Drifty Springtimes...

piled high and deep
Well, the word "drifty" as used here is probably more familiar to my fellow 1977 winterovers...when the more modern term "toasty" (referring to those among us who might be ready for a break in the warm sun) had not yet been invented. Anyway, the other meaning of "drifty," of course, refers to what the snow does around our dome and the rest of the place. In October 2005 I walked around the elevated station and photographed the area still undisturbed by the annual landscaping. Last night (13 October 2008) I retraced those tracks...here I present a few comparison shots of how things have changed over the past 3 years. Of course the station as seen now (above) has 3/4 of its permanent siding installed, and another stairway or three...but what is more of interest here is what Mother Antarctica does to manmade structures such as these...

piled not so high but still deep
Three years ago...here is the station on Monday, 17 October 2005, after a storm the previous weekend moved a bit of snow around.

gray cutting edge
edge on
Above, a closer view showing the drift that has built up in front of the station, and how the shape of it has changed since the beveled leading edge has been completed.

power up
power plant
A new and old look toward the "backyard" across the power plant arch. Yes, the left photo is 2008, still another year or so before A1 gets gray siding.

where's the door
where's the door now
From this vantage point one used to be able to look into the entrance of the dome. On the right (2005) the entrance is still there, just hidden behind the drift. On the left (2008) the door is gone, but the arch has been jacked up and the top of it isn't buried yet.

look out the window
through the glass
Here's the 2008 and 2005 sunrise views of the dome looking out my A1-105 bedroom window.

the dark side?
where's the dome?
Here's a 2008 view of the station from near the dark sector side of the skiway...and the same scene in 2005.

plane truth
Back to 2008, this is looking downwind from the station side of the skiway, currently under construction.
empty space
Looking upwind from the same spot, this half of the skiway is no more.
flag line
Here's the northwest corner of the station as I walk back.
the leading edge
This view looks east straight along the leading edge.
da stair
Looking straight on at the main entrance (Destination Alpha) stairway.
piled high and deep
Something new this year...this big snowdrift pile between A and B pods directly downwind of the new banner/wind deflector, which is directly above me here.