Elmer's mother, Carol, remembers being scared but proud when she found out her only son was going so far away. Before he left, doctors tested him for everything imaginable. His unconventional business trip started Oct. 22 with a flight to Los Angeles. From there, he flew 12 hours to Auckland, New Zealand, and another 90 minutes to Christchurch, New Zealand. At Christchurch, he and his colleagues visited the Antarctic Center.
All Antarctic travelers stop there to pick up U.S. government-issued clothing.
Sharp and others going to the McMurdo base got thick red parkas, thermal underwear, a ski suit, fleece jackets, bearskin gloves, hats, earmuffs and special boots that have air in the soles to insulate feet from the ground. Bundled in their full regalia, the travelers boarded another plane for a five-hour flight to McMurdo. Sharp braced himself for the climate change, but the first breath he inhaled was incredible. The population dwindles to about 200 during the brutal winter. Sharp stayed in a dormitory much like ones he lived in during his college days.