small maintenance crew of around
100 people.) The base has its own
airport, equipped to handle jet air-
craft, along with propeller planes
and helicopters. There's also a power
plant, science laboratory facilities
administrative offices, maintenance
shops, plus dormitories, gym-
nasiums, activity centers, and
cafeterias for the community.
As to transportation, we'll use
snowmobiles for short trips, tractors
for when we're carrying a lot of
equipment. They use helicopters for
longer trips sometimes, but, of
course, when we go all the way to
the South Pole, we'll be taking a
propeller plane. They don't really
use dogs and sleds anymore — the
tractors are so much more efficient,
and working with the dogs and get-
ting to know them is like a full-time,
long-time job.
This will be t h e biggest
watershed experience of my life, and
I'm going into it with my mind open
completely," he said. "I'm interested
in a lot of things and, right now, I'm
undecided as to exactly what direc-
tion I want to go in, career-wise. I'm
hoping that something here will
reach out and really turn me on."
Sugarman flew to Los Angeles
Oct. 2 to join several other members
of the Antarctic-bound group. They
flew to Christchurch, New Zealand
together, where they obtained spe-
cial equipment and clothing before
beginning the final leg of their trip
to the bottom of the globe.
As of last Friday, the group had
been grounded by stormy weather in
the Christchurch area for several
days, and had not yet reached
McMurdo. According to his mother,
Mary, who had received a call from
Sugarman early that morning, he
was making the best of the tempor-
ary layover.
He told me he's met a lot of
people," she said. "And, though he
didn't give any details, he did say
he's already been unofficially
adopted by the only three Jews in
Christchurch.
He says he's been writing all
along the way, too, but hasn't mailed
anything yet. He told me he wanted
to wait for that Antarctica post-
mark." E
Sugarman
entered a
second time,
and was
chosen
from 147
Eagle Scouts
Linda Ra din
each one of us well," said Sugarman,
smiling, but describing the long in-
terviews and minute scrutiny as,.
"very tense."
When he was named winner at
the conclusion of the 2 1/2 days,
Sugarman remembers surprise first,
and then an awareness of "how eas-
ily I could have been one of the
other three." He insists he was con-
vinced, almost from the beginning,
that another boy would win the con-
test.
An excellent academic record,
along with a strong background in
science weighed heavily in choosing
a winner, according to Boy Scout of-
ficials.
A scout since he was nine years
old, Sugarman attained his Eagle
rank, scouting's highest, in 1982. He
has been a member of Troop 1674,
out of St. Ives Catholic Church,
Southfield, for three years. No
Jewish scout troops exist in the area
anymore, Sugarman said. There are
a large number of Jewish scouts in
the St. Ives troop, though, and, ac-
cording to Sugarman, the scout
calendar at St. Ives "includes all
Jewish holidays."
"I can't wait to get there," said
Sugarman, making a last-minute
check of his camera equipment, sur-
vival handbooks, rolls of film, wool
shirts, caps, mittens, shaving
equipment, plane tickets.
Does he anticipate any problems
at all?
Well, maybe just a slight con-
cern about how he's going to sleep
during those 24-hour "days" near the
South Pole.
Actually, one of the most serious
general concerns in the Antarctic
would probably come as a surprise to
most people, he said.
"They're terrified of fires, be-
cause of the dryness of the atmos-
phere. The buildings are very dry
and there's just no way to put a fire
out. They can't use 'fire trucks, be-
cause the water freezes, and so they
just try to save as much as they can
of what's inside, then bring in the
bulldozers and level the building."
Facilities at McMurdo Station,
though not exactly at the luxury
hotel level, will be comfortable, ac-
cording to Sugarman.
"In the -springand summer,
McMurdo Station is like a small
town," he said. during the warmer
months (September through April),
the population is made up of about
300 scientists and about 700 support
people, such as Navy personnel, food
service groups, and construction
workers. (In winter, when the mean
temperatures are well below zero,
the population consists of a very
Packing before departure, Louis had his books and clothing in order.
47