Adventures of Maz and Ruth!

Greetings friends and family! Here's hoping that you are having a great holiday season. Everything is continuing at a quick and exciting pace here. Just recently, I did something that not many hair stylists will EVER get to do.

Two weeks ago, I had a 4 day working vacation away from McMurdo. Due south I went and beautified the Admundsen-Scott SOUTH POLE STATION!!!! Normally, the McMurdo stylist makes one or two trips to the Pole. Last season I never made it down which makes this season even more exciting. Hopefully, I will be there for round two sometime in February to give the winter-overs their final professional cut before the 8 month winter season begins.

The trip began with rock star seating in the front of a C-130. Seeing that I am the stylist for the Air National Guard here at McMurdo, the flight crew took great care of me. While wearing a headset, I was able to hear just what goes on while taking off and watch the plane lift off the ground.

The photo opportunities were amazing while in flight as we coasted over the untouched terrain.

One of the challenges that I faced was being at an altitude over 10,000 Ft while staying at Pole. Extreme cold, thin air, and zero humidity makes it quite difficult to adjust. Over the past few weeks, there have been around 10 people that have been medivaced for altitude problems. To help ease my transition I decided to take an altitude medication and only suffered with a slight headache and fatigue. It was quite strange getting out of breath from walking up only one flight of stairs.

The new station was completed this year and made for a comfortable stay. The tiny room I called home for a few days was 6x11 Ft in size and was separated by partitions from the surrounding rooms. Not the most ideal housing for an extended period of time. Everything one could need was in the new station. I worked in the art and crafts room just down the hall from the green house.

During winter, a staff of about 50 is housed in the building. The summer season puts the station at it max capacity and houses a staff of 250. As far as scenery goes, Pole is flat and white and makes McMurdo seem so much prettier.

Most of my time was spent working. I was able to see the station during my lunch breaks. I of course had my photo taken at the pole and ventured into the old dome. The buildings used to be housed in the dome before the new station was built. Currently the dome is used for food storage.

One of the perks of cutting everyone's hair is getting the chance to tour work centers of the different clients. One client took me on a tour of the ice tunnels which are 40 feet below the ground and average a temperature of -60 degrees. The tunnels link the buildings and deal with removal of waste and retrieval of water. I am not quite sure how the system works. At any rate, it was awesome.

The trip seemed to be over before I was ready and I found myself headed back to McMurdo. On a whole, the trip was fantastic. The station has a unique community of people that know how to work hard and play hard. The was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Here are a few extra photos from my stay.

hydroponic greenhouse veggies