Ground Stakes are inserted inside the lower pole sections. Grasp the stake and pull it out of the pole. The 48" long ground stake is also made from heavy duty aluminum and there is a small square that has been bolted on. This square scrap piece keeps the ground stake from shifting during shipment. One really cool thing about that is if you should accidentally install the ground stake upside down, you can remove the scrap by removing the bolt and your pole will still slip over the stake.
Also inside the pole box you should find and upper pole section, it has the milled slot on one end and the splice at the other, and the lower pole section, it has the safety pin hole drilled into it at around 6 foot as well as your two 72" long solid aluminum top perch rods.
We take extra care in packaging poles you may notice that there are wood inserts at the end poles inside the box. These wood pieces have made an enormous difference in keeping the ends of the poles damage free.