Marc Ankenbauer's 10+ year quest to jump in every named lake in Glacier and Waterton National Parks for charity.
168 lakes. Only 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ZERO LAKES LEFT!!!
-- Marc jumped into Fisher Cap Lake on Sunday September 8th, 2013 to complete his goal! --
Read about Marc and how this project started...

Cracks in the Last Ocean : Ross Sea, Antarctica

January 16, 2014 By 1 Comment

Note: I wrote this blog post while sitting at the South Pole in December of 2012, but it’s being posted in January 2014.  Sorry for the wait.  🙂

 

The Ross Sea is the southern most liquid water on planet earth.

It carves an enormous gap in what is a mostly round Antarctica.

 

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McMurdo Station is situated at the edge of where the Ross Ice Shelf meets the “open” sea.

 

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An Ice Shelf is a permanent sheet of ice which is still connected to the glaciers on land.

 

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 Photo: John Weller

 

The Ross Ice Shelf just happens to be the largest in the world.

It is 2000 feet thick and covers a portion of the Ross Sea that is the size of France.

 

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Photo: Google Images

 

When I first got to Antarctica, the sea ice looked the same as the permanent ice shelf.

An almost unending expanse of flat white ice still frozen together after a long winter.

 

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As the Antarctic summer progresses the sea ice will get thinner.

By the end it will become billions of pieces of flat ice floating on top of the world’s greatest aquatic wildlife sanctuary.

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

Below the Ross Sea ice is a world of biodiversity that has no comparison on earth.

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

Ancient oceans, before man, may have been similar…

But no other ocean ecosystem on earth is this pristine any longer.

The last 50 years of industrial fishing and environmental degradation have left the Ross Sea the “Last Ocean”.

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

In 1959 the Antarctica Treaty set the continent aside for peaceful scientific purposes only.

No one country owns Antarctica and the international scientific community abides by the treaty.

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

Unfortunately, there is no such law governing the world’s oceans.

 

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Photo: John Weller 

 

The most dynamic part of the Antarctic ecosystem is the ocean surrounding it.

You can protect Antarctica all day long, but the fish are in the water…

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

Ross Sea is filled with multiple species of seals, penguins, whales, birds, fish and every other creature that loves the undisturbed cold depths.

 

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Photo: John Weller 

 

The Tooth Fish, which is known by its more marketable name of Chilean Sea Bass is drawing industrial fishing operations from around the world to the Ross Sea.

They are a keystone component in the food web of Southern Oceans and in many respects are the glue that holds it all together.

 

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Photo: John Weller 

 

Most of the world’s oceans are already depleted to the extent that they can’t support the demand.

So, it’s finally time to tap into the last and most remote corner of the ocean world.

 

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Photo: John Weller 

 

There is a large scale attempt to stop the exploitation of this region.

If you are interested check out the www.lastocean.org or the Last Ocean Documentary Trailer by Peter Young.

 

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I’m certain that l will never be given the opportunity to scuba dive in the Ross sea to witness this concert of wildlife for myself.

But just the idea that something like this still exists gives me faith that we haven’t lost it all yet.

 

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Photo: John Weller

When I return from the South Pole and the deep field stations of East Antarctica I hope to have the time to witness the more accessible, melted version of the Ross Sea.

 

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This is the most “melted out” I ever saw it by the way…

 

Off the coast from the New Zealand Scott Base, there are pressure ridges that show the first kink in the ice.

I was able to explore and photograph these odd ice spires and wrinkles.

 

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My coworkers and I were sent on a tour as a last outing before we head out to the remote field camps.

 

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Daily the cracks and heaves change as the melting continues.

A guide was essential to lead us safely through the labyrinth of contorted ice.

 

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Pressure ridges are created where the ice shelf and the sea ice meet.

 

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It’s much like plate tectonics.

Mountains are created when one continental plate smashes into or ramps up onto another continental plate.

 

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A winter of thick sea ice heaves and crumbles when the ocean pushes it against the much larger Ross Ice Shelf.

 

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It creates bizarre spires, rolls, arches and sinks.

It’s like a Dr. Seuss book of ice sculpture.

 

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Seals and penguins are sometimes seen tucked into the folds of the pressure ridges.

I was lucky enough to see three Weddell Seals where I went the other day.

 

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They find their way through the new cracks in the ice and flop themselves on to the surface.

They lounge a while, take in in the scene, and then drop back into the depths below the ice.

 

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On land they are a big sedentary blob.

I’ve never seen one actually do-anything.

But in the water they are graceful as a soaring bird.

Poetry in motion!

 

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Photo: John Weller

 

It’s always exilerating to see wildlife in their natural surroundings.

And then you make this the surroundings!

Calmly lounging beneath the hulking, steaming expanse of Mt. Erebus, the southern most active volcano on earth.

 

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In my life I have been lucky to witness some seriously amazing landscapes.

It’s kinda my bag.

You know?

But this place is without comparison!

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I hope you are enjoying it with me.

If you have any questions or comments please drop me a line on the comment forms below.

 

*I would like to thank nature photographer John Weller.  He is the image guru of the Last Ocean Documentary.  I hope he would be accepting of the use of some his photos for the greater good.  Obviously, I don’t have any personal photographs of these amazing underwater places. 

I figured that I would borrow some of his masterful images to spread the word and make the message more visually compelling.  To help me justify my usage this man’s amazing product, please check out  Last Ocean Short Film on Youtube, and help spread the Last Ocean mission. 

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Observation Hill : McMurdo’s Local Mountain

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Observation Hill is a small mountain or a large hill on the outskirts of McMurdo Station…

It is the Antarctica version of the little, after work, local mountain.

On top of the summit there is a large cross that was placed there in honor of Robert Falcon Scott.

He was the famous British explorer that was the second to ever reach the South Pole, but passed away on the return trip.

There are hiking trails that go around “Ob Hill” and to the summit cross.

 

 

The trail around Observation Hill starts near the helicopter landing pad.

We even saw a helicopter flying in from the field right as we started our trip.

 

 

As the trail gained elevation the entire edge of McMurdo Station became visible with the huge people carrier headed out to the sea ice airstrip.

 

 

We were surprised by a C17 which was coming in from Christchurch, New Zealand.

We sat on rocky hillside and watched it land on the sea ice landing strip.

 

 

There is another airstrip called Pegasus which is further out on the Ice shelf.

It gets used later in the season when the sea ice melts too much to be solid.

 

 

The trail continues along the edge of the Ross Sea through black volcanic rock.

Absolutely nothing but rock and snow…Nothing.

 

 

At the base of the mountain there were three Weddell Seals lounging near the cracks in the sea ice.

 

 

We rounded a bend in the trail and my fellow hikers were silhouetted against the expanse of the never ending Ross Ice Shelf.

 

 

The New Zealand’s Scott Research Base was visible out on the point with Mt. Terror in the background.

 

 

The trail got pretty steep at points with snow jammed in the winding trail.

 

 

I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to be out hiking in this surreal place.

I needed to be sure to pose for a photo with the ever present Mt. Discovery.

 

 

The Observation Hill summit trail leads directly out of McMurdo Station and is well steeper.

 

 

I kept waiting to do the climb because it had been wicked cold and windy.

Cold is one thing but the wind makes it ridiculous up there pretty quickly.

I had to finally just choose to go.

All in all it was alright and the wind was still blowing snow across the ground.

 

 

The surrounding landscape grows and grows as the trail rises upward.

Far in the distance is White Island which is bound on all sides by the Ross Ice Sheet.

 

 

When I was almost to the summit the last group was starting the descent.

 

 

I was left to a peaceful 10 minute window to take in the 360 degree panorama.

I set up a tripod and got a shot of myself on the summit.

The double volcanoes were looming in the background and the road to Scott base was visible far below

 

 

Anytime a trail gains even a little elevation around town Mt. Erebus pops above the skyline.

 

 

Mt. Terror and its profound amount of ice was a great backdrop for the wind turbines that help power the US and Kiwi stations.

 

 

Right before I left to come down here, National Geographic wrote an article about Mt. Erebus.

It is the southernmost active volcano on earth.

Its almost always steaming because there is an actual lake of molten lava at the bottom.  For Real!!

If that’s not cool enough, the steam coming out of the steam vents freezes when it hits air and creates crazy Dr Seuss like vent tube creature looking things.

Wait, wait…And there is cool crystals that form out of volcanic minerals which makes them bizarro hard.

Ah, Mt. Erebus…

 

 

I bid the summit farewell and started heading back towards town to make sure I hit up dinner.

 

 

This might be the craziest thing I’ve ever looked at from a 25 minute hike.

I guess you’ll have that on the regional tour.  Huh, Spicer?

I suppose we are in Antarctica…

Thanks OB Hill.

 

 

I hope this finds each and everyone of you having a simply splendid day.

To Life

 

Filed Under: Antarctica, Photography - Olympus OMD EM5 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Inside look into McMurdo Research Station

November 18, 2012 By 6 Comments

So, it is 11pm and I’m scheduled to fly to the South Pole on a C130 in the morning.

Pretty CRAZY statement, huh?  Never saw that one coming.

This means though, that I will be leaving McMurdo Research Station.

I’ve enjoyed McMurdo a lot.

It was overwhelming at first but I’ve settled in and really like its rhythm.

I’ve interacted with lots of parts and areas of the station.

I thought it might be fun to show you some pictures of the landscape, the vehicles, the buildings and odd little nuances of McMurdo.

 

There is a very dominant mountain across the Ross Sea called Mt. Discovery.

The extensive web of power lines throughout town can’t even diminish its dominance.

The vehicles around here might be the most unique part of McMurdo.

When you first get here you fly in on a C-17 like this one in front of Mt. Discovery.

To go from the airstrip to town you board a famous vehicle, Ivan The Terra Bus.

The company is called Terra, the name just came through the years.

Everyone loves this thing, there are even songs about around here.

There’s an even bigger vehicle that’s used to move people, but I don’t know what its called.

Its bizarrely big.

My friend Brian Roys and my brother in-law Matt Ziegler both pop in my mind every time I see these unique buses, fork lifts and other crazy contraptions.

You both would be in heaven driving and tinkering with these things.

The best I can do it document these huge Tonka toys for you guys.

Every vehicle is 50% larger than the normal world and lots of them have tracks like a tank.

Not sure what the story is with the student driver sign on this Piston Bully.

But the test must be wild.

Another cool aspect of McMurdo are the helicopters buzzing all around.

The landing pad is just downhill from the dorm I’ve been living in.

My travels around Antarctica are going to be based around planes.

C 17’s, C 130’, Basslers and Twin Otters will be my chariots.

But much of the science and functional day travel around the McMurdo area is done on the helicopters.

I wandered down to the heli-pad to get some pictures from behind the NO ENTRY SIGN .

Then one of the pilots was cool enough to show me around to get some closer pictures.

He even took a great photo too.

The buildings in themselves are pretty utilitarian in nature.

They are unique though, with the extreme weathering and the distinct McMurdo-ness.

The inside is often much nicer than the outside.

For example this is a really cool coffee shop, while it looks like a hunting camp from the outside.

The medical clinic is pretty unique looking.

I luckily haven’t had to go inside, but I’m sure it’s more impressive in there.

 

Attached to the clinic is a creepy door that stores the supplies for a mass casualty.

Let’s hope none of us have to find out what’s inside it.

I went out on the sea ice a few times for snowmobile training.

One day there was what is called Fata Morgana , which is an illusion.

It’s likened to the mirage when you see the road bending in the heat.

It was pretty bizarre looking as you can see.

There are obviously notreally zig zags in the cliffs.

To optimize our waste removal the entire program is based in very elaborate recycling.

There are bins divided for every possible subsection of waste, pretty cool.

Bamboo stakes with flags are used to mark virtually anything of importance out on the ice.

Road directions, unsafe spots, “don’t melt that ice for drinking water because that’s where we pee”.

You know, stuff like that.

Sometimes they just add Antarctic flare to the landscape.

I’m not aware that many of the roads around town have official names.

This road runs along past the main scientific labs.

Remember Beeker, the Muppet scientist’s apprentice.

That is the cute name the employees have for the science grantees.

The station is full of little unique quirks.

Like this metal troll that lives under one of the bridges.

Inside the Berg Field Center is a huge Scrabble board painted on the floor.

The other day there was a need to get rid of some old frozen donuts.

So, instead of tossing them in the garbage we threw a donut party.

There was donut checkers, donut jousting, donut corn hole and donut shuffle board.

And finally a couple pictures of my day to day job.

Lately I have been gathering all of the supplies for the field camps.

I have to enter them into the cargo system so they get sent to the South Pole and the correct field camps.

This is the inside of the Science Cargo building.

The other night my science group and I stayed up late into the night packing and moving cargo.

The lighting was great.

Like always Mt. Discovery was looming in the background.

So, there you go.

That’s McMurdo.

I’m leaving in the morning and won’t see this place for a couple months.

Off to more southerly and whiter pastures.

Wish me luck.

Honestly, wish the scientists luck…


To Life!

 

Filed Under: Antarctica, Photography - Olympus OMD EM5 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,