Observation hill was much steeper and higher than it had looked from below! I got directions for a shortcut from one of the staff members on the base when I left the shop, but I had to give that up when I lost my way near the back of the base. I started up the rocky trail on my own after going back down by the zodiac landing area, dropping off my bag of souveniers with Susan, who was standing there.
The trail was very rocky and irregular, with plenty of lose gravel and dirt underneath the stones. It also zigzagged up the hill from side to side and around the hill, much farther than was evident from the ship or from the ground. I was gasping by the time I made it to the first bend.
The lower slope and terrain on Observation Hill
Eventually, I got up to the power station. (Ethan later told me it was the
site of the old nuclear power plant.)
The power station and the peak of Observation Hill
I stopped there to rest, and took lots of pictures around the base, up at the peak, and back down toward the ship in the Sound. Then, I conceded defeat and went back down.
I was very disappointed that I hadn't made it up to the top, but I didn't want to be left behind either. I understood that while I might enjoy myself for eight months, people back at SILS might not understand so readily...
McMurdo Station from Observation Hill
We waited for about fourty-five minutes for a zodiac, and then motored back over the water to the ship. It was very cold now, and the waves were much worse. When we got to the ship, the wind nearly tore us off the raft, and the waves nearly knocked us out. Our driver, Stina, did a great job bringing us in. The raft and the docking area on the ship were all coated with ice, and my jacket and carying bag were pretty well coated as well.
Back here on the ship, I was a mess, but it was a great time!