May 25th, Day 68

Distance traveled:
May 24th: 13 km
May 25th: 26.9 km

Position: N67°40'07.7 W083°41'53.3

We awoke at two in the morning. hoping that the forecast we had received three days prior would come to be and bring us some much needed west winds. Unfortunately, we woke up to stillness and sunshine; outside our tent, another sunny and windless day began.

Today, I got a sunburn on my legs, which goes to show how warm the Arctic can feel without the bite of the wind. The sun, however, can be violent; in the spring, it shines endlessly and its reflected glare off the snow greatly magnifies its power. Sun burns can be uncomfortable, but snow blindness, a type of painful but temporary blindness due to overexposure to UV, is far more serious.

The sun is not always a menace however; it turns our tent into a greenhouse, making it toasty warm every morning, and it helps keep our electronics charged, thanks to the two solar panels and the HET battery pack that we have brought along with us. This in turn keeps our electronics, satellite phone and, most importantly, our ipods charged.

After 6 days in a row of skiing, we have our fingers crossed for some favorable winds!

Eric

[Via Pittarak: Northwest Passage Expedition]