March 6, 2009
Gotta Love Ice... and Snow!
During my South Pole expedition, I had one simple dream. Go to Mexico and hang out on a warm beach. Unfortunately for me and my dream right now, I'm even farther away and definitely not wearing flip flops (which is how I pictured myself in the dream).
But please don't fret dear reader (like you would anyway). Mine was a conscious choice. I am currently on Baffin Island helping polar explorer and guide Matty McNair teach a polar travel class. Its an intensive two week course covering all sorts of polar skills from navigation, to food prep, to sleeping comfortably at 40 below.
While temperatures have warmed recently to minus 10 F, two days ago it was an icy -35 F and even colder with the wind chill. Not quite the sand I was hoping for, but we did go swimming. Even though its ice and snow as far as we can see, Matty found a polyna (open area of water surrounded by ice - see picture) that was a perfect substitute for an Arctic Ocean lead.
On a North Pole expedition, team members often have to don a special dry suit to swim leads or open sections of ocean. Not wanting to leave our students with a missed opportunity, we lowered each for an icy dip and a casual swim. Polar travel isn't pain and suffering all the time.
Its been a great couple of weeks up here. Baffin Island is incredible. It is wild and vast. Skiing the other day, I saw a lone wolf running across the ice.
I suppose you could argue that snow and ice look the same where ever you go, but I disagree. Here the snow is so cold it squeaks. Because of massive tides in Frobisher Bay, there are vast areas of pressured and blocked ice as well.
Being an instructor in an extreme environment like this requires a lot of energy and focus. I try to lead by setting an example. Unfortunately though, I made a couple of rookie mistakes this week. I had to laugh at my apparent ineptness.
One night, I stuck my ski in an ice crack (just like I had a million times before in Antarctica) to anchor the tent. The next morning, I tried to pull it out and found that the tide had gone up pinching the ski between two huge ice chunks. Worse, it wasn't MY ski. It was Matty's. A half hour of chiseling later...
The next day, I was rearranging my sled to take on a client's weight that was becoming too heavy. Not a big deal - a fairly routine procedure. That is until camp that evening when I went to grab the shovel out of my sled and found it missing. I would have to go back two miles to get it. I decided to wait until after dinner and was rewarded with the most incredible northern light show that I've seen in a long, long time.
Save the Poles Facebook members: Please help make Earth Day more than one day this year! What can YOU do in the next 50 days - or don't do - that will positively impact the water, air, soil and natural resources Post your ideas and impacts on the Save the Pole's group wall to share.
In related news, 103 schools in Minnesota that have committed to reduce carbon dioxide production over a three year period. The project website is at www.schoolscuttingcarbon.org check it out to learn more.
But please don't fret dear reader (like you would anyway). Mine was a conscious choice. I am currently on Baffin Island helping polar explorer and guide Matty McNair teach a polar travel class. Its an intensive two week course covering all sorts of polar skills from navigation, to food prep, to sleeping comfortably at 40 below.
While temperatures have warmed recently to minus 10 F, two days ago it was an icy -35 F and even colder with the wind chill. Not quite the sand I was hoping for, but we did go swimming. Even though its ice and snow as far as we can see, Matty found a polyna (open area of water surrounded by ice - see picture) that was a perfect substitute for an Arctic Ocean lead.
On a North Pole expedition, team members often have to don a special dry suit to swim leads or open sections of ocean. Not wanting to leave our students with a missed opportunity, we lowered each for an icy dip and a casual swim. Polar travel isn't pain and suffering all the time.
Its been a great couple of weeks up here. Baffin Island is incredible. It is wild and vast. Skiing the other day, I saw a lone wolf running across the ice.
I suppose you could argue that snow and ice look the same where ever you go, but I disagree. Here the snow is so cold it squeaks. Because of massive tides in Frobisher Bay, there are vast areas of pressured and blocked ice as well.
Being an instructor in an extreme environment like this requires a lot of energy and focus. I try to lead by setting an example. Unfortunately though, I made a couple of rookie mistakes this week. I had to laugh at my apparent ineptness.
One night, I stuck my ski in an ice crack (just like I had a million times before in Antarctica) to anchor the tent. The next morning, I tried to pull it out and found that the tide had gone up pinching the ski between two huge ice chunks. Worse, it wasn't MY ski. It was Matty's. A half hour of chiseling later...
The next day, I was rearranging my sled to take on a client's weight that was becoming too heavy. Not a big deal - a fairly routine procedure. That is until camp that evening when I went to grab the shovel out of my sled and found it missing. I would have to go back two miles to get it. I decided to wait until after dinner and was rewarded with the most incredible northern light show that I've seen in a long, long time.
Save the Poles Facebook members: Please help make Earth Day more than one day this year! What can YOU do in the next 50 days - or don't do - that will positively impact the water, air, soil and natural resources Post your ideas and impacts on the Save the Pole's group wall to share.
In related news, 103 schools in Minnesota that have committed to reduce carbon dioxide production over a three year period. The project website is at www.schoolscuttingcarbon.org check it out to learn more.