I journeyed to the Dry Valleys during the month of November to conduct glacier surveys and maintain the network of LTER weather stations. It had been two years since my last visit and I had anticipated that things would be very different, but it turned out that I was only partially right. Traveling though Christchurch was very different. Even though I was prepared for it, the structural damage caused by the earthquake was alarming. The two B&Bs that I stayed in years past were vacant lots and access to much of downtown is restricted. The front of the hotel I stayed in was an empty shell under steady construction. While the people I spoke with all said that folks rallied together, you could tell the disaster had taken a toll. Many folks have decided not to rebuild. I awoke my first night shaking in bed, a minor 3.something aftershock, another reminder that things were still unsettled. McMurdo Station from Ob Hill Upon arriving in McMurdo a familiar feeling came over me...