Week 13 at the Pole
It was a relatively tranquil week at the Pole, but not without its interruptions. Faulty low oxygen alarms continued to disrupt the peace. But it gave the emergency response teams extra practice without having any real victims—a good thing. Also, April Fools Day brought pranks to the station, with the “toothpaste-stuffed oreo” prank played on IceCube winterover Mack, who apparently turned the tables and braved a second oreo in an attempt to appear unfazed by the trick—not a good thing. Lastly, they spent some time underneath the station (next image), collecting contaminated snow from a glycol leak from under the galley. But, other than that, pretty peaceful. The waning light in the sky is beginning to lend a little eeriness to photos. It’s cold enough now that ice sticks to the exterior of the station no matter the weather, as seen in the last image.
