  From high resolution (R = 45,000), high signal-to-noise (S/N > 400) spectra
gathered with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS) in the H and
K photometric bands, we have derived elemental abundances of two bright,
well-known metal-poor halo stars: the red giant HD 122563 and the subgiant HD
140283. Since these stars have metallicities approaching [Fe/H] = -3, their
absorption features are generally very weak. Neutral-species lines of Mg, Si, S
and Ca are detectable, as well as those of the light odd-Z elements Na and Al.
The derived IR-based abundances agree with those obtained from
optical-wavelength spectra. For Mg and Si the abundances from the infrared
transitions are improvements to those derived from shorter wavelength data.
Many useful OH and CO lines can be detected in the IGRINS HD 122563 spectrum,
from which derived O and C abundances are consistent to those obtained from the
traditional [O I] and CH features. IGRINS high resolutions H- and K-band
spectroscopy offers promising ways to determine more reliable abundances for
additional metal-poor stars whose optical features are either not detectable,
or too weak, or are based on lines with analytical difficulties.
