02/02/08
You know you have issues when.....

Your in Antarctica to do a project and run into someone you know. Yes, I know this is just perfect but hear me out.

While sitting at lunch three days ago, An-my and I have small talk, I say to myself, out loud much to my surprise, 'When am I gonna see someone I know?" An-my looks at me like I am joking.

A day goes by.

The following day we are having breky when I am introduced to two navy PAOs (Public Affairs Officers), Josh and Sean, you know the types, names mean nothing to me, pass it out the other ear. After talking with them for about 3 minutes An-my and I return to our overfilling meals. I run one of their faces through my mind and the name Sean. After a second I ask An-my what the name of the short, funny one under my breath. She responds with Sean. I about shit myself, I ask, "what is his last name?" She tells me and I start cracking up. I look at the dude and I say, "You taught me sailing at Sail Newport in 1989." Sean at this point took a triple take on this whole conversation with complete astonishment, how could he not. I was spot on.

There you have it, I have a very serious social problem that follows be everywhere I go, like a black cloud of rain that is always pouring on me and will always crack me up. I am still laughing about the whole thing.

Anyway, back to the fact that I am in the Arctic and not in some tourist trap of a place, seeing someone I don't really care to see, back to what we have been up to.

Cameras packed and up at the crack of the AM, sun never setting, we are off to a plane/pickup truck to goto a place called Wais Divide. Wais is in the middle of nowhere Antarctica but happens to have some of the oldest core ice in all of the arctic. This is the only reason anyone would want to go there I can assure you. We had been trying to get there for the last week but the weather there is so bad and in constant flux that the flights have been canceled three times. Saturday was the day of the weather window so we changed our loose plans and got on the flight.

The rumors of this base getting shut down where never ending, eluding to the fact that the place is shut down, just about everyone we talked to would say, "why do you want to go there? There is nothing to see." They were not lying but this is just what An-my wanted.

Three hours there, 35 minutes on the ice, three hours back.

We run off the plane, props spinning as the crew prepare to offload fuel, blue boots, camera, tripod, running. We find two locations we like and start shooting. 8 sheets of film go by and we see a snow mobile with a trailer go by. On the rig we see about 3 guys and all their shit, yelling and screaming, waving their hands in the air, looking at us as they yell like we have ten heads each and are without a doubt insane for having come there. These dudes were about as happy to get out of this places and a kid that just lost his virginity is the next day.

We move to the next spot, shoot, another spot, shoot and we are out of film and the plane is loading said stoked teenagers. Pack, Run, Fall on my face, Get up, Run more. Door on the plane closing. What in the hell, they going to leave us here? Not funny. The kid that was running the door on the plane must have forgotten about us (he's not the brightest bulb on the tree) only to be reminded by the rest of the crew as they see me out the window with the tripod up in the air as high as I can get it. No way in hell I am spending the night in this place, not a fucking chance.

Door opens, we pile in only to see we no longer have seats. Plane full of crates with snowmobiles piled on top, smelly overworked dudes and all their gear . Guys that look and smell like they have not had a shower in months. Air crew running around trying to finding us seats. Ass down, gear up, 3 hours, gear down, piled into the Delta, McMurdo shower and food.

Lets, recap, 3 hours out, 35 minutes on the ground to be almost left behind, 3 hours back, all in the back of a pickup truck. What a day.

That night we went to the Waste Barn, as in the building they deal with the trash in, where they are having a close of the summer season annual party. Quonset hut style, trash smell style, cover band style, classic style. The smell goes away after a few minutes we kept telling each other, it never did. We endured the closest thing to a highschool dance for about 4 beers, at which point we opted to get a beer or two at one of the bars as we knew it would be empty. Night night.

I have posted some around McMurdo Silly shots along with this post. The next few days will be back at Willie's Field, Pegasus air strip where the C17 lands as well as a crash site from the 60's and a small chance we may return to the pole for a few more shots we didn't get when we were there (if An-My can hack the hight!). Plans change so much here it is nuts so we will just have to take it as it comes.

Hope all is well wherever I am coming to you.

Take care.. //db

Pickup Truck.

All alone, who in their right minds wants to goto Wais at the end of the summer?

Even the Crew gets bored.

Hmmmmm.... Lots to see here!

The Camp. These are some lonely souls out here.

That is the plane we came in on and the one we rushed to get back out on. As you can see, the Wais Crew is happy to be leaving.

Deardorff, Gitzo and a Girl on a Mission. Blue Boots not included. Taxes and Title are extra.

Check that thing out. OldSchool mate. Don't fixer if she ain't broke.



Yo Guy, don't think of using these images for anything cause I be Copy Right Dan Benson.