Wood Butcher wrote:

The shaft doesn't appear robust enough to transmit the torque
required for an ice auger. I'm inclined to agree with the earth
auger hypothesis.


It's an earth auger ANCHOR...

http://images.google.com/images?q=earth+auger+anchor

Slip a rod into the hole, crank it into the ground, remove the rod and
anchor something down to it... like a tent.

Joe Barta