2015 Winter Photos - Ice Tunnel Rehab

chainsaw work in the ice tunnels
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.
from the tunnel, looking at the old warmup shack
the old warmup shack
the buckling roof of the old warmup shack

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.

cutting out the ice tunnel snow
A look at the cut out site of the old warming shack (behind these folks).
hammering away at the ice tunnel walls


After cutting into the walls with the chain saw, the next step was to whack the blocks with a sledgehammer to break them loose.
loading the ice blocks onto a sled
The cut ice blocks, some of which weighed as much as 100 pounds, were loaded onto a banana sled...
loading ice blocks
...and hauled...to one of the now-abandoned tunnels that used to lead to the old rodwell and sewer.
the new warming hut
Then, this new warming hut was built inside the enlarged alcove.
inside the warming hut
A look inside...
inside the warming hut





...and another.
the shack exterior looking toward the tunnel entrance




Another view of the shack exterior looking up the tunnel...
...and down. And so we have:
the completed warming hut

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.

construction photo index | aerial photo index