Fish Huts and Cape Evans

I had an opportunity to go and set up some fish huts and explore Robert Scott's Terra Nova Hut at Cape Evans. Cape Evans is about 17 miles north of McMurdo Station on Ross island. We hitched up two fish huts and with a Challenger tractor pulled them on their ski bases. The Challenger has rubber tracks and is a modified farm tractor.

A rubber tracked bulldozer pulled a 4 foot diameter ice drill which is used to drill through the 6 to 12 foot sea ice. We drilled a hole at two different locations.

We then pulled a fish hut over the hole. The fish huts have a heater and a generator for electricity. Inaccessible island is in the background.

This is what the hole in the ice looks like from inside the hut. I did not fish or see the divers but other groups have used the huts and have posted the following pictures.

The water is very clear and if you look closely you can see multitudes of star fish on the bottom.

Fish traps are lowered to the bottom and then after a while pulled up with all sorts of sea worms, fish and starfish. The ocean here literally is a cornucopia of life while on the surface there is not one living thing.

Divers are also here and dive through the holes to collect specimens for scientific study.

At Cape Evans we set up a fish hut and then had an opportunity to go inside Robert Scott's "Terra Nova Hut" Which was built in 1911 and was the starting point the next year for the ill fated expedition to the south pole. Scott's party all died on the return trip from the south pole.

The inside of the hut is full of artifacts from the expedition. Due to its remote location, the cold, and restricted access the artifacts are all in great shape.

Some of the sleeping cots in a corner of the hut. There is an adjoining stable where the ponies stayed that were used in the expedition.

There was a very well stocked pantry. A person could spend hours here looking at all the old supplies. We had to leave and it was extremely cold in the hut - when taking a picture you had to hold your breath way before you took the picture or the whole area would be fog!

Best wishes to all my family and friends!

Bob