Week 40 at the Pole

A twin otter, blurry in the far distance, with the backs of two onlooking winterovers in red parkas in the foreground.
Connor Duffy, IceCube/NSF

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s…no, wait, it is a plane. The first planes of the season have arrived at the Pole. These were early season flights, as the continent begins to prepare for summer. Two twin otters brought not only a very welcome supply of “freshies” but also the first fresh faces they’ve seen at the Pole for a while. Always an exciting time. It was generally a busy week for the winterovers, with continuing work at the IceCube Lab in preparation for IceCube’s new winterovers, and helping with greenhouse cleanup and NOAA balloon launches.

A twin otter landing at the Pole, with the IceCube Lab in background.
Connor Duffy, IceCube/NSF
Close-up of a clementine opened with peel segments still attached at base underneath, looking like flower petals, in palm of someone’s hand.
Kalvin Moschkau, IceCube/NSF
Person harvesting strawberries from large plant in the corner of the South Pole greenhouse.
Kalvin Moschkau, IceCube/NSF