It has been another good day for Mike and me. We’ve walked 25 km today in ten hours – that’s 28 km closer to the North Pole, taking into account last night’s ice drift. We are really satisfied with that kind of progress! We had an easterly wind today, too, but not as annoying or biting cold as yesterday. –28?C is within our “comfort zone”, unless the wind factor make’s life chillier. Fortunately the wind velocity stayed around 5 metres per second, and now it’s died down completely. We wonder what tomorrow will bring.
We saw polar bear tracks today and yesterday, but they weren’t fresh.
Tonight our position is N85?22’42”, E98?12’51”. The light is fantastic up here! It’s bluish violet with a trace of red near the southern horizon. We only have to use our headlights in the morning and for a few hours in the evening. The rest of the time, there is enough light from the sky to navigate.
We see our surroundings well and the ice conditions are still really excellent. Perhaps a bit more chaotic and mixed, but we’re making good headway. We still have about 515 km to go. We’re going to bed now, hoping to wake to yet another good day tomorrow.
The wind chill factor in Vermont for the past few days has been around -20 to -30 degrees F.. Hard to endure for 50 minutes, let alone 50 days and nights.
Your jouney is inspiring to me and probably all who are following your blog. I keep on visualizing, and I hope other will too, Borge and Mike safe and happy at the North Pole on March 20,2006,and then safe return home to family and friends.
Dear Borge and Mike,
yours idea for winter crossing is fascinating crazy.I follow yours progress sometimes, and I wish you good stable ice conditions, right wind and temperature.
Stane Klemenc