2015 Winter Photos - Ice Tunnel Rehab
 No, this is not a clip from the midwinter horror movie...rather it is a continuation of a project to keep the ice tunnels open and safe. This effort began in 2013-14...the winter project was to replace the old disused and collapsing warmup shack with a bigger better and more well-equipped one. | ||
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Above, several photos of the old warming shack, which was about halfway down the main tunnel. During my 2005 and 2008 winters it was not in use (hence I don't have any photos of it)...as far as I know it was only heated during the original tunnel construction period (my page with a tunnel map and original construction photos). Note the buckling roof in the above photos. As for those chairs...if you spent time at Pole in the 80's/90's you may have sat on them in the galley. | |
 A look at the cut out site of the old warming shack (behind these folks). |
 After cutting into the walls with the chain saw, the next step was to whack the blocks with a sledgehammer to break them loose. |
 The cut ice blocks, some of which weighed as much as 100 pounds, were loaded onto a banana sled... |
 ...and hauled...to one of the now-abandoned tunnels that used to lead to the old rodwell and sewer. |
 Then, this new warming hut was built inside the enlarged alcove. |
 A look inside... |
 ...and another. |
 Another view of the shack exterior looking up the tunnel... |
...and down. And so we have:
 Above, the completed warming shelter...all photos here are by/from Steve Allerding, with a bit of help from Marissa Goerke. But then there are those "raises" AKA tunnels to the surface. There was a proposed project a few years ago to drill some of them out...I'm not sure if that happened. In any case, here's what some of these looked like during the 2015 winter. | |