Snow Day!

McMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA

This past weekend brought a rare snowstorm. On Saturday as I walked home from work, the snow fell rapidly in big flakes. It didn't take long for the roads and rooftops to bear a thick coat of snow. I pulled out the mukklukks that I had put away weeks ago, and set out for a walk to the point. 

Discovery Hut, built 1902

Snow flakes cling to Discovery Hut

Hut Point

The howling wind and blowing snow drowned out the sound of the power plant, and the snowy roads and the late hour on a Saturday kept the vehicles at bay. I lingered only a moment before the wind nipping at my cheeks chased me away. I walked home plunging knee deep into the snow drifts forming off the ends of building, having gained several inches since I had come that way just half an hour earlier. 

The snow fell through the evening and into the night. I longed for a fireplace and vast bay window overlooking the sound, but I settled for snuggling up on the couch under a blanket, looking over my shoulder out the dirty window every few minutes to watch the snow fall. Sustained snowfall is such a rare treat! 

I woke on Sunday morning expecting the sun to have melted the snow, but instead found the thick blanket of snow sparkling in the morning sun. Giant icicles hung from Building 155, the central building that houses the galley among other things. The icicles swayed in long continuous curves, the result of the relentless wind while they formed. Several folks were out snapping photos, and a few generous workers were shoveling out the snow drifts around the doorways. 

After brunch, I went home to exchange a skirt for some long johns and grabbed a few extra layers. I haven't been sledding in years, for lack of good snow and a good sledding hill, I suppose. But across town, I found B. trudging up hill dragging a tiny red sled behind her, the red of the sled considerably more faded than oversized puffy red snowsuit that pooled around her ankles. I went inside and pulled out another snowsuit from the depths of the ECW (Extreme Cold Weather gear) closet. The one-piece bunny suit left me feeling like a toddler bundled up for playing in the snow. 

Folding my long legs onto the tiny plastic sled, I pushed off down the steep slope. On the first run, I made it less than 100 feet down the hill before toppling into the snow, but managed to keep hold of the rope on the sled. My subsequent attempts were much more successful, ending at the bottom of the hill just before a bare patch of rock. When the sledding grew tiresome- or rather the walk back up the hill- I sat in the snow and watched others head down the hill, and eventually a half-hearted snowball fight ensued, for which no one bothered standing up. 

As the cold started to seep in, I followed a few friends inside. I kicked off my wet boots and peeled off the bunny suit and headed upstairs to the kitchen. I set a pot of water on to boil and pulled out several mugs. The others soon joined, padding across the wooden floor in their socks. I settled into a spot on the couch, nestled between friends, and sipped on a hot toddy. Certainly the post-sledding hot drink has improved since the wintery days of my childhood.