I'm at the Pole!

Here I am, finally! When fellow IceCube colleague and I got off the plane, there were several friends waiting for us at the airplane. It is still exciting to be here but definitely different from the first time. For example, I don't have a single photo from getting off the plane and going into the Station so you will have to look through my photos from last year. It's about -32 Celcius or -25 F. Once you are over the initial cold air taking your breath away, it doesn't feel cold as you might imagine especially with all the gear they provide. It's amazing what modern equipment can do! The altitude is more of a problem: the ice is 10,000 feet thick and there is much less oxygen here than at sea level. Everyone is advised to take it easy for the first couple of days to get acclimated. No running, no heavy exertion, and walk up the stairs very slowly.

There are currently about 250 people at the South Pole, 50 of which are working on IceCube. We are definitely the big kid on the block here. It's great to see some people I met here last trip, meet new people, and see old friends!