Position: N 74,37.864 W049,02.927
Wind: Light
Distance traveled: 20.5 km/ 13 mi
Physical Conditions: White nose and frosty eyelashes

So we are here. At the end of our first full day. Wow, it's great to be on the trail. Months of preparation and training. Days full of orgaizing and emails and now we are here; it is quiet. Nothing to organize, just the things we have to do to get through the day safely and with the most amount of miles under our belt. Today traveling started off slow and I wasn't sure how we were going to fair on the trip. Slowly we made our way through the rough sea ice to the flatter ice and we gained some momentum. We took turns skiing in front, giving the dogs something to run towards.

It was pretty cold on the face today. You have to be really careful. My nose had turned white before someone pointed it out to me. Luckily it was not deep and all was OK!

Being covered up causes frost to attach itself to everything. Everyone had large icicle balls imbeded in their eyelashes, hair and masks. It makes for a great picture.

Anyway all is good so far. Sitting in my tent now with Eric. Just had supper and going to get some rest for another big day tomorrow.

Keep up with our progress, it's going to be exciting.

Sam

So we're here at the end of day nine. We've got a long way to go but so far it's moving fast. I'm sure the others have told you all the things that have happened in the last week. Traveling through a labyrinth of ice, bears coming into camp and even being stalked by one. It has really been exciting. Today we hit some flats. It's a nice change of pace and we have slowly started to make those miles we so desprately need. The dogs are enjoying the rest from pulling our heavy sleds over mountains of ice boulders, and their motivation has given our voices a rest from shouting "hike, hike, hike" every twenty meters. All is going great so far. The grime is starting to build on our clothes and we can smell all the hard work we've been doing the last week. Our faces have turned a leathery brown and white from our glasses surrounds our eyes. We are starting to look like a project of our environment. I am loving this so far. Its a great team of people who all add something unique to the cause. Keep doing all your own exciting things.

All the best,

Sam

Position: N 77° 01', W 93° 01'
Distance Traveled: 13 mi/ 20.6 km

So we just hit the two week mark. All is going good so far. There is a slight concern that, with the rough sea ice slowing us up, we might not be able to make the northwest coast of Ellesmere.

We've been discussing different options. One would be to leave caches of food in bear-proof barrels along the coast. This would make us much lighter and give us the chance we need to make the miles it would take. We will have to see what will work best.

The last two days have been pretty exhausting. The dogs have been working hard and have done a good job getting us this far. Today they were really tough to run and trying to motivate them can be quite tiring. Constant shouting of "ready...hike,hike,hike." Pushing the sled up ice boulders, running in front of the dogs in the deep snow and sometimes having to flip over a sled! They truly are amazing creatures. They seem born to run and even though they get tired, they love it.

It s a short one for me tonight. Need some rest, so for now, over and out from Falcon.

Sam

Additional Info:

Canadian Inuit Dog

With us on Ellesmere Island are 30 Canadian Inuit dogs. Known as Qimmiq in Inuktitut, they are one of the last indigenous dog breads to North America and now one of the rarest.

The Canadian Inuit dogs are amazingly adapted to the harsh climate and conditions of the North. They are strong and tough, with a thick coat of fur that keeps them warm even through the coldest nights.

When the Inuit migrated to the High Arctic, they brought the dog with them as they depended on it for survival. They were used for centuries for dogsledding, carrying packs and hunting.

After the introduction of the snowmobile in the Arctic, the need for the dogs ceased and the breed decreased almost to extinction. They are still used today for hunting, tourism, and sport.

It's been a long day. Getting into my tent tonight was so nice. It's amazing. In regular circumstances, the tents we call our homes, would not be percieved as something to look forward too. They are not much longer than 7 feet and about 4 feet across. With our bivy sacs in the tent there is not much personal space. Sitting up you have to bend over so your head doesn't hit the roof. Leftovers from last nights dinner are stuck to the floor and frost falls from the celing. As horrible as it sounds, this tent is a mansion to us. It means warmth and a chance to get out of the bitter winds outside. It is our solace from this harsh environment and tent time is the best part of the day. It means a chance to rest!

Today was a good one. I rode on Toby's sled. His dogs are particualy exhausted so most of the morning was spent pushing the sled instead of being pulled! We set off into the rough ice with little visibility. At one point our sled fell into a wind drift and we cracked a handle. With a bit of DIY we set off again pretty fast. It was tough traveling all the way until about 2 p.m. where we got a lucky break and found some flat ground. Even though traveling was slightly easier, the wind picked up and was bitterly cold. I got my first proper ice beard. Snow drifts cover the open flats ahead which means that the plane for the resupply still can't land. Hopefully we will find a spot tomorrow. We are on the last of our supplies!

So far so good. Love to all my friends and family reading this.

Falcon (Sam)

Day 23
Distance: 12.9 km / 10 mi
Position: N 78° 26', W094° 51'

What a day! It was nice to get into camp tonight. We are all exhausted. We spent the day traveling along the east coast of Amund Ringnes Island, making our way to the Ayles Ice Shelf. After a smooth morning on relatively flat sea ice, we hit yet more rough sea ice, the last thing we wanted to come across. With the resupply only a few days ago, we are fully loaded up and heavy. With the sleds included, our loads weigh 750 lbs. A huge amount of weight for us to push and the dogs to pull. The ice was packed hard and travel was very slow. At points it took all six of us just to get the sleds moving off ice lips and snow wells that we so readily got caught on/in. In one particular section it took us two hours to move three hundred meters. We all heaved, pulled and called the dogs and eventually we made some ground. It is amazing what these dogs can do. All respect to them. Without them we would be nowhere.

After a very long and exhausting day we pulled into camp. A nice half hour early, at six. Apart from the sheer physical grinding, we all enjoyed ourselves greatly. Apart from the lack of distance that we need to make, days like these are thoroughly satisfying. Getting into bed is that much more enjoyable and we all sleep very well.

I just took a walk outside. What a beautiful place this is. Large boulders of frozen water surround us, huge mountains fill our horizon, the sun is coating everything in a beautiful tranquil color and - let's not forget - we're sleeping on a frozen sea. This barren land is truly mesmerizing. I hope you can get a grasp of this place with what we share with you.
All good so far. A small write in my diary, then off to a well deserved rest. Until next time.

Take care,

Falcon (Sam)....

Day 29
Position: N 78° 50' W 096° 03'
Distance Traveled: 15.4 km / 9.5 mi

Hey all.

Sitting here in my tent at the end of yet another tough but enjoyable day. We are nearing the halfway point and I can't believe it is going so quickly. We've all been working overtime to get these sleds through this rough ice and it has been truly exhausting. We have decided to stay put tomorrow and give the dogs a day of rest. A well deserved and well needed rest. By the look of what we can see ahead, rough ice might fill our whole route north and the last thing we want to do is burn the dogs out. We nearly made that mistake at the beginning of the expedition by going 20 days straight.

Today I would like to talk about the dogs. Since I arrived out here in the beginning of March the dogs have gone from being simple strangers to very complex friends. They are fascinating creatures. All have such specific personalities and need to be treated certain ways. Some give you respect instantly and some you have to work hard with to gain their respect. I have been driving Sarah's team mainly, so it's these guys I'm most fond of. The team goes as follows: Raven is the lead dog, then Zoro, Iki, Henson, K2, Zephyr, Sicari, Jutumate, Bartlett, Ichebaun and Qimmik. They are a great bunch. I have grown very attached to them and it will be hard to say goodbye at the end.

Husky dogs have five different types. The Purebred Canadian Eskimo dog, which makes up the majority of our teams, the Malamute, the Alaskan husky, the Samoyed and the Siberian husky. They are all great looking creatures, some with magnificent markings. They are truly designed to live in this environment.

Anyway, supper time for me and a lie in. What a treat. The body definently needs the rest.

Until next time, all the best,

Falcon, Sam....

Day 34
Position: N 79° 35' W 096° 32'
Distance Traveled: 20.6 km

So, the days are flying by since we hit the halfway mark. It's strange to know that in a month's time we'll all be back in the real world. I have to say that even though this is extremely exhausting and tough, we are all really enjoying it. I am truly in my element and will miss being on the trail.

The weather today was very cloudy with a light snowfall and strong southerly wind. As the day wore on, the wind shifted to the west bringing slightly clearer conditions. It was nice to have the wind at our backs most of the day which gave our faces a rest. Our faces are starting to look pretty leathery, scruffed with facial hair and frost nipped with scabs.

With the fresh snowfall, traveling is tough. There are huge windwells formed in which we regularly get caught, and banks of thick snow litter our path. At points we were in waist deep snow trying to push the sleds uphill. It can be pretty exhausting. Even though it is freezing out here (especially with the wind), we get really hot in the day. As we are working so hard, we are constantly taking layers off and quickly putting them back on when we stop. When you stop the cold seeps in pretty quickly. It is always important to monitor your temperature out here. You have to make sure you don't sweat even though sometimes it is tough. Your body loses heat 240 times faster when you are wet and believe me you can feel it. Under layers are essential to staying warm. We generaly wear a thermal or wool top, an over top, a jumper or thin down jacket, another jacket and when we stop, our big over coats. This varies per person or day. When we stop and are not on the move we wear all this but on the move I have at points been stripping down to my just thermal top and vest.

It's a strange feeling wearing so little at minus 30 degrees Celsius!

Pulling into camp tonight was nice as always. The fog still was over us but I just went outside and the change in wind has brought clearer skies. We are now a lot closer to Axel Heiberg and the view is truly mesmerizing. Huge snow covered mountains jut out from its coastline, making us seem very small in this vast landscape. I am looking forward to travelling up it tomorrow.

For now over and out from Falcon (Sam)...

Day 39
Distance traveled: 40 km / 25 mi
Position: N 80° 42' W 096° 01'

What an absolutely incredible day. Waking up this morning, the sun was shining bright with not a breath of wind in the air. The huge mountains beside us stood in full glory as they basked in the suns heat. It was a smooth day and traveling was so enjoyable - a welcomed break to the days past. In a way it felt as though it was our reward for working so hard the last forty days to get us to where we are now. Just off the coast of Axel Heiberg camped by an island called Bjornason.

Traveling in conditions like this gives you a real chance to take in your surroundings and appreciate where you are. It's amazing the perspective it gives you. Not only being in such an inspiring place, but being so detached from the outside world that you can look objectively on it. How people get so fixated on little things and actually miss the bigger picture. As big and powerful as this world seems it is really a fragile place. We are having an affect on the balance of this planet and could tip the scales. If people do not become more aware of their surroundings there could be big consequences. It would be a real shame to win the hearts and minds of people only to realize it is too late to make a difference. There are much larger things at stake, but preserving the world's beautiful and fragile ecosystems should be enough to do something towards the cause. Places just like the Arctic in all its magnificence could be lost.

I had this thought while I was traveling from Clyde River to Igloolik last year and it may help to sum up what I mean. I like to think of the Arctic as a giant snowflake, amazing in its structure and magnificent in its beauty, but just like a snowflake when it lands on your hand, with that slight change in temperature, it will melt and be lost forever. If we all do our own small part and act like the forks that keep the snowflake intact, it will not melt and disappear, nor will other fragile ecosystems just like it.

Be a fork and do your own small part to keep this fragile place intact. Together we can make a difference.

All the best,

Falcon (Sam)...

Day 43
Distance Traveled: 0 km (rest day)
Position: N 81° 01' W 095° 03'

We spent the morning resting and doing all of our personal things. Writing in diaries, reading, bathing and sleeping. In the afternoon we had a team meeting where we discussed our route for the last leg of the expedition. It's been nice to have some down time and with Ben's arrival we have all been reminiscing about the days past. Filling Ben in on what we've done has brought back many funny memories along with the tough times we've had.

This evening Eric, Sarah, Sigrid, Ben and I walked up to the carin on top of the mountain side behind camp. Toby was still feeling ill stayed in camp with Will. He must be really ill to miss out on leaving his own cairn. We did it for him. It was great to get up on top. The camp looked like an ant being dwarfed by the mountains and expanse of space around it. We arrived on top by the carin and put our map with expedition route inside a Nalgene bottle. It was a nice moment for us. We pictured the last group of people building the cairn however many years ago and it was a nice image. We now were making our own mark in this barren and isolated place. I wonder if someone will ever come across it in the future. Very few people have ever been here in the history of mankind and I don't think many more will. In fact probably more dogs have visited this place than humans!

We rebuilt the carin, rock by rock on top of our bottle and had a moment to take it all in. Back to the trail tomorrow and we're all looking forward to it. Camp is starting to feel slightly stale with all the dog mess. It's like a mine field, always having to watch where you tread.

For now over and out from
Falcon (Sam)....

N 80° 21' W 088° 41'

I can't believe we have only ten days left until we head back to the real world. We have all been trying to mentally prepare ourselves for the circus that awaits us when we leave the ice but are also trying not to think about the end too much and are enjoying the time we have left.

Today I would like to give you a brief insight to one of our dogs. He is what I like to call 'The racoon looking thing named Ichebaun'. From the beginning of the expedition he stood out amongst the rest. Not for his sled dog skills but for being the worst sled dog known to man. For the first two weeks he tried running backwards and it was a constant effort to get him to do what you needed. It was a love hate relationship as he is also a very lovable friendly dog. I would have bet my life that he would never pull through and learn the ropes but he has. Over the expedition he has started pulling consistantly, made a few friends and even learned to untangle himself . It is so nice to see all the dogs progress over the time on the ice. Better fitness and behavior and they are all enjoying it. Every day I realise more and more that these dogs are born to run and love it. There is something incredible about travelling with animals. The relationship formed is like none other I have experienced. A mutual respect. I hope I travel by dog team again someday.

It's a short one for me tonight. Some sled fixing to do tonight. Until next time keep checking out our progress.

All the best, Falcon (Sam) ...