Our first stop in Antarctica is the largest base on the continent, McMurdo Station. In essence, McMurdo (or Mactown) is a small industrial frontier town of about 1500 people which supports the science projects run by the National Science Foundation. McMurdo has some amazing facilities for such a remote place-laboratories, satellite communication dishes, modern living quarters, daily bus service, several gyms and bars, a library, and a church. McMurdo is the doorway to the deep Antarctic, and it's where many of our groups preparations start to come together.