Delta Trip
(I’m reading this now and realize it’s a lot like a long movie so you might want to pause here get your popcorn and a drink. A quick trip to the restroom might be in order as well)
What an amazing day. I visited Scott’s Terra Nova Hut at Cape Evans, McMurdo Sound. This hut was occupied by Robert Falcon Scott and his men in the austral summer of 1911 as they attempted to be the first men to reach the South Pole. Check out the pictures attached in the gallery of this blog.
I knew the day was going to be good right from the start. I was the 5th alternate on the list to go to the Hut. After roll call of primary candidates for the trip was made only two alternate slots remained open for the trip. As they started down the alternate list the first person called chimed in that they were there. Only one slot left and I was worried. Name 2 called no response. Names 3 and 4 are called same thing, no response. Name five Bill Elwood yeah I made it.
We headed out to get on the transport vehicle. It’s called a “Delta”. The vehicle was left behind by the Navy when they left the project several years ago. As you can see from the picture the vehicle resembles an earth mover. The only difference is that the back has a passenger cabin where the dirt would normally be collected. The group leaders instructed us to buckle our seat belts before we started. We should have suspected something was amiss when we noticed that the seat belts were about 4 inches wide and made of heavy duty nylon. We would discover shortly after starting on the trip that they used the same suspension as was used on the earth mover. Each bump felt like hitting moderate turbulence in an airplane. It was a rough ride to say the least as we progressed across the sea ice of McMurdo Sound.
Okay here’s the down and dirty. They told us ahead of time to bring a “pee bottle”, a water bottle and any food we wanted to eat. (The trip took 6 hours round trip). They told us we could pee on the ice if we wanted to but were not allowed to pee on the dirt around the Hut. If you had to do other than pee they had a bucket for that purpose.( I won’t elaborate anymore as I’m sure you’re thinking TMI already) Oddly enough we stopped about 15 minutes into the trip at a conveniently located outhouse on the ice.
About 30 minutes into the trip we pulled over to view a seal that had chewed its way up through the ice and was sunning himself near the trail we were on. He seemed genuinely uninterested in our presence. The Antarctic Treaty prevented us from getting close or disturbing him but we were able to take some pictures near him. (See gallery)
From the seal we continued on non-stop to Scott’s Hut. As we arrived we saw another Delta which had preceded us on the trip. Before we left the Delta the guide read us a page long list of instructions designed to preserve the Hut and its contents. As we set off across the ice to the hut the guide went ahead to mark stress cracks in the ice so we wouldn’t trip, stumble or twist our ankles.
The roof of the Hut itself is all that’s visible as you approach it. Surrounding the Hut is a snowdrift that had accumulated during the winter. Interestingly the drifting winds caused a pathway between the door of the Hut and the wall of the snowdrift. The hut itself is 25’X50 feet with an attached stable for the ponies and the dogs used to carry supplies on the trip to the Pole.
The door to the hut is only about 5 feet high and as you duck and step through it you feel as though you are stepping back in time. Inside the door is another door that opens into the Hut itself. To the left is a corridor that runs across the front of the Hut used to store shovels and supplies that were not affected by the cold. Around the corner from the corridor is the stable which ran along the entire length of the Hut. Inside the stable to the right is a pile of skin on seal blubber. Its use I can only guess at but I assume it was used to burn in the heaters and probably used as a source of food as well. The Hut and stable have been left just as they were when the last inhabitants departed the area in 1916. Horseshoes hang on the walls along with feed bags, grooming brushes and even a bottle of castor oil. A funny side note in the stable and in the Hut I noticed mouse and rat traps (the old spring flip over style seen in old cartoons.) I’m guessing not even mice or rats were crazy enough to inhabit buildings in these cold climes.
As I entered the Hut itself I noticed that the wooden floor was covered with well worn linoleum. The building itself was very sturdy with large timbers supporting a tongue in groove roof which was overlaid with some type of rubberized roofing. The inside of the Hut had the appearance of a turn of the century (1900) hunting lodge. The kitchen was immediately to the right with rows of canned food still in place. I saw canned cabbage, sardines, cocoa, lard, spices and even a glass bottle of Heinz catsup with a cork stopper ( I had to chuckle the label looked much like it does today). I must tell you at this point that they had a wood burning stove in the Hut for cooking but there is not a single tree, shrub nor even a weed that is suitable for burning on the entire continent. All the pots, pans, cups, dishes and silverware still hang in place as if the explorers were about to return from the days travels to cook supper.
To the left was the supply area where additional necessities required for the stay were placed. Each case was clearly labeled and was in pristine condition. Above my head were two dog sleds in the rafters. We were told that the temperature at mid-body level was kept at a balmy 50 degrees Fahrenheit but that the temperature in the rafters rose to 70 degrees. Water containers in the rafters were used to melt snow for use by the men to bathe. In this same area was a small table (about 3’ X 4”) which was used by the enlisted men from the ship. Straight ahead in the middle of the Hut was the officers table (about 8’X3’). Bunk areas were on both sides of the officers table, officers on one side enlisted on the other.
In the back right corner of the Hut were a table and many scientific instruments. This clearly indicated that they were interested in more than being the first humans to reach the South Pole. To the left of the science area was a dark room that was built by the photographer. In the back left corner was a senior officer bunk area and a table used by Scott. On the table was an emperor penguin still preserved by the cold as it was left by the last inhabitants of the Hut.
I found myself examining the artifacts scattered around the Hut. Old holey socks, shoes of many kinds, most modified to give traction on the ice, and clothing. The bunks still had pillows at the head. Each bunk area had been modified by the last occupant to suit his own taste.
Outside on a windblown hill overlooking the Hut is a cross and plaque dedicated to some of those who have perished in the pursuit of research and adventure. (sadly I’ve noticed many of these on hilltops in the area of McMurdo Station.
We spent about an hour and a half at the Hut and then started the return trip to the base. There was a great sense of awe at what we had just seen.
We stopped at an ice tongue to take a few pictures, waved to the seal who was still sunning himself as we passed by and continued back across the ice and the ice runway to the base.
The trip had its share of interesting people as you might guess. One I found particularly interesting was a woman researcher from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She and her fellow researchers are here studying the affects of altitude sickness on inhabitants of the South Pole. She is about my age has 3 sons and five grandchildren, two of whom are the same age as Hope and Halle (my grandchildren). You can imagine what we talked about!
As I walked away from the Delta I passed by two pick-up games of football. The guys were mainly dressed in short sleeved shirts. It was a nice day. Sunny and 15 degrees.
All I can say for the events of the day is WOW!!!
