Photos

This is my self portrait at the ceremonial south pole marker. You can see the flags behind me in the reflection. The shadows are from the flags that can be seen in the reflection. I am taking a self portrait because I am the only one there, no one to take my hero shot.


I guess I will have to put this note on all my Antarctica photos to answer all the questions. I copied it from another photo posted previously.

Ok, you want to know more about how/why I was at the South Pole. I worked for the company that provided logistic support to the NSF for the scientific research being done there. Over the four years I worked for them I spent about one year in Antarctica, between five separate trips. Most of my time was spent in McMurdo Station (which was on the coast of Antarctica, south of New Zealand and about 800 miles north of the Pole), but I made two trips to the South Pole, one to Palmer Station and a month onboard a research ship, the Nathaniel B. Palmer.

This is the ceremonial marker for the south pole. There is a marker for the actual south pole also. The ice on top of Antarctica is constantly moving a few meters per year, so a new marker for the actual pole is installed once a year. Yes, that is a barber pole with a reflective chrome ball on top of it. The flags represent the twelve signatory countries of the original Antarctic Treaty: UK, Austrailia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, US, Norway, France, Argentina, Japan, Belgium, Russia (USSR).