May 10, 2014
From winter to summer in one day
It is 100 degrees warmer in Ottawa today than when we were dropped off at Cape Discovery nearly two months ago and I was able to take my Helly Hansen base layer off for the first time in 71 days. I can't even begin to describe how good it feels.
I want to do a North Pole 'debrief', but I am exhausted and will have to wait until next week. we have been in transit mode since the twin otter picked us up at the pole, and not surprisingly, it's been non stop gear sort-shuffle-pile move. I was up all night in Resolute last night organizing and packing gear. I feel like a polar zombie.
For better or worse, we still have to deal with the normal expedition transit logistical problems. It's our sleds again. We finagled them on as baggage in Resolute, but now are we still need to get them back to Boulder via cargo. Not necessarily a problem worse than a polar bear gnawing on your knee, but we are ready for life to be even just a few factors easier.
On the Arctic Ocean, we often joked about the amount of variables that made our expedition so difficult: pressured ice, thin ice, fractured ice, open water, negative drift, snow drifts, soft snow, whiteouts, polar bears... I am eager to deal with just one problem at a time.
'What are the chances,' we would say to no one in particular when we fell, tripped, got stuck, or whatever. Our answer: 'here? one in two'.
As a side note, I just looked outside and realized that the sun is setting. I haven't seen night in over a month so I've got that going for me... which is nice.
Tomorrow, we are going home - as in home, home. Boulder and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to see Maria and Merritt.
As chance would have it, there is a winter storm warning in Denver with up to nine inches of snow predicted.
What are the chances?
Image: Flying south from Iqaluit. The last snow and ice we'll see until... tomorrow :)
I want to do a North Pole 'debrief', but I am exhausted and will have to wait until next week. we have been in transit mode since the twin otter picked us up at the pole, and not surprisingly, it's been non stop gear sort-shuffle-pile move. I was up all night in Resolute last night organizing and packing gear. I feel like a polar zombie.
For better or worse, we still have to deal with the normal expedition transit logistical problems. It's our sleds again. We finagled them on as baggage in Resolute, but now are we still need to get them back to Boulder via cargo. Not necessarily a problem worse than a polar bear gnawing on your knee, but we are ready for life to be even just a few factors easier.
On the Arctic Ocean, we often joked about the amount of variables that made our expedition so difficult: pressured ice, thin ice, fractured ice, open water, negative drift, snow drifts, soft snow, whiteouts, polar bears... I am eager to deal with just one problem at a time.
'What are the chances,' we would say to no one in particular when we fell, tripped, got stuck, or whatever. Our answer: 'here? one in two'.
As a side note, I just looked outside and realized that the sun is setting. I haven't seen night in over a month so I've got that going for me... which is nice.
Tomorrow, we are going home - as in home, home. Boulder and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to see Maria and Merritt.
As chance would have it, there is a winter storm warning in Denver with up to nine inches of snow predicted.
What are the chances?
Image: Flying south from Iqaluit. The last snow and ice we'll see until... tomorrow :)