There is no such thing as luck on the Arctic Ocean but somehow we got just that, lucky.

The day was an easy slog with only a few minor ridges blocking our path north. Most of the day we spent winding around the drifts trying to cut straight a line northward as possible. In the afternoon, we encountered nearly a half mile of 'first year' ice - flat as a pancake without much snow on its surface which makes pulling sleds nearly effortless.

I had struggled with my energy through much of the first three hours of the day as I have unluckily acquired Neil's bad cold. It's funny to me to use the word cold out here to describe your 'condition' one being an assessment of body temperature and the other a type of flu.

The team is progressing nicely and after five days on the trail, they are now polar pros - getting into bog down jackets at rest breaks, setting up and take down camp quickly. Out here, things operate so much outside of 'common sense' that it takes a while for people to grasp the severity and uniqueness of this environment.

That said, I think everyone has surprised themselves in what they've been able to accomplish. Jaco, ever steady has been chomping through all of his food during the day. David has been persevered through nagging knee pain...

As for me, I can definitely feel the cold I acquired from Neil sapping my energy, but LUCKILY, this is not uncharted territory for me - I've been far sicker and had to pull much more weight on other expeditions. And if there is one thing I know how to do - it's get to the North Pole :)

We covered over 11 miles yesterday and now have 10 to go to the pole!