It can only go south from here

When a college classmate of mine first recommended that I apply for a job in Antarctica, I imagined excitedly the challenges of living at the bottom of the earth. What I did not imagine, though, were the many challenges involved in simply getting there.

A major part of the hiring process for my general assistant job at the South Pole was to PQ, or to physically qualify for the job. A moderately athletic, 22-year-old woman in good health, I shrugged this off as being no big deal. One month and countless scans, blood tests and x-rays later, the Antarctic Medical team decided that my wisdom teeth had to be removed “just in case.” In the unlikely event of any difficulties with my teeth, a medical evacuation could take more than a week.

“What next,” I said. “Will they take my appendix out as a precaution, too?”

Thankfully, I can keep my appendix – a small, basic medical clinic at Amundsen-Scott station will be able to handle some emergency situations. I did, however, get all of my blood typing done. Upon arrival at the station, I will become part of the walking blood bank, a group of participants who will be ready to donate blood in any medical emergency.

Once I was deemed medically sound, my physical preparations extended into more cosmetic grounds. When I found out that showers are limited to two, 2-minute-long showers a week, I decided to cut my long hair into a bob. Water conservation at the South Pole is critical.

Having lopped off my hair and pulled out all of my wisdom teeth, the next question was what to pack. I am allowed to bring with me no more than I can personally carry. That will have to include the ECW – Extreme Cold Weather – clothing that I will receive en route. The ECW gear, including such items as a balaclava (a warm head covering which exposes as little of the face as possible, the kind popular with bank robbers, snowmobilers and mid-winter dog-walkers), rubber thermal boots and my red snow parka, should weigh about 30 pounds alone. My personal luggage includes basic toiletries, long underwear, photographs of my family and friends, and a balsam-stuffed sachet to remind me of home.

During my packing process, I called up my Antarctic contact, David, to ask him what the average temperature is indoors at Amundsen-Scott station.

“Oh, we like to keep it about 40 degrees Fahrenheit to conserve on energy.”

I was reminding myself vigorously of how much I enjoy sweaters when David added, “Just kidding. About 65 or so, though you’ll have to carry your parka around for going between buildings.” My new co-workers are not without a sense of humor.

My first stop from Bangor is Denver, Colo., where I will train. From there I will go to New Zealand, where I will await notice for my flight to Antarctica, ready to leave with good weather and on short notice.

As you will find if you try searching for “South Pole” under Travelocity.com or any other flight search, there are no commercial air flights to Antarctica. When everything is ready, the U.S. Air Force will take us to McMurdo station, Antarctica’s main base and coastal port. Finally, a ski-equipped LC-130 plane will take me to Amundsen-Scott station, my new home.

After all of this traveling, I will not, technically speaking, be in a foreign country. No nation owns Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty, which has been signed by 45 countries, reserves the area south of 60 degrees south as a zone for the peaceful conduct of research.

This no-man’s land is actually bigger than the U.S. But for its size, it is the emptiest of all the continents. Including all ship traffic as well as visitors to the main stations and to various field sites, only 3,000 Americans visit the continent a year – about the same number as the population of my hometown of Holden.

Perhaps that small number has something to do with the preparations necessary to get there. I, for one, keep hearing Marshall Dodge’s Down East drawl in my head, saying “Come to think of it – you can’t get there from here.” We’ll see about that. A little Yankee determination can get you just about anywhere – and that includes the South Pole.

Meg Adams, who grew up in Holden and graduated from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, will share her Antarctic experiences with readers each Friday. For more about her adventure, additional information about Antarctica and to e-mail questions to her, go to the BDN Web site: www.bangordailynews.com