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Hello from Antarctica!

Started by sawinmontana, January 14, 2005, 03:12:14 PM

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sawinmontana

Today is my birthday and I thought I would send out a greeting from down here.  I'm working down in Antarctica at McMurdo Station.  So Hi to all the Forestry Forum members!

RavioliKid

Wow! Antarctica!!!! :o

And I thought it was cold here!
RavioliKid

dewwood

I did not know there were enough trees in Antarctica to take a sawmill down there.
Selling hardwood lumber, doing some sawing and drying, growing the next generation of trees and enjoying the kids and grandkids.

Jeff

Cool! I mean COLD!  Actually, its summer there isn't it? What are your duties down there?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Tom

Happy Birthday!

Jeff, his primary duty had better be "staying warm". :D

That lends a new meaning to being "Down Under". ;D

logman

Happy Birthday,  I've been down there twice but not to
McMurdo.  We supported Palmer Station when I was in
the CG on the icebreaker Glacier.  
LT40HD, 12' ext, 5105 JD tractor, Genie GTH5519 telehandler
M&K Timber Works

sawinmontana

Trees are kind of scarce down here.  Not a very good place for a sawmill!  It is summer down here now.  We have 24 hours of sunshine. It just circles around us.  Summer temperatures get as high as 40 above but an average temp is probably 20 or so.  When I got here in August it would get down to 45 below.  There were 100 below windchills that time of year.  I am a heavy equipment operator.  We have dozers and loaders and what not.  My main job is grooming snow roads and runways.  The icebreaker Polar Star made it in here about a week ago but then broke a propellor. He's been sitting ever since waiting for some Navy divers to bring parts down here to fix it.   The National Science Foundation(NSF) has hired a Russian breaker to come and assist, but it isn't due here for another week.  I'll post some pictures when I get back into McMurdo.

Later,

Scott

SwampDonkey

Well this truly is a global forum, we got folks from every continent. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Jeff

Whats the scoop on the giant Iceberg that is supposed to collide with the peninsula that forms, is it McMurdo Bay?

I saw a little bit on it but not much. Only that when it happens it will block flow ice or something and make it a whole lot harder to get there by ship.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Corley5

Happy Birthday!  Sounds like you've got a  8) job ;) ;D
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

CHARLIE

Have a happy birthday way down there! 8)  Exciting getting a note from Anarctica!  I find that interesting that the sun just circles above you. No sunrise or sunset.

It's warmer down there right now than up here. This morning it was -18° with a -31° windchill. Supposed to repeat that in the morning.

I reckon y'all have ice cream cakes down there. ;D
Charlie
"Everybody was gone when I arrived but I decided to stick around until I could figure out why I was there !"

ScottAR

SawinMontana,  Happy birthday!!   Say hi to Pam for me...  The others too...
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

iain

Sounds nice down there, happy birthday
is that the iceberg thats 100 miles long?, and blocking the penguin road to the sea?

sawguy21

40 in the middle of summer. Hmm, Strange concept for most of us, except Ian of course, having to go north to get warm.
Here it was -38C this week. DanG, that is cold. The forecast is 5 and rain by Thursday
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

sawinmontana

The Ice berg is just on the other side of Ross Island from us here at McMurdo.  They say its the size of Delaware. It's kind of stuck between the island and a large glacier ice tongue.  I think it grounded out before hitting the ice tongue.  The iceberg has prevented a large area of sea ice from breaking up this summer and so the penguins that are nesting on this part of the island have to go alot further for food and most of the chicks are dieing before the parents return.  Its also caused alot of problems for the icebreakers getting in here.  

I'm not sure I'll be able to post pictures.  We are not supposed to down load anything to these computers.  So I don't know if I can get pictures optimized.  I'll check into it.

ScottAR, who is Pam? and the others?

Take care,

Scott

Ianab

Hi Scott

If you cant resize your images down there let me know. You could email a couple thru to me and I'll post them for you.
I can understand the rules about the computers... it would be a heck of a callout charge to get the spyway removed if they just let anyone install anything they wanted  :D

ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Jeff

Absolutely! No shortage of volunteers to resize photos! Ian is closer though. ;)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

ScottAR

Pam is a heavily modifed D8.  Known in some circles as a Stretch D8.  There are (were??) two others besides Pam but I can't remember their names.  I have a few photos I collected but I didn't take em so I can't post em here.  

I've never been to Mcmurdo, I'm just a machinery nut.  

Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

sawinmontana

ian, as soon as I get a chance I will email you some pictures!It may be a few days as I am going out on a short traverse for a few days.

ScottAR, I should of figured that out myself!!  Pam, Colleen, and Mary Ann.  They still run part off the time.  Not bad for 50 year old pieces of equipment!! There where others that were lost for one reason or another. I haven't had the chance to run them yet.  Maybe later in the season.  Right now Mary Ann is broke down and the other two are just parked, as we have a couple of new D8R's that are keeping up with the work.  But the NSF is bound and determined to milk all they can out of those poor old stretch 8's.

ScottAR

I'd like to see em run another 50years as I'd guess they'd either abandon them or cut em up for the ride back.  

They're too big a piece of history for that.  Those tractors were special built for that job and nothing before or since has equaled their performance.  I'd like to see em in the smithsonian (sp?) even though I doubt they'd ever be displayed.  Those high society folks wouldn't let a "lowly bulldozer" in their grand musem I'm thinkin.  

Sorry, preachin to the choir...   ;D
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Weekend_Sawyer


 The Smithsonian Institution has everything from mopeds to a locomotive on display, or they did last time I was there. Funny how I live about 25 miles from it and just can't find the time to go.

 Anyway, I would love to see a couple of pix when you can post them.

Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Jeff

They even have Archie Bunker's Chair. :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Gilman

Looking forward to the photos, even if we do have to wait until you get back.

Anyone have a link to a story on that iceberg?  I haven't heard of it until I read my #1 news source, "FF World News"

 ;)

Never mind, I lifted my lazy fingers and found, http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/ice_berg_ram.html
WM LT70, WM 40 Super, WM  '89 40HD
Cat throwing champion 1996, 1997, 1999. (retired)

sawinmontana

The stretch D8's are pretty cool and an important piece of history and should be in a museum.  But, they are 50 years old and should have been replaced 30 years ago when they were wore out then.  Operators from other countries Antarctic programmes that come thru here have a good laugh at the equipment we are still using.  As far as our heavy equipment goes we are kind of the laughing stock of the world.  If you really need to move alot of snow nothing will beat a new D8R-LGP.  I could really start a rant here of what I think of the National Science Foundation so I guess I better quit now.

I did make it back from my trip and will send some pictures out soon.

Later, Scott

Furby

I was looking at the link Gilman gave, just a little while ago.
I see the berg made impact, and if ya blow the image up, you can see a crack forming where a piece as big as this berg, or possibly bigger may break off.
Pretty cool if ya ask me!  8)

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