By Michael Yee
Outside Online correspondent

Read a feature on surviving a South Pole winter in the February 1998 issue of Outside magazine

I am spending this winter at the South Pole in Antarctica, working on a project to rebuild the science station here. I thought I would share a few things about my adventure.

To get here I had to fly to Christchurch, New Zealand, and then, by C-130 military aircraft, to McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf, almost due south of New Zealand and about five hours in a net seat. From this station I had to wait for weather to improve at the South Pole as aircraft cannot fly into the Pole when the temperature is less than 50 below or so. It was 74 below and holding. Two weeks later I was able to get to the South Pole and step on to the bottom of the earth. I did not fall off! The temperature remained at an average 55 below or so for a while and now it has come up to a balmy 35 below. Here are a few facts about this barren place:

Antarctica is the driest, coldest, highest, windiest place in the world. It is approximately one-fifth larger than the contiguous U.S. The South Pole has an average winter temperature of 80 below degrees and receives only about 9 inches of snow per year. It is summer here now and the average temperature is about 30 below. I have yet to see that. The South Pole sits on the Antarctic polar plateau and 9,300 feet above sea level. Nine thousand feet of that is ice, so you could say that we have a pretty good base, if you are a skier. The nearest mountains are about 350 miles away, making it seem very flat around here. Because we are at the pole, the air is actually thinner than it would be at the same elevation at lower latitudes, lets say Seattle, for example. So we have what is called a physio-altitude that gives us the equivalent of being at a lower latitude. That altitude changes with the different weather patterns and can be as high as 12,500 feet. Right now it is about 10,480 feet. This makes for a lot of huffing and puffing when getting around the station.

The work that I am doing is part of a large project that is funded by the National Science Foundation to rebuild the South Pole station, as the old station is getting buried in the snow. Even though it does not snow much here, the wind in the winter drifts the snow over the buildings and covers them to the point that they are unable to dig them out. Most buildings are protected by being under steel archways; yet even so, the snow is crushing the archways and will eventually collapse the inner buildings. These are your tax dollars at work, so you might be interested in what Uncle Sam is spending it on.

SOUTH  POLL Given such a unique opportunity, would you spend a winter at the South Pole? Yes No

An average day

The roar of the C-130 aircraft woke me and I and decided to get up and start my day, considering sleeping was probably out of the question. Here at the South Pole finding silence is rare. With only a short window of opportunity because of weather, life goes on here 24 hours a day. Planes filled with supplies ranging from JP-8 fuel that keeps our equipment running to freshies (fresh vegetables) to scientific equipment to mail are coming constantly, weather permitting. Because of the cold, the aircraft don't shut down while they are on the ground. A ground crew quickly unloads and reloads them in about 30 minutes and then off they go, back to the coast to pick up more supplies.

On top of that noise, there are a variety of vehicles that are operating 24 hours as well. There are the D-7 bulldozers that move the snow that drifts over the buildings in the winter. It is not a job for a simple plow, as we have moved an estimated 9 million tons of snow this year already. There are snow machines to move people around, tuckers (a Model T on tracks), sprites (a shoe box on tracks), cranes, fork lifts, and a van to shuttle people from one part of the station to the other. Sleeping soundly is an accomplishment here.

After I get up, I usually take a walk to the dome, a large geodesic structure that houses the common facilities and some science offices. There I can have my breakfast in the galley, check my email as well as regular mail, and hear all the gossip of the day. Then it is off to work. This consists of getting dressed for outside work at 30 below with a 60-below wind chill. After a grueling day outside, coming into the galley for a hot meal feels wonderful. Afterward there might be time for a game of pool, a movie or just a bit of reading before I start to feel sleep creeping into my system.

The 10-minute walk back to my tent can sometimes feel exhausting after the full day, and the altitude doesn't help. The tent is called a Jamesway and is somewhat like a canvas Quonset hut. My room is about 7 by 8 feet and consists of a bed, a desk, and a few shelves. Beer left on the floor will freeze, so I am careful to keep it just at the right height. I've elevated my bed so that it stays warmer and I don't need so many blankets. All in all it is quite comfortable.

So there you have it, a simplified view of life at the South Pole. There are many beautiful aspects of the bottom of the world. We experience 24 hours of sun, halos in the sky that are formed from ice crystals, and an endless sea of snow. I am endlessly fascinated with the surroundings here and explore every chance I get. Of course, I do miss the trees, liquid water, the stars, the Northern Lights, the mountains, my girl friend, and my family.

Michael Yee is spending the winter working at the South Pole.