Today is our last chance to see Scott’s Discovery Hut, which is located next to McMurdo Station. We probably won’t all be in McMurdo at the same time once the camp is installed. So, we checked out the key and walked over to see this historic hut.
Scott’s first expedition used this hut, although they didn’t live in it. Apparently, this design made for a successful building in the Australian outback , but the design was for hot climates. The building was too drafty and constantly leaked snow. Scott’s party used it for storage and lived on their ship, The Discovery, instead.
Here’s a photo of the hut taken from Vince’s Cross. You can see McMurdo in the background.
Photo of Jessica, Brendan, Paul, Cass, and Kozue in front of the hut.
Those black objects are seals that were killed for food by Shackleton’s people when they were forced to overwinter in 1914.
Kozue is trying to determine what was left in the pot – maybe seal blubber?
Jessica, Cass, and Kozue
Kathi in front of the dirty laundry. It makes you mindful of how you leave your room. I’d hate for visitors in future years to look upon my messes.
Paul holding The Fram cup in Scott’s Hut! Fortunately, the roof did not collapse on us, shaken by the ghost of Scott. The Fram was Amundsen’s ship and, Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole, as you probably know.
Notice the ice crystals on the roof. I suspect that some of that is caused by all the people that visit the hut each year. The moisture is becoming a problem and to preserve these huts they are having to limit the number of visitors. As commercial tourism down in the Antarctic becomes more prevalent, this problem will increase.
