A little post Christmas ski on our day off... The Castle Rock Loop is a nine mile hike or ski with some incredible views of Mt. Erebus and the Ross Ice Shelf around. I took off with three friends and hiked away from McMurdo up a big gravel road to get to the trail head. The conditions were a little icy at first but once we got up the hill we put on our skis and had a nice cruisey ride down a little hill and then up a little hill to Castle Rock. You can climb all the way to the top but we just hiked up to a ridge were we could sit and take in the spectacular view. It is times like these that I actually remember I am in Antarctica. Mt. Erebus smoking right in front of me, the little squiggly crevasse dancing right up it, seals in the distance sun bathing on the ice, the Ross Ice Shelf going on and on white as white can be. It is amazing such a breathtaking hike exists only a few miles out from McMurdo. The ski down the other side of the rock was great too. It is a fairly steep hill and on cross country skis that can be a little sketchy. Don't go too far off the flagged trail either because there are crevasse along the way! 
Mt. Erebus and Castle Rock
Kirk stepping out of the "apple" warm up station along the route
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