"This extraordinary experience has been worth every moment."
(MOORES HILL, Ind.) -- When Colt Hummel walked off the plane he knew he was about to embark on a life-changing journey.
"With a grin from ear to ear, I took in the breathtaking mountains and felt the sub-zero wind on my face. Words and pictures cannot begin to describe how different this world is," Hummel said.
Hummel is a Moores Hill native who graduated from South Dearborn in 2016.
He describes himself as a former homebody who said going to the University of Cincinnati was a major step.
"However, as I became more comfortable being away from home, I began to explore the world," he said.
A conversation with college friends led to the idea of working in Antarctica.
Hummel began applying for jobs and last year and was offered an alternate position.
"This meant that if the primary candidate didn't meet the physical qualifications, pass a background check, or simply changed their mind, I would be next in line," Hummel recalls.
He shared the news with family and his grandfather was excited and eager to find out if Hummel would be able to go.
Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away from cancer last April.
"I can't help but feel that he was watching over me when I was told on October 6th that I was being activated. I know he would be proud," Colt said.
Hummel was offered and accepted a Communications Technician position with the United States Antarctic Program.
His team is responsible for setting up radio and data connections on the base as well as providing communications support for researchers who go into remote areas for weeks at a time.
"We have to setup radio towers and other infrastructure out there so they can call back to base and stay safe, so it requires quite a bit of travel to setup and maintenance all the equipment," he said.
Hummel left the United States in mid-October for a 24-hour trek to the frozen tundra. He spent a few days in New Zealand to train and also receive his extreme cold weather gear.
He boarded an Air Force C-17 plane for the last leg of the trip to Antarctica.
"I had the opportunity to chat with the crew and even take a tour of the cockpit while in the air. I thought it couldn't get much better, but boy was I wrong. I'll never forget the moment I walked off the plane," Hummel said.
The Moores Hill native is now in a country that fewer than one percent of the world's population has visited.
It's far from a vacation as he's required to put in 54-hour work weeks that often require helicopter rides to field sites and mountain tops to perform tasks.
Last week, Hummel flew by Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano in the world, on his was way to a field site.
"Once our work was complete at the field site, I had some free time to hike to a nearby hilltop and witness a breathtaking aerial view of a 300,000-strong penguin colony," he said.
He says there's plenty of things to do during his free time including social clubs, hiking trails, gyms, and bars.
Hummel says he recently played volleyball and visited a science lab to observe sea creatures living beneath the ocean ice.
His journey to Antarctica is far from over but he describes the first month as a remarkable experience.
"The path to this incredible opportunity was not without its challenges, but the support of my family and friends, as well as the memory of my late grandfather, fueled my determination," he acknowledged.
Hummel spoke with The 812 last week and said the temperatures are in the single digits with a wind chill of -15 degrees.
"But it was nicer today at 19 degrees," he laughed.
The extreme cold doesn't hinder the breathtaking landscapes, unique work, and the privilege of experiencing moments that few will ever have.
"I can say with confidence that this extraordinary experience has been worth every moment. As an average guy from southeast Indiana, I eagerly await what lies ahead in this unparalleled corner of the world," Hummel said.
Comments