Those are waist packs/bottle holders. I hate skiing with a Camelbak and despite the fact I have the "winter" cover on the hose, it still freezes. The waist pack allows me to have plenty of liquid and room for different gloves, hats, etc., especially at this time of year when I often start layering down after 10 minutes!
Poles were stuck in the snow off to the side. It was a rare moment when someone else up there spontaneously offered to take our picture.