The Long and Winding Road to McMurdo
It always takes a couple days to get to Mcmurdo Station, but sometimes it takes a couple weeks! I left my home on October 17th, heading west. The flights can be pretty brutal, not to mention all the layovers, and this year was extra special with 13 hours in Brisbane! Thankfully I met a new Antarctica friend on the flight, and we really made the most of it (but then we didn't get into Christchurch until 1am). In total it was about 21 hours of flight time and exactly 48 hours from the moment I left my house in Portland to the moment I walked into my hotel room in Christchurch. And that's just getting to christchurch!
Before I ever planted any real roots in Portland, I planted roots in Antarctica. It's hard to imagine planting anything in Antarctica, but I got absolutely hooked on the seasonal life at McMurdo Station. I did five summer seasons, October to February, over the course of six years. Now all of a sudden it's been TEN YEARS since my last season on 'the ice', so it's time to go back, baybeee!
Hey there! I'm Eli. I live in Portland, Oregon. I grew up in Indiana, but the Pacific Northwest has always been my home away from home. I sing and play drums in Hot Won't Quit, I rollerskate with Skater Tots & Secret Roller Disco, and I'm a web developer / carpenter by trade.
I am currently working at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, as a Carpenter Apprentice for the 2022-2023 summer season (October to February). I will be updating this blog as much as possible, so check back regularly for updates or subscribe to the RSS Feed! If you want a bit more of the backstory, check out the first post on this blog.
- Eli Duke
- Portland, OR
- [email protected]
- 424-ELI-DUKE