Yesterday morning, Michael and I got off work and decided to hike Armitage Loop. This is a trail that traverses over the sea ice from McMurdo Station to Scott Base. In order to do many of the hikes around the area, we are required to take an outdoor safety class, hike with a 'buddy,' check out with the firehouse, and carry a radio. The first of such treks, this 2.5 mile hike gave us a new perspective on Ross Island. We were able to see McMurdo Station, Mt. Erebus, Mt. Terror, and Scott Base as we walked around Ob Hill. The walk enabled me to understand where McMurdo is located in relation to other landmarks on the map.
We picked an unbelievable day to be outside. The warmer temps and lack of wind seemed unusual. The pressure ridges (above) enjoy the warm weather, too, as they seem to buckle more under the tidal pressure and expanding ice. The trail takes hikers for a slightly closer look at these changing ice formation out by Scott Base than we typically see.
The transition at Scott Base seems a bit menacing as well. We thought of the movie "Ice Age" when Scrat cracks the ice with his acorn.
At the completion of the trail, we had a shuttle pick us up at Scott Base. They updated their population for the summer (as seen below). Also, the sign below warns drivers not to drive off the road. I should have taken a picture with more perspective. If a driver were to drive off the road here, I'd be less concerned about the lines they would hit and more concerned about the lives on board. There's a steep drop off immediately behind the sign here.
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