racism. So therefore I am leaving this mountain be.

Start Panoramic from left to right

More right with Mt. Discovery and the Airfield

Airfield again and the Royal Society range

Vast expanse of abyss

and coming around to Ross island

Oh ya before I forget here is a mumified seal carcass that has been frozen here for over 100 years!!!

Enjoy!