Tyler's backyard.

This Sunday morning was my first early morning ski of the year.  It was 20 below this morning and calm.  I was on the snow-covered ice by 7AM, which due to my northern latitude is at least an hour before sunrise.

If you've never had a “first time on snow,” I can tell you it is a wonderful feeling.  Some might say it's like flying, and that might be true.  I engage every part of our body for the sole purpose of gliding.  I sense the breeze on my faces, the smooth motion under my feet and a pleasant feeling the stomach that says, “keep going.”

Today my thoughts wandered in different directions than the usual early morning ski.  Everything I noticed I related to the North Pole expedition.  It's -20°F this morning (that's -28 celsius), it'll be that cold more often than not on the Arctic Ocean.  There are frost flowers on the ice where it has expanded, water seeping up and refreezing.  We see frost flowers aplenty on newly frozen leads on the Arctic Ocean.

The ice makes cracking sounds as I ski over it--this is good thing and it is not caused by me.  The cracking sounds come from the ice freezing and expanding.  It booms, echoes with impressive snaps and deep throated pings.  Early on in my career as a winter outdoor educator this would have scared me.  Now I realize, due to the deeper tones of the ice, I am very safe.  Light, high sounding pings would have me worried.

Knowing I am safe allows me the opportunity to revel in the sounds.  The ice on the Arctic Ocean will feel and sound differently?  Ice may grow and expand, but it will also grind and crush, offering completely different noises.  

In my path, wolf tracks cross and mingle with the tracks of sled dogs and dogsleds.  The wolves must have been curious as they wandered in through this area in the night.  I see the tracks of a lone fox made it's way over untouched snow, leaving the smallest, lightest footprints.   I wonder what tracks will we see on the Arctic Ocean?  Will we see any wildlife at all.? I'll perfectly happy if we never see a polar bear.

As I continue skiing along the shore, around the lake and into bays, I notice the morning light.  It's dim, gentle, for there's no sun yet.  It's been at least an hour, and the sunrise has been very slow to grow.  The beginning of our expedition will be spent in light like this.  

As the sun does show itself and I return to the Outward Bound bacecamp, my colleagues there marvel at the amount of frost on my shoulders and head.  On the Arctic Ocean it will just be John who will look at me, but after a few days the frost from perspiration will be old news.  Myself, I'll just feel it on whiskers, eyelashes, hat and neck.  Every once in a while it will fall and tickle, just to remind me that it's there.

by Tyler Fish

"How are you going to be happy?”, spouted a 5th grader from the back row. 

Wow, that is basically one of the most important questions  in life.

Lately, I've been visiting 5th grade classes.  Getting ready for a school presentation I think about the students, the teachers, the props and the paperwork and the little details.   I don't always think about the questions that are going to come up at the end, so when the sea of 5th grade hands rises, I'm not always ready.  Here are three examples of the types of questions I've received.

1.    Worse case scenarios.  These don't surprise me and are ultimately not that interesting, except for the creativity in designing the situation.  “What if you are swimming in the open water, and your dry suit leaks, and then a polar bear comes and...the other guy isn't there and...”  Obviously at some point I'm force to admit that it just might be hopeless.  But there are lesser degrees of this question.  If we feel tired or have a cold, we will keep going.  Minor injuries will treated as best as possible.  We have to do the best with what we have.

2.    “How do you brush your teeth?”  This question is very similar to “how do you go to the bathroom,” or “how do you wash your clothes?”  I enjoy the variations on this theme.  To me this question is really something like, how do you take care of yourself when the conditions are, at best, uncomfortable?  John and I won't be miserable the whole time.  In fact, we enjoy the routines of taking care of ourselves.  It's not about going without; rather, it's about how can we adapt and be normal human beings?  I brush my teeth and floss twice a day, if possible.  Showers turn into sponge baths.  Life is good.  These simple acts help me feel that I have control of my situation, that I can rely on myself.

3.    “Are you doing this to inspire people?”  This one did catch me off guard.  I stared quietly and pleased at this fifth grader, slightly surprised, and quietly replied, “yes.”  She then quickly followed that up with, “Did you have people inspire you?”  She's good, I thought.  I had many teachers and coaches and people that I met on my travels who were doing really incredible things.  I encourage kids to experience their world, travel and talk with people, listen to their stories.  There are so many amazing individuals out in the world.  Let them fill you with curiosity and wonder, and then go do something with it!

If everyone could be as interested and invested in life as a 5th grader, I'm sure the world would be a better place.  If nothing else people would go around MUCH more curious about each other.  You would hear people on the street asking all sorts of questions that are absent in your everyday life.  People don't raise their hands and ask you, “How are you going to be happy?”  That's important stuff.

by John Huston

We love winter!!!  The silent season, where everything is a bit harder to do.  We feel our society is afraid of winter and that most people don't actually experience winter.  Most people hustle from warm box to warm box and remain outside only as long as absolutely needed.  Thus most people's bodies never have a chance or time to make a few to physiologically adaptations to the cold.

Most people think that traveling or being in winter means one is cold all the time.  This is not true.  

Winter travelers have just learned how to be warm in the cold.  In extreme situations, such as polar expeditions we do spend some time being cold, but in those cases that normally happens when we forget to eat and drink enough, are improperly dressed or are in extreme weather conditions.

How cold we are on expedition is largely determined by our discipline and self care.  The same is true for anyone going outside in the winter.

With a little exposure to the cold the human body increases circulation a bit and improves in it's ability to stay warm in cold temperatures.  Over a period of years, speaking from personal experience here, the body makes these adaptations more quickly and the changes seem to last longer after winter is over.  Perhaps more importantly the mind becomes accustomed to being in the cold.

I tend to overheat if I workout in temperatures above 80°F.  While skiing to the South Pole last December and January, one of my biggest issues was not trying to stay warm, but rather trying to keep from sweating.  The work required to pull a heavy sled can produce a lot of perspiration.  How one regulates this moisture temperature and energy management.  

Fortunately, Antarctica is one of the driest places on earth and moisture evaporates quite quickly.  I was most comfortable skiing when the thermometer read -30°F, at this temperature I did not sweat very much.  It is hard to imagine, but the body can generate a lot of heat when it is well fed, hydrated and working hard.  

That whole expedition my clothing layers consisted of a double layer long underwear shirt and my wind jacket or anorak.  

On the Arctic Ocean we will spend most of our time dressed similarly.  However, since the Arctic Ocean is one of the most humid places on earth, regulating moisture takes is way more challenging than doing so in Antarctica. 

Happy Holidays everybody and get out there for a nice long walk in the winter weather!

By John Huston and Tyler Fish

Videos posted below.

Today we officially announced our partnership with CaringBridge.  We are absolutely thrilled to be using our expedition to benefit this truly incredible organization.  You can read the press release here.

CaringBridge.org offers free personalized websites that support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery.  The goal of this service is to ease the burden of keeping friends and family updated, while also providing a way for them to send their love, support and encouragement.

We aim to raise at least $100,000 for CaringBridge.

CaringBridge is the world’s largest charitable nonprofit Web site, it connects over 20 million families each year through personal, private CaringBridge Web sites.   Yet, currently CaringBridge is used less than 2% of new cancer victims, the capacity for growth in awareness of CaringBridge is huge.  Help us spread the word, tell your friends and loved ones about CaringBridge.

Please join us in our aim to raise at least $100,000 for CaringBridge via our historic Victorinox North Pole ’09 Expedition. Your donation will move us several more steps closer to our CaringBridge fundraising goal.

We are proud that we are able to use our expedition to raise awareness and funds for CaringBridge.  We believe that with compassionate support and an optimistic mindset all people have a limitless power to push beyond their perceived limits and reach their goals.

While skiing to the North Pole our minds will often wander to the positive people in our lives and those who have been an inspiration in pursuit of our dreams.  Although we will only be two people skiing together on the ice, we know that thousands more will be pulling for us every step of the way. This knowledge will give us an immeasurably positive boost as we encounter challenges along the way, and we are extremely grateful for your support. Thank you for your support!

Watch the videos below.