More South Pole Spring pictures and it's almost time for redeployment

It's hard to believe but I am almost done with another Antarctic winter! It has certainly been a long deployment. The time seemed to drag until mid-winter then it flew by.

A good view of my three work areas along with tall shadows this time of year.

The Beer Can shining bright.

The galley is to the right of the beer can.

My room is on the 2nd level far left. I have a really good view of the polar plateau from there.

One of the Twin Otters returned with four passengers in and five out along with a case of fresh eggs. 

What a treat!

The station sign sneaking a peak.

Time is getting short! Three boxes ready to mail home. All my stuff seemed to multiply.

On my way to the Post Office. This reminds me of the old saying "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".

Sledging to the post office South Pole style! The rope up front is slipped around the body and off you go. Robert Scott and his men achieved the South Pole over 100 years ago using this method. Is this how Santa Claus got started? 

My three boxes were placed in a tri-wall (triple wall) box for air shipment to San Francisco. U.S. Antarctic stations utilizes the A.P.O. (Army Post Office) military delivery address. From there it will be trucked to Florida. Cost = $134.19. Well worth it considering the alternative of dragging it through airports half way around the world.

The South Pole Post Office in action.

The South Pole International PAX (passenger) Terminal has been dragged out of storage. The little orange posts are for tying your penguins to.

The South Pole terminal is designated NPX. Why not SPX as in South Pole? NPX originated as the U.S. Navy radio call sign back in the days of Operation Deep Freeze 1956.

The entire 12,500 foot skiway is now groomed.

At the end of the skiway. Beyond here is known as "The End of the World".

It's a long way back to the station.

A short video of jogging at the South Pole.

Sastrugi art...

in front of GOES.

The cargo berms are piled in drifting snow.

At the beginning of winter the doc and I flagged these cargo berms so that they could be found after winter.

Drilling a hole for a bamboo flag. Hard work in the solid ice.

These Quonset huts are almost buried.

Snow being pushed around below my room.