Remember yesterday's description of challenging conditions: flat light, windy, cold? That's what the team had today. Michel, who joined PolarExplorers on the Test Your Limits 2010 North Pole Expedition, said that it was the coldest ski day he's ever experienced. The mercury read about -30-35, and the wind was blowing a constant 10 kt all day. Chilly!
Fleeting blue skies turned overcast quickly
And overcast, flat light conditions can really make it hard to see. The horizon disappears, and the whole environment takes on the same fuzzy grey appearance--so much so that it becomes really difficult to see the tracks from the skier right in front of you!
Growing out the ice beard
In spite of those conditions, the team covered about 8.4 nautical miles in seven hours, which puts them at 89 degrees, 35 minutes south, over halfway to the Pole! From this position they can maintain their current pace and reach the Pole in three days.
Woo-hoo! Halfway!
We posed another blog follower question to the team today: "Does the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station measure temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit?" Everyone except Keith, Brien, Taylor and John responded, "You Americans (or Yanks) are the only ones that use Fahrenheit. Every other place uses Celsius."
So there you have it. Thanks again for following, and check back tomorrow for more notes from the field.
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