antarctica pic

I didn’t want to mention it till it was final, but…

I’ve accepted a job in Antarctica this winter.

I will be the field coodinator for a research project that travels to the far reaches of the continent.

I’ll be one of a four person crew that gets dropped off at remote, high altitude camps on the Antarctic Plateau.

We stay for about a week at each camp then head back to the South Pole to…well not do that for 48 hours.

Then we head back out to a new camp, and so begins the process again.

The camps range from 10,000′ to 12,000′ elevation and approximately 500 miles away from the South Pole.

I’m hoping it won’t be any colder than about -30F or -40F.

There is one heated 8’x16′ building called an AGO, which we hang out in.

We each have our own tent to sleep in though.

Yep, camping in Antarctica for weeks at a time.

I don’t want to even  hear about how winter was cold this year.

Needless to say it should prove to be a once in a lifetime experience..

AGO camp building with our tents and bathroom tent…

While overwhelmed I know that I’m truly blessed to have been extended this opportunity.

I’m actually really excited! I think…

Thanks be to my wife who is supporting this idea, all the while doing battle with nursing school.

I love you and thanks for supporting and believing in me.  You’re my hero!

With the help of my Web Design Extraordinaire Matt Mizwicki, I intend to keep new posts coming.

There may be some delays so please bear with me.  I’m sure there will be pretty chaotic access to computers.

Between Antarctica updates and past Glacier Lake Jumping exploits I feel that I have plenty to write about.

My intention is to finish the Lake Jumping Project this coming summer.

We still have one more new lake story to tell and it will be coming out soon.

Throughout the winter I intend to keep telling past stories of some of my favorite lake outings.

This site is still relatively new and I’ve got a decade of stories to tell.

Although its not quite as easy while in Antarctica, our fundraising efforts will be in full swing throughout winter and headed into summer.

Thank you everyone for all the kind donations lately.

You are all Rock Stars!

Camp Mak A Dream works to breathe fun and companionship into lives that are tested daily by fear and uncertainty.

It allows them to be transported to another world if for just a moment.  A world of mountains and Big Skies.

Thanks to all of you who have helped support this positive, driven organization.

I’m profoundly thankful for this opportunity.  It’s more than I deserve, but I’m not sayin’ NO!

Virtually everybody has dreamt of going to Antarctica.

I mean,…thats a lot of pressure.

I joke,…But, really.

I mean its a bucket list item for over half of humanity.

Maybe not the camping part…You know…But Antarctica.

I don’t know if I had this much good Karma built up.

Thanks be to anything that deserves some thankin’!

It is never lost on me how blessed I am to have an able body and the support of some of the world’s best friends and family.

Thats all anyone can ever ask for, you know?

This year I’m going to miss the entire holiday season with everyone I love.

Do me the favor of taking notice of the amazing friends, families and opportunities you have out there.

Don’t let any of it pass by without taking notice of the good in your personal world.

That would be my request, and I don’t think I’m asking too much here people.

Have an awesome winter everyone and eat a second helping at the holiday dinner table for me.

I feel like I’m going to space.

Stay Tuned!

OH, AND LEAVE SOME COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE ANY!!!

I don’t have any photos of my own yet…  I’ll let Google Images do it for me.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&cp=6&gs_id=q&xhr=t&q=antarctica&rlz=1R2GZGN_enUS504&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35277026&biw=1192&bih=484&wrapid=tljp1350290725287010&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=Kc17UOKRBsmUiALe8IHgAg

Also, check out this site which explains the project quite well.  Lots of photos of the facilities.

http://www.polartrec.com/expeditions/space-weather-monitoring-on-the-antarctic-plateau/journals/2011-11-12