April 2, 2010
Day 31. Navigating Toward Nice
The needle on our Suunto compass now points 90 degrees to the west as we head toward the pole. Each day we check our declination (the difference between magnetic north and true north) on our gps and adjust accordingly. We are now positioned at a right angle between both poles. Funny to have our dial reading east but know we are still traveling north.
You may wonder why we use a compass over gps. First of all, a compass doesn't generally freeze. Using a compass, for us, is faster and saves on battery power, too. In truth, we use both. We check our bearing and position with a gps and navigate with a compass.
Our basic philosophies: steer to the clear and navigate toward nice paid off with some pretty big rewards today. We spent nearly the whole day in skis and traveled across the biggest and flattest ice pans we've seen by far. Honestly, it was a relief after the struggles of yesterday. Of course, the Arctic doesn't want us to have it too easy and we spent much of the day in nearly whiteout squinting toward the horizon to find some chunk of ice to use as a reference point.
'It's my least favorite weather condition,' AJ said. 'It's like being in the dark, only it's white,' Darcy added.
The tricky part is staying focused on a distant point while also being aware of what is immediately in front of you. More than once we stumbled into a snow drift right in front of us.
Today was a banner day for my pulk (sled). It only tipped over 17 times. Each time, I have to turn around, go back, right it, turn forward and start skiing. The best is when it tips right away after I just righted it. Normally, it happens fairly regularly. Carrying the tent makes it a bit top heavy and any time we go through pressure or rubble, I have to be extra careful. Darcy and AJ have taken considerable pity on me and help out if they are behind me.
I heard a quote somewhere that, 'Its dangerous to love something that death can take away.' We've all been thinking about friends and family, at least in measured doses, and at some point, that quote seeped into my brain. I thought about it for quite a while - my own family, my two nephews Tyler and Luke and my relationship with Maria...
It is dangerous, I concluded. But so are a lot of other things.
Image: Trying to find a bearing in nothing.
The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Seventh Generation, Goal0, Atlas, Sierra Designs and Optic Nerve.
Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.
For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com
For information about guided Antarctic expeditions, please visit http://www.antarctic-logistics.com/
For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com
For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net
You may wonder why we use a compass over gps. First of all, a compass doesn't generally freeze. Using a compass, for us, is faster and saves on battery power, too. In truth, we use both. We check our bearing and position with a gps and navigate with a compass.
Our basic philosophies: steer to the clear and navigate toward nice paid off with some pretty big rewards today. We spent nearly the whole day in skis and traveled across the biggest and flattest ice pans we've seen by far. Honestly, it was a relief after the struggles of yesterday. Of course, the Arctic doesn't want us to have it too easy and we spent much of the day in nearly whiteout squinting toward the horizon to find some chunk of ice to use as a reference point.
'It's my least favorite weather condition,' AJ said. 'It's like being in the dark, only it's white,' Darcy added.
The tricky part is staying focused on a distant point while also being aware of what is immediately in front of you. More than once we stumbled into a snow drift right in front of us.
Today was a banner day for my pulk (sled). It only tipped over 17 times. Each time, I have to turn around, go back, right it, turn forward and start skiing. The best is when it tips right away after I just righted it. Normally, it happens fairly regularly. Carrying the tent makes it a bit top heavy and any time we go through pressure or rubble, I have to be extra careful. Darcy and AJ have taken considerable pity on me and help out if they are behind me.
I heard a quote somewhere that, 'Its dangerous to love something that death can take away.' We've all been thinking about friends and family, at least in measured doses, and at some point, that quote seeped into my brain. I thought about it for quite a while - my own family, my two nephews Tyler and Luke and my relationship with Maria...
It is dangerous, I concluded. But so are a lot of other things.
Image: Trying to find a bearing in nothing.
The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Seventh Generation, Goal0, Atlas, Sierra Designs and Optic Nerve.
Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.
For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com
For information about guided Antarctic expeditions, please visit http://www.antarctic-logistics.com/
For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com
For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net