Monday, April 16, 2012

Striking Distance

After a good hard day in fields of compressed ice, the team is resting at north 89 degrees, 46 minutes, east 166 degrees. Compressed ice, by the way, refers an environment where individual plates of ice smash into each other, and the fringes pitch upwards forming pressure ridges and rubble zones. In addition to forcing the team to scale vertical obstacles, compressed ice environments also degrade snow conditions--think pulling a wagon through sand versus across pavement. Windswept snow accumulates in all those little valleys between bumps and ridges, and, all the sudden, instead of skiing on a hard-packed icy crust, you're trudging through ankle, shin, even knee-deep snow. Sounds like fun, huh!?

More flat light up north today


Hardships aside, the team had another great day, covering ten nautical miles, and barring any serious weather deterioration, they've set themselves up to make the Pole by Wednesday night! And all that hard work has built up full-blown expedition appetites. During their call in, the team was tucking in to hearty noodle soups, fry pan pizzas and chicken teriyaki.

Contrast is hard to come by during flat light days.


As for the weather, the mercury topped out at -15 C with a 10 knot wind at their backs. However, the tailwind, and the positive drift, had ceased by the time the team pitched their tents.

Way to go, team! If they keep it up, in two days they'll get to stand on every line of longitude at once!

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