Mike on the Ice: A Late Evening Walk

Yesterday evening we had a real treat here. Anthony Powell, an Antarctic photographer for the last year showed a rough draft of his upcoming theatrical release "Antarctica A Year on the Ice". He has spent the better part of a year documenting Antarctica with photography and video. He has put all this together as a motion picture. He concentrated a lot around McMurdo and what it is like to "winter over". It's funny that several people I have met are in this film. They keep coming back year after year. I left this film wondering if I am prepared for what is to happen over the next several months? It is kind of scary to think about. A 6 minute youtube of this can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TemK6CF6lF0 .

If you have some time for some amazing photography visit Powell's website: http://www.antarcticimages.com/

The viewing itself was in an old Quonset hut called the Coffee House. Inside coffee and wine are served. The theater part of the building is very low and narrow with a rounded ceiling of old wood planks. There are couches lining the long hall. Very cool.

The Coffee House.

I was inspired by the movie to take a late evening hike to Discovery Hut. Robert Scott built this prefabricated hut during his Discovery Expedition of 1902. It was later used by him and several others in his ill-fated journey to the South Pole in 1911. It was eventually buried in ice and rediscovered by the navy in 1956. It was well preserved inside and out. Nothing has been touched on it. I hope for an inside tour soon.

The views looking west to Cape Crozier are beautiful with the dramatic black rock of the volcano giving way to the ice below. For a moment I felt like I was the last person alive while standing on the edge of the earth. Total peace.