March 31, 2018
Training Trip Complete
Without a strict schedule, we had a relaxing morning in the tent. It was our last day of 'training' for Vivian as she gets up to speed on all the 'systems' needed for polar travel. She has done a great job and I'm confident in her abilities to complete our Last Degree North Pole expedition... whenever that ay be.
Of course, none of what I do is that complicated; however, it is the accumulative effect of mistakes that can prove disastrous. Therefore, we focus on the many details and the mindfulness that is important to this type of travel.
Being 'thoughtful' is really what separates success from failure. Too often, people come to the Arctic thinking that they are in charge. In reality, you need to work with this environment. And your body (and mind). Checking and rechecking your personal status and comparing it with how the environment is changing is paramount. Always, we are are balanced precariously between comfort and survival. The goal, for us, is to minimize the peaks and troughs to conserve energy. Conserve enough energy and we make it through the day (so that you can do it again the next day, and the next, and the next). Burn through your resources and we get too hot and sweat. Sweat and then stop for a minute or two and you're hypothermic. Hyperthermia leads to poor judgement and coordination. And so on. Too often, I see people pushed into dangerous situations because they allowed themselves to 'relax' and not adjust to evolving (or devolving) conditions.
It's hard to impress upon people how tenuous our grip on safety actually is here. Equally difficult is trying to comprehend humidity here and how it affects... everything. Eating, sleeping, being in the tent, everything is a fairly huge effort, and quite honestly, a lot of it is uncomfortable.
That's why, when we have a little extra time and the sun is up and the tent is warm, it's nice to have a relaxing morning... which is exactly what I did today. No major miles to make, no polar bears jumping on our tent, no shifting sea ice, no open water, just relaxing on a pillow made from a Granite Gear stuff sack filled with some Helly Hansen base layers while thumbing through pictures of my kids.
Image: Vivian skiing toward the hills.
Of course, none of what I do is that complicated; however, it is the accumulative effect of mistakes that can prove disastrous. Therefore, we focus on the many details and the mindfulness that is important to this type of travel.
Being 'thoughtful' is really what separates success from failure. Too often, people come to the Arctic thinking that they are in charge. In reality, you need to work with this environment. And your body (and mind). Checking and rechecking your personal status and comparing it with how the environment is changing is paramount. Always, we are are balanced precariously between comfort and survival. The goal, for us, is to minimize the peaks and troughs to conserve energy. Conserve enough energy and we make it through the day (so that you can do it again the next day, and the next, and the next). Burn through your resources and we get too hot and sweat. Sweat and then stop for a minute or two and you're hypothermic. Hyperthermia leads to poor judgement and coordination. And so on. Too often, I see people pushed into dangerous situations because they allowed themselves to 'relax' and not adjust to evolving (or devolving) conditions.
It's hard to impress upon people how tenuous our grip on safety actually is here. Equally difficult is trying to comprehend humidity here and how it affects... everything. Eating, sleeping, being in the tent, everything is a fairly huge effort, and quite honestly, a lot of it is uncomfortable.
That's why, when we have a little extra time and the sun is up and the tent is warm, it's nice to have a relaxing morning... which is exactly what I did today. No major miles to make, no polar bears jumping on our tent, no shifting sea ice, no open water, just relaxing on a pillow made from a Granite Gear stuff sack filled with some Helly Hansen base layers while thumbing through pictures of my kids.
Image: Vivian skiing toward the hills.