The ultimate snowplow job

Polson man works half-year in Antarctica, every year

Believe it or not, it can be downright hot in Antarctica.

OK, so it might only be 30 degrees where Carlie Reum is stationed, but the sun is so close to the earth that "It's hot, really hot," he said.

Six months out of the year, August through February, the Polson man operates heavy equipment at McMurdo Station for Raytheon, a subcontractor for the National Science Foundation and one of the biggest defense military companies in the world.

"If I'm out operating some equipment, it's like a greenhouse. You just sweat," said Reum. "The weather here is absolutely unbelievable."

No doubt Reum had a white Christmas — a blindingly white Christmas. At the South Pole, the sun bounces off the snow like a mirror. And part of Reum's job is to make sure the surface of the 114 foot thick glacier reflects the sun, because under that snow is the "the prettiest blue you can imagine."

And when that pretty blue ice is exposed to the sun, it absorbs the rays and creates pools of water on the surface. Those pools can be problematic for planes preparing for landing, especially when that plane is a C17 Globemaster III with a maximum payload capacity of 170,900 pounds (maximum gross weight 580,000 pounds).

That's where Reum comes in.

He works on a two-mile snow-paved runway, which is exactly what it sounds like. Using a 95E Cat Challenger, twice a week he pulls two carts weighing a total of 288,000 pounds, and traverses the length of the runway back and forth until the snow on top condenses and bonds to the ice.

"You compact it so much, you knock all the air and wetness out of it," he said — and in effect, it acts as cement for the military aircraft to land on.

Prior to this technique, the runway used to be covered with giant tarps to protect it from the sun. However Cold Region Research Engineering Lab, out of New Hampshire, drummed up a new method of keeping the runway useable. By covering it with a five-inch thick layer of snow, and using heavy machinery to compact the top layer to two-and-a-half inches thick, the landing strip became usable year-round, he explained.

The very first time a wheeled aircraft of that size ever touched down on snow was in 2001, Reum said.

"It was pretty neat to be involved with building that," he said of the runway.

CNN was there to broadcast the event, and the monumental landing earned Reum an award from the NSF.

McMurdo Station is set up similar to a college campus, Reum explained. About 1,100 people live and work there. They share dorms and eat in a cafeteria.

It's summer in Antarctica right now and the sun never sleeps. His dorm is equipped with thick black shades to block out those 24 hours of light.

"It keeps it pretty much pitch black," he said of the shades.

The constant daylight takes some getting used to though, he said.

"It's a little strange. You'd think it's noon when it's midnight."

And 30 degrees with bright sunlight might sound like a Polar paradise, but Reum has seen it get ugly down there. He's seen temperatures plummet to negative 103 degrees. There isn't much you can do in weather like that, he explained. It is what they call "Condition One."

In Condition One, you are advised to stay in your dorm and wait it out. If you absolutely must walk around campus, there are guiding ropes you hold on to that help you along. Otherwise, you'll get lost in the blizzard's rage, Reum said.

"You can't see five feet in front of you when it get like that," he said.

Condition Two is pretty mild weather; Condition Three is clear bright blue skies.

Not many people live in the McMurdo town site full-time.

Antarctica is a "neutral continent," he said. "Nobody owns it."

It's primarily used for research. The most anyone can stay there is 14 months, but you must first undergo a psychological evaluation to see if you can handle the challenging living conditions.

However, there are plenty of things to keep you entertained. The campus has a gym and the town site has several bars. Bowling is how Reum spends his free time.

The campus has "the oldest bowling lanes in the world" with handset pins, he said. His high score is 167 "Which isn't bad here because the lanes are so warped," he said.

Reum isn't the only Lake County man to earn a living in the South Pole. He knows of several others including Al Oden and Kim Uhde.

Though Reum couldn't be farther from home, he is glad to have such a unique job.

From the bottom of the globe Reum says: "Happy new year to my wife and kids Pam Antiste, Brett and Kylie Reum and all my family and friends."