South Pole Redeployment and we made it to McMurdo!

"And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive.  And you may not even be sure, whether the storm is really over.  But one thing is certain.  When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in.  That's what this storm is all about."  Haruki Murakami

An appropriate quote my sister Tish sent me recently. I will be visiting Tish and my brother-in-law Jim in Pacific Beach, San Diego, California for several days before returning home to Florida.

A few winterover stats:

Fuel consumed: 267,000 gallons of AN8
Water produced: over 280,000 gallons
Over $400,000 of food consumed

November 8, 2017: After a one week delay leaving the South Pole 32 of us winterovers finally arrived in McMurdo after a 3 hour 835 mile flight. Now we are in another weather delay to Christchurch, New Zealand.

A friend brought his bike out after a long winter storage. 

The other side of the South Pole sign. Shadows are long with the low sun elevation.

After riding a bicycle around the world with my daughter Jocelyn (fatherdaughtercyclingadventures.com) the South Pole is one of the more unique places I have ever ridden. A little tough on the under station ice though. The snow is too deep in other areas.

Our 2017 winterover picture hangs proudly with 60 other winterover pictures since 1956 on the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Hall of Fame.

An 835 mile LC-130 ride back to McMurdo!

Our chariot awaits.

A fine moment. Another great adventure is coming to an end.

A last look at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

A very tight fit inside the LC-130 Hercules.

The Trans-Antarctic Mountains.

McMurdo Station on Ross Island surrounded by sea-ice and the Ross Ice shelf.

Ready to de-plane.

Our chariot to McMurdo about one hour across the Ross Ice shelf to Ross Island.

An almost sunset on the Ross Ice Shelf, McMurdo Sound.

There are several airfields on the ice shelf and a seasonal one on the sea-ice right outside McMurdo.

Fine ice transportation.

A weddell seal nursing her pup. 

A memorial at Discovery Hut Point with Observation Hill in the background. I have hiked Ob Hill several times in the past.

McMurdo Station with Robert Scott's Discovery Hut he built in 1903 on his first expedition. He anchored his vessel HMS Discovery in this harbor. 

Vince's memorial cross. He fell into McMurdo Bay and the crew erected this cross more than 100 years ago. 

We hiked to Scott Base about two miles from McMurdo.

Having fun with the sea life in McMurdo Sound. Yes, there are orcas in the sound.

After a South Pole winter -40 is a normal balmy summer day!