So anyway, Happy New Years to those in the rest of the world! Yesterday we had the pole moving ceremony. Basically, the pole marker is located on an ice sheet 9,000 feet thick, and as the ice sheet is moving about 30 feet a year, the geographic pole location is relocated on January 1 every year to update it. A new brass marker is crafted by the machinists on site every year, and there’s a contest every winter to design next year’s marker.
This year, the marker is an actual time capsule. No idea when it’s supposed to be opened, but the globe contains photos, notes and trinkets from the winter-overs who created it.
Below, Claude and Tripp, the network engineer and sysadmin respectively, wait eagerly for the new pole revelation! X D
And Logan, the winter site manager, unveils the new marker! Hurrah!
And behold, the new pole marker and station dome in the background. The New Years football match was canceled due to 20 kt winds, however. So we played Fallout 3 all day.
Hope you all had a good Christmas season!