Week 7 at the Pole

Close-up of two people in cold-weather outerwear hugging good-bye.
Wenceslas Marie-Sainte, IceCube/NSF

Seasons come and seasons go. At the South Pole, you get only two seasons, and last week the South Pole station closed for…winter! (Isn’t it always winter there?) The last two planes carrying away summer workers left the Pole last week. The remaining winterovers said their final good-byes and then set themselves to the tasks of getting ready for the long, dark winter. First things first, they spread out, with most winterovers moving to larger unoccupied rooms or to a different wing of the station. Then there were some chores, meetings, and other business to attend to—but for recreation, they kept to tradition and held viewings of all three versions of “The Thing.” IceCube winterover Celas used a long weekend opportunity to volunteer in the kitchen and crepes were once again on the South Pole menu.

Winterover Celas in South Pole kitchen, handing off a plated crepe to someone off camera.
Dennis Perkins, UTMB
Close-up of a plated savory buckwheat crepe, squared off with edges folded partway up.
Dennis Perkins, UTMB