Greenpeace Project Thin Ice 2006, Save the Polar Bear  
 
Life on the Ice Polar Bears Extreme Expedition Global Warming What You Can Do
 
     
Live Progress
Podcasts
Read Blog
Explorers Blog

Polar Explorers Lonnie Dupre and Eric Larsen send daily dispatches during their unprecedented four-month journey to the North Pole and back. The expedition team will pull and paddle specially modified canoes across nearly 1,000 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. Their objective is to complete the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole and to highlight the growing issues surrounding global warming.
Explorers Blog

Life on the Ice


Previous << | List All | >>Next

Seal Sighting

Jun 18, 2006
overcast, 31.7 F, 10 nautical miles
Day 49. Seal at 88:30?!? Small but rotund, it was sunning on the ice until the red coats came. We tried to sneak up and shoot some video, but we had no polar bear stealth and it dove through an open hole it had maintained in the ice. It is amazing to realize that life exists under all this ice at the top of the world. This place is much more than just ice and snow.

We hit 'Pay Dirt' - at least ice wise. Today was by far the best we have had since leaving land (whenever that was). For once in a long, long while, we are allowing ourselves to be optimistic. We're anticipating more of the same in the days ahead. Hopefully.

We are also traveling mostly on old multi-year floes. This thicker ice is identified by its rounded and sometimes dirty tops. We are also seeing a lot of dark material (soot) covering some of the flatter ice as well. Anywhere there is soot, the snow is melting away faster than the surrounding areas. We are collecting snow samples for Dr. Tom Grenfell at the University of Washington so he can study this same interaction.

We have decided to take at least a half day's rest tomorrow due to the rough going we've had the past three days. The tough ups and downs have put enough strain on Lonnie's back that, even with prescription medication, it is difficult to get decent sleep and rest. This makes the next day somewhat less rewarding, to say the least.

We had a short discussion about the past three days. Were they more mentally or physically challenging? We decided it was equal.

In moments of forgetfulness, we made two foolish moves. First, Eric packed his Lendal paddle inside his sled (instead of bungeed to the top and easily accessible). Inevitably, we had to paddle across two big leads today. The second was a comment by Lonnie stating we wouldn't get much fog today. Of course, we had a brief spell of foggy mist. In the future, we have to be more careful of what we do and say.

We've been wearing the same Wintergreen pants and jackets for almost two months straight. Paul Schurke (of North Pole dog sled journey 1986 fame) and his wife Sue make incredible clothing and outerwear that is durable enough for the Arctic Ocean, but still wearable around town. Check out http://www.oneworldexpedition.com to learn more about our sponsor of the week, Wintergreen.

Today's picture: Lonnie tired and sore after a long day.

Word of the day: supine - our position of relaxation in the Hilleberg Hotel.

Upgrade Flash

You need flash 8 or greater to view this part of the site. Click here to get the latest version of Flash

 (C) 2006 Greenpeace USA
702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20001 (800) 326-0959

One World Expedition
Project Thin Ice 2006 | Save the Polar Bear (home) Greenpeace