Scott's Hut

Jon, Jennifer, the Chief and I walked back to Scott’s Hut today. Jon is registered as a historical tour guide so he is able to get the keys to the Hut. Today’s weather is clear but the wind is ridiculously cold!! The long trek over was tolerable but I was frozen solid by the time we got to the hut. Scott’s Hut is simply an amazing piece of history. It is located on the north shore of Cape Evans on Ross Island. It can be seen from McMurdo is within walking distance. It was erected in 1911 by the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913 led by Robert Falcon Scott. From here Scott and four companions set out on the ultimately fatal trek to the South Pole. Although it was abandoned in 1913, the hut and its contents are remarkably well preserved to this day. This is due to the consistently sub-freezing conditions. The Hut was prefabricated (in England and Australia) before being brought south by ship. It is rectangular, 50 feet long and 24 feet wide. The insulation was provided by seaweed sewn into a quilt, placed between double-planked inner and outer walls. The roof was a sandwich of three layers of plank and 2 layers of rubber ply enclosing more quilted seaweed. Lighting came from acetylene gas and heating came from the kitchen using coal as fuel. The hut was divided into separate areas for sleeping and working by a wall that was made from boxes of materials. A stable building for 19 Siberian ponies was subsequently attached to the north wall of the main building. The ponies did not survive in the Arctic conditions. Many of the explorers described the hut as being warm to the point of being uncomfortable. During the winter of 1911 there were 25 men that lived in the hut. They also laid telephone line between Scott’s Hut at Cape Evans and Discovery Hut at Hut Point. Entering Scott’s Hut was remarkable. There are lamb carcasses still hanging from the rafters, supplies throughout the hut are still in boxes. The stove in the kitchen is exactly as it was left in 1913. Just inside the door is part of a whale lying in the floor and outside on the porch are the remains of a seal. You can actually see that it is a seal lying across a pile of burlap.

Another patient was seen tonight in the clinic. He will need to be medivac’d to Christchurch within the next 24 hours. I will go on this mission with Tara (civilian FN) and Barbie (civilian PA). I finally went home around 11:30 pm tonight…just in time to catch the last sunset over Antarctica. From now on it will be solid day light 24 hours a day.