Word: ptarmigan
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...expedition relied on the abundant and delicious, caribou, trout, and ptarmigan, a chicken-like bird, for food...
With tenderloin whale steak in season, all true smorgasborders should visit Ola's Norweigian restaurant at 16 Carver Street. Those who don't like whale meat, or can't remember how they roasted reindeer or potted ptarmigan in the old country might still enjoy some varied tastes. Just pass through the wrought-iron gates into the restaurant...
...Landmark. Fletcher's crusade began over a year ago when the radar operator of a B-29 flying the dogleg "Ptarmigan" track (Alaska to the Pole) reported that he had picked up a strange target-an "island" of some sort where there should have been nothing but spongy, saltwater ice pack (TIME, Nov. 27,1950). Because the 16-hour weather hops over the white wastes of the Arctic get monotonous, the crews took a lively interest in searching for a new landmark...
...Alert Ptarmigan crews turned up two more islands, named them T-2 and T3. Fletcher studied them, picked T-3 for his weather station. Then he convinced Major General William D. Old that it was time to organize Project Icicle. The time to land on T3, they decided, was shortly after mid-March. The earth would be tilted properly on its axis and they would have the benefit of 24-hour daylight...
There are still some problems, but already Squadron 375 can laugh at the treacherous twilight. Every other day a stripped-down B-29 takes off on a 3,500-mile "Ptarmigan flight" to the pole and back. So far, no plane has been lost on the ice cap. Married officers often save bits of in-flight lunch and bring it home to their kids as a present from Santa Claus. Lots of mementos (e.g., flags) have been dropped on the pole itself. Cracked one pilot: "A few more drops and we'll be sent back in to police...