Ugly little town



Overlooking McMurdo from a hike along the ridge

 McMurdo is an ugly little town.  It began as a naval base back in 1956, as really hasn't changed much.  It is the largest station in Antarctica and is right on the ocean.  It is built on volcanic rock so the snow gets pretty dirty once the wind starts blowing.  The hills are steep and the rocks can be treacherous, but you still can't beat the five minute commute to work.  We all walk to work and pretty much everywhere else, except the runway, which is almost 15 miles away.  The town has a few bars, the science lab, a small library, a gym, a small store, and a few other amenities.  We are only allowed to walk on marked trails when we go hiking.  This is to minimize the impact on Antarctica, as well as avoiding falling into crevasses.  Since there are limited resources here, people get very creative and we have lots of fun.  Our living quarters become a very social place.