Last week was fairly quiet at the Pole. The IceCube winterovers dealt with a few detector issues and handled some other maintenance tasks and cargo-related activities. They also gave a tour of the IceCube Lab to other individuals currently stationed at the South Pole (photo above) and continued with emergency response training (last week: frostbite!). Celas also had the special thrill of visiting the South Pole ice tunnels last week. A network of tunnels exists below the station that hold water pipes and provide access to the fuel arch. Over the years, people have left “shrines” of all sorts in the ice tunnels, giving them a sort of time-capsule feel. Celas took a photo of an ice shelf filled with Buzz Aldrin memorabilia, including a tissue he used when he visited the station, a trip that made him the oldest person to have been to the South Pole.
