Polar Image Text Index

patch This patch represented Society Expeditions Project North Pole 1985. Each member of the expedition was given one of these patches. This picture was taken at the North Pole on Tuesday, April 23rd, 1985. (Select photograph for additional patches.) Day 2 Edmonton edmonton001 There was a large circular pit in the Polar Park that was surrounded by a very high brick wall. In this pit were 5 very large, dirty and lazy polar bears. These would be the only polar bears that we would see. This particular polar bear was hungrily looking at 14 tourists of the north. Day 4 Resolute Bay resolute001 We were greeted in Resolute Bay with a temperature of 35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. We were also greeted by Terry and Bezal Jesudason. They would be outfitting us for our Arctic adventure. This is where Terry and Bezal live. Nigel Larn, in his white boots, is at the left. Peter, an employee of Bezal, is at the right loading his truck. resolute001_5 This is a closer shot of Bezal's place. Pat Sutherland, our guide, is carrying a garbage bag that has her gear in it. Notice the license plate is in the shape of a polar bear. Everyone else's gear has been stowed in the back of Bezal's van. resolute002 I was standing in front of the entrance to our hotel, the Narwhal Arctic Services. Notice I did not have my sunglasses on and that I was squinting because it was always so bright outside. resolute003 Our group boarded Bezal's van and Peter's truck and went to the outskirts of Resolute Bay. While I was walking around, I couldn't help but notice how hard the snow was. This is my footprint on top of a snowdrift. I didn't sink in at all. I took this picture because of one of my favorite pictures from the Apollo 11 mission: Aldrin's boot print in the lunar regolith. apollo11_20130719 From the Apollo 11 archives, photo ID number 20130719. This is Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.'s boot print on the lunar surface. apollo11_20130722 From the Apollo 11 archives, photo ID number 20130722. This is Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.'s boot and boot print on the lunar surface. resolute004 Our entire group gathered around the pool table while our guide described the journey we were about to take. From the far left and proceeding clockwise: Pat Largen, Van, Elsieanna Graff, Frances Rogers, Art Wolfe, Will Savy, Earl Wilkinson, Chuck Bergman, Nigel Larn, Bob Kaller, Tom Largen, Pat Sutherland, and Bob Burns. resolute004_5 This was a very cold scene. The snow was extremely cold and crunchy. Human traces with the Arctic background makes for an interesting dichotomy. I will never forget the cold. resolute005 I decided to go outside and watch the sunset. It was 10:00 PM when I took the first picture. The sun would set for 4 hours. It never became dark. It was a constant dusk. In 6 days time, the sun would never set again until August. I walked about 100 yards to capture another scene. Little did I know, but I was walking with the wind. When I turned around to go back to the hotel, I faced a wind with a chill temperature of about 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. My cheeks suffered a wind burn and turned a reddish color for a couple of days. It didn't hurt however. I went back inside the hotel and was telling people how beautiful the red sunset was. Van wanted to see it so I got dressed for the outside again and took Van to see the sunset. I walked on top of a snow drift and had Van take this picture of me. I was fascinated at how strong the snow drift I was walking on could hold my weight. I was about 4 feet off the ground. The crunching sound was very weird. resolute005_3 The parking lot where a couple of us played "kick-ice". You play it similar to soccer but you use ice or snow instead of a ball. Our hotel is at the left. Nigel Larn is in the foreground. In the background from the left: Bob Kaller, Pat Largen, Chuck Bergman (in red), and Tom Largen. The temperature at this time is 35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. resolute005_4 Nigel Larn and Earl Wilkinson standing in front of the snow mountain. Earl has a sticker on his parka that reads: PERISHABLE DO NOT FREEZE. Van is standing on top of the snow mountain. resolute005_5 Looking from the top of the snow mountain back to the hotel and "kick-ice" field. Nigel Larn is in the foreground while Will Savy struggles to get to the top. In the background from the closest: Bob Kaller, Tom Largen, Art Wolfe and Chuck Bergman. resolute005_6 On the other side of the snow mountain were fuel drums that were used by the private airlines of Resolute Bay. Ken Borek Air Ltd. was one such airline. We flew to the Pole on Ken Borek Air. resolute005_7 Our guide, Pat Sutherland, took us to a Thule (pronounced toolie) house. A Thule house is constructed by sinking whale ribs into the ground, covering them with the skins of seals, and then weighting the skins down at the edge with large stones. These stones form a circle on the ground. We were all at the edge of the house. From the left: Earl Wilkinson, Bob Burns, Elsieanna Graff, Pat Largen, Bob Kaller, Peter, Art Wolfe (barely visible in red), Van, Tom Largen, Chuck Bergman and Nigel Larn. The 2 whale ribs are at the right. resolute005_8 Frances Rogers, Art Wolfe (in background), Chuck Bergman and Pat Sutherland standing next to a whale rib in an old Thule house. resolute006 I posed for this shot standing next to 2 of the whale ribs that served as support for the old Thule house. resolute006_5 The water storage facility for Resolute Bay. resolute006_6 Frances Rogers walking across the snow to undoubtedly obtain a unique picture of the town of Resolute Bay seen on the right side of the picture. resolute006_7 A view of the water storage facility as seen from the side. Resolute Bay is out of the picture at the left. resolute007 The town of Resolute Bay. Population: 300 in the summer; 150 in the winter. The water storage facility with the town of Resolute in the background. resolute007_3 Since we were delayed by one day in our efforts to reach the Pole due to bad weather at our refueling stop, we were served the sandwiches that we would have carried with us. Also served for lunch was the most delicious tomato soup you have ever tasted. There were pork and beans, cheeses, olives, mushrooms, salads, tomatoes, pepper sticks, juices and milk. For dessert, we could have tarts, chocolate cake, apple pie, peaches and pears, grapes, apples and oranges. Other days, we were treated with ice cream. resolute007_4 My bed at the Resolute hotel. My roommate in Resolute was Nigel Larn. There were no windows in this room. Windows would cause a problem with 24 hours of sunlight. resolute007_5 Everyone was required to take off their shoes whenever they came in from outside. If people left their boots on, snow and ice would be tracked in and puddles of water would result. This was common practice wherever we went. Notice the sign that says: Please! Remove Outdoor Footwear Day 5 Resolute Bay resolute007_6 Bezal's van (right) brought us all to the plane that would eventually take us to the North Pole. We were in the process of boarding the plane in this picture. resolute007_7 Final boarding of our plane. Notice beneath the cargo area is the portable pump that was used to fuel the plane. Also, there is a red pole that was attached to the rear of the plane to prevent it from tipping backwards on its tail. Eureka eureka001 Our trip to Eureka was uneventful. The scenery was spectacular. We were seated as follows: Airplane Layout         Monty Matt Pilots Frances Rogers Tom Largen Pat Largen Row 1 Will Savy Debbie (the cook) Bob Burns Row 2 Chuck Bergman Van Art Wolfe Row 3 Nigel Larn Earl Wilkinson Bob Kaller Row 4 Elsieanna Graff     Bob Antol Row 5     Pat Sutherland     Row 6     Luggage     eureka001_5 On the way to Eureka, we were treated with miles and miles of different landscapes. Everything from frozen waters of the Norwegian Bay to the mountains of Axel Heiberg Island (as shown in this photo). The snow cover on the land was everywhere and had a pure whiteness to it. Part of the plane can be seen at the left of the picture. eureka002 Eureka is an international airport that services flights from both Canada and Greenland. The temperature was 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Eureka is on the tip of Fosheim Peninsula on Ellesmere Island and is located at 80 degrees N latitude. eureka003 We had to refuel at every stop. Monty is performing this task at the Eureka weather station. eureka004 We traveled across Nansen Sound and turned around to see the weather station in the distance. We traveled in snow roving vehicles known as "bombardiers". The ride was extremely bumpy. The fiord that we were on was known as Slidre Fiord. The bombardiers were so noisy, we had to stop on the ice any time we had to communicate with another vehicle. Our bombardier had anti-freeze spilled on the engine so we had smoke pouring into the compartment. We opened our doors to 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit temperatures to vent out the smoke. eureka005 Out in the middle of Slidre Fiord was a gigantic ice berg. It was incredible to think that 80% of the berg was below the surface. eureka005_5 Approaching the berg, I realized it was all ice with a snow cover blanket. The base of the berg was a beautiful turquoise. eureka005_6 Closer to the base and in the berg's own shadow was an extremely colorful site. It was beautiful to see the merging of the berg and surface ice. eureka006 The two "bombardiers" are parked near the berg with the expedition members clustered nearby. eureka006_5 This shot gives an idea of the size of the berg. Seconds later, I was called back to the "bombardier", (the red one) by Chuck Bergman. It was time to leave the berg. I almost missed the only "taxi" home as I was the only roving adventurer. eureka007 The two gentlemen from the National Geographic remained in Eureka to study the wolves. They began their studies as soon as we arrived. Chuck Bergman (on the left) and Art Wolfe can be seen photographing the wolves here. It was interesting to think that the picture Art snapped in this photo may appear in the Geographic. eureka008 After we left the berg, we drove out to the weather station dump. It was here that we saw Arctic Wolves. There are 2 wolves in this picture. I snapped this photo as soon as I jumped out of the "bombardier". The wolves did not bother us because they were more interested in the food. Apparently, the sight of humans was not a foreign sight to the wolves. Lake Hazen hazen001 Our first sight of Lake Hazen was seen from the air. It was truly a spectacular sight. The cold clean air without any haze made everything seem closer that it actually was. This picture shows the Lake Hazen base camp as seen prior to landing. Snow mobile tracks can be seen extending from the camp to the lower left of the picture where our landing strip is. hazen002 The Lake Hazen base camp. The structure in the foreground is the women's dorm. The square portion of the building is the entrance to the kitchen. The 2 windows on the extreme far right are to the bathrooms. Pat Sutherland is standing in the doorway and Bob Burns is in the foreground. hazen003 Pat Sutherland (tracks on the left) and I went for a 3 hour walk around the base camp. It was 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. There was absolutely no wind. The base camp can be seen in the center of the picture. The snow is unexpectedly deep in several areas. You could be walking on level snow and suddenly sink to above the knee level. I sprained a muscle in my leg because this happened so many times. The sun was always very beautiful and shining brightly in a crystal clear blue sky. hazen003_5 During our walk, Pat said her camera died. The shutter locked up on her. Batteries lose power in the cold. So I thought I would check my batteries by barely depressing the photo switch. I pressed too hard and snapped this unintentional shot. The batteries were fine and the camera clicked. Close examination will reveal lichen growing on the rock underneath a fresh snow cover. hazen003_6 We found a hare home while we were walking. There was nobody home. You can see signs of urine in the lower right that marks territoriality or the fact that the hare had to piss. hazen003_7 We reached our destination - a small cairn built by Bezal in 1978. We were looking back at the base camp just this side of the lake boundary. We could hear someone coughing from this distance. hazen003_8 The U.S. Range, the lake, the base camp and the hill create the backdrop for my portrait. Pat took this picture of me. hazen004 Pat Sutherland standing beside the cairn that Bezal built in 1978. Engraved in the wood is: 78 BEZAL where the 7 is not visible in the photo. Notice the Arctic willow on the right side of the stone monument. I carried this with me all of the way home as a souvenir. When I went through Canadian customs, the customs agent was very intelligent and wanted to know if I was carrying a snake. I told her it was a piece of driftwood as you are not supposed to remove vegetation from Canada. willowTree This was one of my souvenirs from my trip to the North Pole. It is an Arctic willow tree. It was found on the right side of the cairn that Bezal constructed on top of the hill near the Lake Hazen base camp. I carried this with me all of the way home as a souvenir. When I went through Canadian customs, the customs agent was very intelligent and wanted to know if I was carrying a snake. I told her it was a piece of driftwood as you are not supposed to remove vegetation from Canada. This tree is now hanging on my wall at home. hazen005 The cairn can be seen at the top of the hill. Our tracks zig-zag their way down. The left track is Pat's. You can see a smooth portion of the track coming down the hill as she slid on her butt. It was very funny. hazen005_5 Dinner time at the Lake Hazen camp had to be eaten in shifts since there wasn't enough room for all of us to sit at one time. This meal consisted of beef stew. Starting with the head at the lower left and proceeding counter-clockwise: Will Savy, Tom Largen, Pat Largen, Bob Kaller, Nigel Larn, Frances Rogers, Bob Burns, Pat Sutherland and Earl Wilkinson. hazen006 This is my bed. The reason I took a picture of this was because the person that last slept in it only one month earlier was Neil Armstrong - the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong is also my hero. The cook told me Neil slept in this bed while on the flight to Hazen - so I made sure I got his bed. fullMoon001 The full moon as photographed by Bob Antol. Details are as follows: Subject: Moon (14.2 days) Date: Monday, January 1st, 2018 Time: 8:29 PM EDT Camera: Skyris 445M Attachment: None Filter: None hazen006_5 The sun taken at 11:30 PM. It did not get any lower than this. The cloud in this picture was the only cloud we saw while at Lake Hazen. Night-time was always the most beautiful at the Lake. hazen007 The previous page in the guest book. The reason I took this shot was because of 2 signatures. The seventh and twelfth signatures belong to: Neil Armstrong Lebanon, Ohio Ed Hillary Auckland, New Zealand Neil was the first human to walk on the moon. Ed was the first human to climb Mt. Everest. hazen008 The guest book at Lake Hazen, April 22nd, 1985. Robert A. Antol Nigel Larn Elsieanna Graff William Savy Robert Burns Robert J. Kaller Frances Rogers Earl Wilkinson Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan Thomas L. Largen Pat Largen Patricia Sutherland hazen008_5 Pat Sutherland was working on her Ph.D. in archaeology. She found many artifacts during her digs. The museum where she works made duplicates of her finds. She was bringing the duplicates to Grise Fiord where they would be put on permanent display. She brought all of them out and showed us while we were at the Lake. Day 6 Lake Hazen hazen009 It was 10:07 AM Tuesday, April 23rd, 1985 when Matt and Monty received word from Camp Opal that the weather was satisfactory for an attempt to the North Pole. hazen010 We all walked down to board the plane. I laid on my back to get this shot. Notice there are 2 people sitting on the fuel drums beside the plane. Elsieanna Graff was one of them. She was affected by the fumes and had to walk around to get some air. She knelt on the snow and put her head down so she wouldn't pass out. It didn't work - when we boarded the plane, she passed out. Tom Largen was behind her and caught her. He laid her down on the ice and gave her time to recover. When she came to, she had no idea what had happened. hazen010_5 Some of the luggage was brought down to the plane on a sled that was pulled by a Ski-Doo snow mobile. Close examination of what is on this sled will yield to you the expedition's "honey pot". This was our toilet. It was a yellow can with a garbage bag in it. I never used it. hazen011 Fuel had to be loaded into the passenger compartment of the plane. We always carried our own fuel with us while traveling in the high Arctic. hazen011_3 This was the last piece of land that we would see until we returned. I was fascinated by the snow ripples. Land can be seen to the left. The cable that is visible in the photo controls the position of the landing skis. hazen011_4 The expedition on the way to the North Pole. From the left: Bob Burns, Nigel Larn, Will Savy, Van (drinking), Earl Wilkinson, Pat Sutherland, Bob Kaller, Frances Rogers and Pat Largen. Pat Sutherland was passing out cookies for treats. She was our "stewardess" on the trip. We were also given fruit juices. They froze during our stay at the pole so we had to defrost them by placing them near the cabin floor heaters. hazen011_5 The polar pack ice is interesting. Ice begins to form in the sea when temperatures are about 0 to -1.80 degrees Centigrade and the seas are calm. The first stage is the development of small needle-shaped crystals which coalesce and spread to form a film over the sea's surface. This slush ice may thicken to form an opaque skin of ice called nilas. When broken by wind action, it gathers into clumps and forms disks up to 3 meters wide. The raised rim and circular shape, due to the striking together of disks, gives the ice the appearance of lily pads from which is derived the name "paddy" or "pancake" ice. If the temperature remains below freezing, 3 to 4 inches of pancake ice may coalesce. While generally developing a rough surface, a snow cover will give the appearance of a smooth white plain. By mid-winter, the ice thickens up to 10 to 20 feet and may last from 5 to 8 years. Warming temperatures and wind can disintegrate an ice field even in mid-winter. Cracks may enlarge to form canals or "leads" of open water (as seen in this picture) contracting black with the white of the pack ice. Pack ice drift may be produced by currents and wind. When wind blows a steady thirty knots for half a day or more, the wind force prevails over ocean currents. Smooth ice drifts with less speed than ridged ice; on the other hand, ridged ice fields have more inertia, but once it begins to move, it continues to move after the winds stop. Wind also sorts ice on the sea's surface, packing small floes to windward against larger floes. One season's winter ice may begin as a flat, featureless area covered with snow, but due to ice movement is often heaped up into pressure ridges, that is one layer of ice overriding another. Polar ice, through weathering under successive summer temperatures, has a more undulating surface although pressure ridges may rise 30 or more feet in height, often showing up as colossal chunks. Camp Opal opal000_5 We arrived at our refueling stop. It was a weather station on the polar pack. This weather station was known as Camp Opal. You can see the camp from the plane before we landed. opal001 Two meteorologists from the Camp Opal weather station came out to the plane to greet us. Fuel drums can be seen in the foreground. The leader of the American Naval expedition was Commander Wales. opal001_5 Our primary reason for stopping at Camp Opal was simply to refuel our plane. Our expedition deplaned and talked with the meteorologists. opal001_6 I remember how cold it was when this picture was taken. This wind was blowing directly into the camera. There was a beautiful sight with the loose snow dancing across the polar pack in the wind. opal001_7 Fuel drums on the pack ice made runway boundaries for our plane. Landing at Camp Opal proved to be a very bumpy landing. opal001_8 We picked up a second plane for our attempt on the pole. The plane on the right was waiting for us at Camp Opal. You can see the fuel drums in front of the second plane and the expedition members in front of the first plane. Van is in the foreground at the left getting ready to take some more pictures. There were 2 other camps associated with Opal, Crystal and Ruby, that were part of the expedition that would continue to operate for another couple of weeks. opal001_9 You can always find beautiful patterns sculpted in the snow by the wind on the pack ice. The snow takes on a very cold layered look. opal002 Van can be seen using the Camp Opal bathroom. It consisted of 4 wooden sheets tied at the corners with an opening for a door. There was no roof. The interior of the bathroom consisted of the Camp Opal toilet. opal003 This is the Camp Opal toilet. A hole was drilled 20 feet through the pack ice. A box was placed over the hole. A garbage bag lined the interior of the box. A hole was cut in the garbage bag to expose the 20 foot hole. A seat and lid add the finishing touch to an extremely cold toilet. Toilet paper can be seen to the right. I used the Camp Opal bathroom at 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. opal003_5 John Brechin, one of our pilots seen on the left, tips the fuel drum to get as much fuel as possible. Matt Gacek, our other pilot seen on the right, operates the portable pump that keeps the fuel flowing smoothly. A red cap can be seen in the engine intake. These were always put into place whenever we landed. opal004 I volunteered to ride in the second plane. The other volunteers were Nigel Larn and Van. We were the only passengers in the second plane with the exception of 4 fuel drums that had to be taken to the pole. The seats in the plane could be folded up against the wall to allow this extra space for our cargo. My hat, gloves, and film pack can be seen hanging on a seat at the right. opal005 A beautiful shot of the brilliant sun, the other plane, our wing and the polar pack ice can be seen here. North Pole pole000_5 We landed on the North Pole and jumped out of our plane at 5:18 PM Resolute Bay time on Tuesday, April 23rd, 1985. The second plane can be seen approaching the pole getting ready for its landing. It was 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. pole001 The second plane can be seen several feet above the pole in its final approach. Before either plane landed, we had to circle the pole 10 or 15 times to determine the smoothest landing strip. Shadows were used to see where the bumps were. It was reported by Tom Largen in the other plane that our right wing tip touched the ground when we landed. It was extremely bumpy. The fuel drums we carried were shifting violently. pole003_5 We taxied for several minutes to determine a smoother landing site for the other plane. It finally landed and pulled up next to us. You can see its propellers still turning while Van and Nigel Larn watch on. pole002 Van and I ran to the edge of the pressure ridge before our guide got out of the other plane. We witnessed what the other members of the expedition would not see - a recently formed frozen lead area. This area of the pole had a recent exposed area of water (lead). This can be seen in the background. In the foreground can be seen a portion of the pressure ridge - a block of ice about 4 feet exposed. The color of the ice was a beautiful turquoise. pole002_5 A portion of the pressure ridge jutting above the ice with the sun in the back can be seen here. pole003 I gave my camera to Van out on top of the pressure ridge so he could obtain this shot. The lead (now frozen) can be seen to the right and the 20 foot solid ice pack can be seen to the left. pole003_6 Pat Sutherland (our guide) finally disembarked from her plane and came over to Van and I. She told us that we weren't supposed to be so close to the lead. It was a very beautiful and fascinating site. pole004 Looking back from the pressure ridge towards our two planes, we saw the remainder of our expedition. pole004_5 Walking toward the plane and looking back towards the pressure ridge, I could see the expedition members starting to fan out from the plane. They did not get or stray very far. I was the only adventurous soul that explored the pack ice. pole005 The bumpy ice can be seen in the plane ski tracks as it taxied across the polar pack to its resting spot. pole006 Society Expeditions brought the traditional red and white striped "North Pole". I was given the honor of planting the pole in the snow. Bob Burns can be seen waving the American flag by the pole. His camera bag and other mitten can be seen on the ground to his right. pole007 Nigel Larn then took his position by the pole. Bob Burns has only shifted locations but has not moved otherwise. The striped item in the left lower corner is the face mask that all of us were issued. I did not use mine while at the pole. pole008 I was fascinated by the pressure ridge, so I left the group to study the beautiful ice. pole008_5 The expedition was still gathered around the pole. I was then called back for the group picture. pole009 Pat Sutherland stands by the pole holding her poster from the National Museum of Man. The poster is bilingual: English on the left; French on the right. It says: LAND OF THE MAPLE LEAF - HOME OF THE BEAVER pole010 The expedition that made it to the North Pole. From the left: Elsieanna Graff Robert Burns Robert J. Kaller Nigel Larn William Savy Frances Rogers Thomas L. Largen Pat Largen Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan Earl Wilkinson Robert A. Antol Pat Sutherland took the photo. Van is holding a flag of India, his home land. pole010_5 After the group pictures were taken (one picture from each camera of the expedition members - totaling 12), I went exploring. I decided to begin my walking adventure by going back to the pressure ridge/lead. This is a shot from where we planted the pole. pole010_6 I was very excited while I was at the North Pole. We were at the pole for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I took 60 pictures while I was there. That figures out to 1 picture every 80 seconds. So while I was walking to the pressure ridge/lead, I began snapping my memories. pole011 I arrived at the pressure ridge and was still in awe. It was truly a fabulous site. The forces that caused this beauty must be incredible. pole011_5 A quick glance back to the landing site showed me our mode of travel and the expedition members. pole012 I then reached in my pocket and removed a small Teddy Bear (named Teddy) that had traveled to the North Pole with me. I sat him on the snow and took his picture. He had a specially made hat that he was wearing. If you look closely in the gold heart that he is wearing around his neck, you will see my reflection as I was taking his picture. pole013 I then found some ice blocks that were jutting out of the sea. Huge pieces of the polar pack ripped during movement of the ice and now rest above the surface. The color of the ice can be seen here as a beautiful turquoise. pole014 The same ice blocks in the previous picture can be seen here at a different angle. The bright object at the left is the sun reflecting off some ice. pole014_5 My footprints can be seen in the snow in the foreground as I walked around the pressure ridge. The planes and people in the background presented a very foreign appearance to the snowy landscape. pole015 I then made an 8-point star in the snow composed of 2 crosses and started to shoot a panorama by pointing my body in the direction of each spoke. I was so excited, I only took 6 pictures of the panorama and then continued on my investigation of the pressure ridge. This is the first picture of the panorama. I am looking over the rim of the pressure ridge beyond the bounds of where I could walk. pole016 I started my clockwise turn for my panorama picture. In the distance, another pressure ridge can be seen. Close examination of the upper right hand corner of the picture shows an additional pressure ridge. pole017 The top of the rim of the pressure ridge can be seen in the third picture of the panorama. The turquoise ice can be seen extending above the sea. A beautiful "mini"-panorama was created by merging this image with the one just before and after. pole017_crop This image combines panorama images 2, 3 and 4 to create this gorgeous view. pole018 My footprints can be seen walking across the snow in the fourth picture of my panorama. The pressure ridge enclosing our expedition is visible wrapping around our section of the polar pack. pole019 The fifth picture of the panorama now points directly at the sun. The plane and expedition members can be seen to the right. pole020 The last picture that I took of the panorama was pointing at the planes. I seem to remember that in my excitement, that is where I began with my first picture. But I didn't discover my mistake until the film was developed. It was difficult to accept the fact that I was at the North Pole! pole021 With the sun at my back and a giant pressure ridge directly in front of me, I beheld what few would see. I proceeded to walk to the left so I could shoot a different angle. The scene that my eyes took in was just as beautiful. And that scene looked ... (see next picture) pole022 (see previous picture) ... something like this. Every place you stood gave you a different beautiful scene. The ice chunks were always so pretty. pole022_3 This gives an idea on how big the pressure ridge is. I was standing at the base of the ridge shooting along its rim. I walked up the side to the top and ... (see next picture) pole022_4 (see previous picture) ... looked over the edge to the other side. Large boulder size ice chunks can be seen on the polar plain. pole022_5 I had to take my own picture since I was exploring alone. My mustache had frozen and sweating had caused a band of ice to form around my hat. pole022_6 Chunks of ice can take on many shapes. A huge rectangular block is seen here projecting out of the ice. pole023 Continuing to walk on, the same rectangular block is seen from a different angle. A second block is seen resting behind the first. I had just changed the film in the camera and this was the first picture of the new roll. I turned around after taking this picture and to my surprise the roll of film I had just shot was sitting in front of me on the ice. The three bands on my camera strap holding the film canisters had frozen, allowing my film to slip out. "You can't trust a simple thing like elastic in the cold of the arctic. It becomes brittle. Camera straps freeze like swords and camera shutters lock." I was quoted saying for the IBM Circuit Magazine that did an article on my trip to the North Pole. pole024 An extremely thick ice block is seen on the sea's frozen surface. A thick layer of snow can be seen on top. The color of the ice was a beautiful turquoise. pole025 The pressure ridge can be seen extending into the distance. A large crack is visible cutting through the adjacent pack ice. pole025_5 Turning around and looking back from where I just came, I can see the pressure ridge extending in the other direction. pole025_6 The expedition members are still gathered around the two planes. I did all of the exploring. pole026 The clear sky was totally unbelievable. Traces of turquoise colored ice can be seen through the chunk ice. pole026_5 I continued to venture farther from the expedition in my walk on the polar ice pack. The pressure ridge held my fascination. pole027 I took a another picture of myself since I was still alone on the pack ice away from the plane. The icing of my mustache is quite evident. pole027_5 The ice and snow collectively seen with a crystal clear blue sky are extremely beautiful. pole027_6 The expedition planes with the members still clustered nearby can be seen in the distance. pole028 The pressure ridge always looked so different wherever I was. pole029 I was as far away from the plane as I was to get. I was called back at this point in time. This huge block of polar ice was the beautiful polar turquoise color. pole030 I kept snapping pictures of the pressure ridge as I began my walk back to the plane. pole031 I encountered the tracks of our planes. It is very easy to see how bumpy our landing was. This picture was not originally developed with the other 441. Kodak did not print this. I had to send the negative back for a special reprint. pole031_4 There is an interesting story behind this photograph. I personally did not see this picture until more than 15 years after I took it. I saw it for the first time on September 7th, 2000. This picture was taken on April 23rd, 1985! During the process of putting together this journal, I thought it would be more complete if I included the sequence of the rolls of film I shot along with the scanned images. This was a painstaking process of associating each scanned image to the actual negative number. I did not scan every photograph I took during the 11 day journey, but I did scan every picture I took while at the North Pole. So, assigning the North Pole negative numbers to their appropriate scanned images was a simple matter. But when I got to negative number 14 of roll 6, I couldn't associate it to any of the scanned images. At first, I just thought I forgot to scan in one of my photos. But, to my surprise, the photo did not exist in my Polar Album! In a sense, this was exciting. I was looking at a negative of a picture I had not seen in 15 years! I took the negative to the store I normally have my film developed at and requested a reprint of negative 14. It should be noted that 15 years ago, the standard size print was 3x5. Today, the standard size print is 4x6. Also, 15 years ago, I thought I did a thorough check to verify that each negative had a corresponding print. At that time, I only found 1 negative that was not printed. I don't know how I missed this one. When the reprint of negative number 14 was ready, I beheld the site that you now see before you. My polar journals and photo album are now (after 15 years) complete. What you see are the 2 planes sitting on the polar ice pack. I was called back from my explorations of the pressure ridge and took this photo while I was walking back to the planes. pole031_5 The silhouette of the pressure ridge can be seen. pole031_6 People can be seen closer to the planes. pole032 I finally arrived back at the planes. People began boarding so we could open and drink the champagne (Extra Dry G. H. Mumm & Co.). They had to wait until I came back from my walk. pole032_5 This is the front of the plane. The yellow can seen in the front of the pilot is the "honey pot" or toilet that we brought with us. I didn't get a chance to use it, so I snuck behind the plane and took a whiz out in the open. It was very cold. pole033 We drank champagne from plastic glasses. It was fascinating to watch. The champagne would turn to slush in a couple of minutes. This picture was taken after I had taken the "champagne portraits" (I placed the plastic glass on the polar ice pack). I didn't get to drink very much champagne at this point because it froze up in the glass. Van took this picture of me. pole033_5 Champagne Portrait #1: The champagne glass can be seen sticking out of the polar snow on the edge of a plane track. The other planes track can be seen in the background. The tracks actually belong to the same plane. pole033_6 Champagne Portrait #2: A different angle of the champagne glass. Notice the level of the champagne has gone down due to freezing. It happens very fast at the pole. pole034 I can be seen toasting "Exploration, Adventure, and the North Pole" while standing at the intersection of our plane's tracks. Van took this picture of me. champagneCorks I was given the honors of opening every bottle of champagne. I saved the corks for souvenirs. Drinking the champagne was fun. It was extremely cold and turned slushy within a couple of minutes. It was then time to depart. pole035 Just as when the astronauts left the moon, I saw all of our footprints on this alien surface - the North Pole. apollo11_20130598 From the Apollo 11 archives, photo ID number 20130598. These are the footprints left on the moon by the first human explorers, Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. apollo11_20130675 From the Apollo 11 archives, photo ID number 20130598. These are the footprints left on the moon by the first human explorers, Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. pole035_5 As I was climbing aboard the plane to leave this beautiful place, I had to snap one more picture and bid farewell to the North Pole. Fuel was spilled on the snow by the front tire of the plane. pole035_6 There was pure excitement and disbelief aboard our aircraft. Here were four guys sitting together that had just walked on the pole. We were all in another world. Nigel Larn sits in the plane knowing he just walked on the North Pole. pole035_7 I boarded my plane along with Van, Nigel, Bob Kaller, and a bottle of champagne. Needless to say, that bottle did not last long! I was so excited. We left the pole at 6:38 PM. That one hour and twenty minutes was beautiful. I will never forget this for as long as I live. Visible in the plane are Bob Kaller (left), Van and Nigel (just behind Van). pole036 Van took this picture of me after we left the surface of the North Pole. Bob Kaller can be seen to my right and Nigel Larn is just behind me. pole036_5 Traveling along with me was a small penguin (named Pengy). I pulled him out of my pocket, placed him on the seat and took his picture along side the cork and bottle of champagne Bob, Van, Nigel and I just finished. pole036_6 Of course, Teddy also wanted his picture taken. So, I placed his right leg in the empty bottle of champagne and told him to "smile!". Camp Opal opal006 We flew to Camp Opal to refuel one last time. Pat Sutherland can be seen with the camp in the background. We all then re-boarded one plane. We took off from Opal and just enjoyed the beauty of the Arctic Ocean. opal007 When we reached Ward Hunt Island, the northern-most point of land, I started taking more pictures. This picture shows where the Arctic Ocean ends and where the northern-most point of land begins. opal008 I continued taking pictures as our plane crossed the Arctic Ocean-Land border. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time. opal009 The mountains of Ward Hunt Island are very beautiful. opal010 The snow is so deep, you can just see the tops of some of the mountains peeking through. opal011 What a difference in scenery after traveling over the Arctic ocean for so long. The mountains and surrounding snow packs extend into the distance. opal012 This valley can be seen covered in snow. opal012_5 This is another picture of Ward Hunt Island. Lake Hazen was our next stop. opal013 This, to me, looks like the start of an avalanche. I really like this picture. Lake Hazen hazen011_6 We finally arrived back at Lake Hazen after a very long and successful day. We landed at Hazen at 10:30 PM and had a wonderful dinner. I took this picture of the midnight sun after dinner. hazen011_7 Earl handed out "North Pole" cigars. Pat had one. So I went outside with her and took pictures of her smoking in a midnight sun. hazen012 This picture was taken at 1:15 A.M. This is truly the land of the midnight sun. The sun never set during this time of year. The water that can be seen is the result of the fast moving Ruggles River. hazen012_5 We drove 2 miles across Lake Hazen to the Ruggles River. Due to the high velocity of the river flowing into the lake, it does not have a chance to freeze. hazen012_6 We parked our Ski-Doo (which can be seen in the distance) and began to dig holes in the ice with a 7 foot pole. After the ice was broken, a tin can with holes in the bottom was used to scoop out the broken ice. We then took tree limb fishing rods (where they got these, I'll never know) with line attached and all they had on it was a 3 pronged hook and a metal fly. We simply dropped the hook through the hole and let it bob up and down. hazen013 We had no luck at the first set of holes (which consisted of 3) so we moved on to dig a new set. We were out about 20 minutes and had no luck. We decided to give up because we were getting cold. hazen013_5 On the surface of Lake Hazen - how beautiful! On the right side, you can see the Ski-Doo that brought us to our fishing hole. hazen013_6 Matt can be seen scooping out the broken ice chunks from the hole that he just made. Pat is getting ready to drop the fishing line down. hazen013_7 With no luck at fishing, it is time to return to the camp and get a good nights sleep. I took this last picture under the Lake Hazen midnight sun. Day 7 Lake Hazen hazen014 This was the scene prior to boarding our plane for a trip to Fort Conger taken at Lake Hazen. Fort Conger fortconger001 This was an old fort that was used in the late 1800s by Robert E. Peary. It is amazing thinking what some people had to endure. fortconger001_5 We arrived at the fort. You can see the expedition members trudging their way across the snow and ice. fortconger001_6 After I began walking towards the fort, I turned around and beheld this fantastic view - Discovery Harbor and the plane that brought us to our destination. fortconger001_7 The fascinating thing about this picture is what can be seen sticking up out of the snow. This is a relic from the late 1800s most probably discarded by Robert E. Peary. The cold of the Arctic preserves almost anything. fortconger002 Our plane landed in Discovery Harbor. It can be seen here against the beautiful backdrop of clear skies and magnificent mountains. fortconger003 The fort consisted of three wooden shacks and a considerable amount of scattered metal and wooden debris. The three wooden huts now standing on the site were constructed by Robert E. Peary, who used Lieutenant A. Greely's (of the United States Lady Franklin Bay Expedition) old encampment from 1898 to 1902 on his first attempt to reach the Pole. Canada has declared this site a National Historic Monument. fortconger004 A brief lecture was given by Pat Sutherland on the history of Hall Basin, Discovery Harbor and the fort. fortconger004_5 I was fascinated by the views in the distance. Note our plane and its landing tracks. fortconger004_6 Fort Conger is on the northern tip of Discovery Harbor north of Lady Franklin Bay and is located at 82 degrees North latitude 60 miles east of Lake Hazen. fortconger004_7 When the wind blows, the snow will drift in the most wonderful patterns. A pressure ridge blocks the wind, but it still creates some interesting results. fortconger005 I was fascinated by the "ice caverns" that were formed by the pressure ridges. fortconger005_5 The old fort can be seen in the background. In the foreground, some colorful ice and snow packs. fortconger006 This is a photograph of one of the magnificent pressure ridges that surrounded Discovery Harbor. fortconger006_5 Another angle of what the wind can do to snow drifts. fortconger006_6 It felt good to sit down and rest. All of the walking around can make you warm (especially under the arctic gear I was wearing). Van took this picture of me. fortconger006_7 This is a close-up picture of the surface of the ice. Notice the intricate ice crystals that formed. fortconger006_8 This is an icicle that formed under one of the ridges. The harbor can be seen in the distance. fortconger007 Members of the expedition can be seen here peeking into the "ice cavern". fortconger008 If you look closely, you will see musk oxen in the center of the picture as seen from the plane on our flight from Fort Conger to Lake Hazen. Their tracks in the snow are also visible in the lower left and lower right. Lake Hazen hazen014_5 It was time to pack up and leave beautiful Lake Hazen. The tracks that are visible were from the Ski-Doo as it was used to drag a sled with all of our belongings to the plane. hazen014_6 I walked around the base camp taking my final pictures before I had to say good-bye to one of the most beautiful places in the world. hazen015 Pat informed us that we must close down Hazen and move on to Grise Fiord. We rolled up our sleeping bags, turned off the stoves, threw away all of the drinking water, and packed to leave. We laid our baggage on the sled and walked down to the plane saying good-bye to one of the most beautiful places I've every stayed. hazen016 The glacier seen in this photograph (as viewed in the plane ride from Hazen to Eureka) is called the Henrietta-Nesmith Glacier. hazen016_5 As we continued flying towards Eureka, the Henrietta-Nesmith glacier continued to have a certain beauty all its own. hazen016_6 Nestled between the mountain range, the Henrietta-Nesmith glacier slowly moved toward an unknown destination. Day 8 Eureka eureka009 On our way to Grise Fiord, we had to once again stop at Eureka to refuel the plane. eureka010 After refueling at Eureka, we re-boarded the plane and took off towards Grise Fiord. This was a scene outside the plane window during our trip to Grise Fiord. Grise Fiord grisefiord001 Our first morning in Grise Fiord (Canada's northern-most community of Inuit people) was spent walking around. You can see the tiny community in the distance. The foreground has a very beautiful mound of snow and ice. grisefiord002 In the far North, you can always find a beautiful piece of ice. Notice the color of turquoise in this section of ice. grisefiord003 Tom Largen can be seen in this photo with his sheep skin covered video camera. He was filming me while I was photographing him. grisefiord003_5 The Inuit are permitted to hunt the Musk Ox. The horns of some of the Musk Ox that have been killed can be seen on this homemade table. grisefiord003_6 A sled, sled dog and the skin of a polar bear can be seen in this picture taken in town. grisefiord004 I am standing next to a polar bear skin that is being "tanned". This skin will eventually become a rug on someone's floor. grisefiord004_5 We spent our morning walking around Grise Fiord. Several members of the expedition can be seen strolling through town. grisefiord005 While walking around the town with Nigel Larn, we discovered the local church. Nigel and I also went in to see what it looked like inside. It was very nice. grisefiord005_5 Sleds do not last forever. The Inuit have to replace the skids when they become damaged. This picture shows the Inuit's workshop. grisefiord006 This is a musk oxen that one of the Inuits killed. There is no need for a freezer in this land - the meat will stay frozen outside! grisefiord007 This was one of the beautiful sled dogs. He is resting from a recent adventure. grisefiord007_0 We went and visited 2 small igloos that were already built from an Easter igloo building contest. grisefiord007_1 Pat can be seen studying the architecture of the Easter igloo. grisefiord007_2 The Easter igloo was built by the Inuit children. It was also built "kid-size". But, Pat was able to get inside and peek out. Notice the antlers of some animal above the door to the igloo. grisefiord007_3 Not all igloos are built the same. This one did not stand the tests of time. It collapsed and all that remains are the blocks of snow that were used in the construction. grisefiord007_4 I was also able to crawl inside the small Easter igloo. It was very cramped inside. I can be seen peeking out of the igloo entrance. grisefiord007_5 Getting out of a "kid-size" igloo was a challenge. You had to get on your back and inch your way out - feet first! grisefiord007_6 Once you find yourself out of the igloo, you must then get back on your feet. This was not always easy wearing the layers and layers of arctic clothing to keep you warm. grisefiord007_7 I took my camera inside the "kid-size" Easter igloo and took this photo looking straight up. This is the smoke hole that the kids built into their igloo. grisefiord007_8 My back was against the far wall as I took this picture looking outside of the igloo entrance. It was nice and cozy inside! grisefiord007_9 The expedition members can be seen having lunch in Grise Fiord. grisefiord008 This picture shows the sleds being prepared for our ride across Grise Fiord. grisefiord009 Here you can see our sled being towed across Grise Fiord. Pat Sutherland can be seen riding on the front of the sled. grisefiord009_3 After shopping at the co-op, we boarded 4 sleds being pulled by Ski-Doos and traveled 5 miles across Grise Fiord. It was a fabulous ride. It was extremely bumpy, but I loved it! grisefiord009_4 Pat Sutherland was riding on the same sled as I was. She turned around for this picture as we traveled across the fiord. grisefiord009_5 I turned around on the sled I was riding on and took this picture of another sled following close behind. grisefiord009_6 Our sled was traveling faster than the one following behind us. We slowly pulled ahead of them. grisefiord009_7 We have almost completed our 5-mile journey across the fiord. What a beautiful ride! grisefiord010 With our destination finally reached, we got off the sleds to be greeted by beautiful and colorful snow and ice. grisefiord010_5 Ice boulders and the most beautiful turquoise ever to be seen. grisefiord011 We left the Ski-Doos and sleds on the sea ice. We looked around and photographed the various features. grisefiord011_5 We walked to the site where two abandoned wooden buildings stood, and where nearby there were several Thule house depressions from a much earlier occupation of the site. grisefiord012 This is a close-up of one of the abandoned wooden buildings. grisefiord013 I was fascinated by the fact that lichen was growing on the rocks. It is amazing to think that life is able to survive in these savage conditions. grisefiord013_5 Pat can be seen lecturing to us about the history of Grise Fiord and the sites we were seeing. grisefiord013_6 We looked around and photographed the various features before heading back to the Ski-Doos. grisefiord013_7 Van took this picture of me standing in front of some beautiful ice formations. grisefiord014 This is one of my favorite pictures. It is simply a picture of a portion of a pressure ridge. However, the colors are what fascinated me the most. The turquoise color is only partially captured by the camera. In real life, it was extremely vivid. grisefiord015 Members of the expedition can be seen at the base of the mountain. grisefiord015_5 The expedition members can be seen standing near the Ski-Doos and sleds. grisefiord015_6 This is another angle of the expedition members near the Ski-Doos. grisefiord016 Van can be seen taking a break sitting on some ice chunks. grisefiord017 It seemed that almost everywhere you looked in every direction, there was something unique and beautiful. These ice chunks are an example of that beauty. grisefiord017_3 Large ice boulders resting on themselves make for a most interesting picture. grisefiord017_4 The color turquoise was very intense. The pictures do not do justice to the true colors of the ice. grisefiord017_5 I continued to climb around inside the ice boulders taking these pictures. grisefiord017_6 The Ski-Doos and sleds can be seen in the distance with the mountain in the background. grisefiord017_7 It was a beautiful day with sunshine and relatively mild temperatures (about 15 degrees below zero Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit)). grisefiord017_8 We congregated at the Ski-Doos for a "mug-up" which consisted of hot tea made from snow boiled on Coleman stoves, and bannock, a type of fried bread. grisefiord018 These 3 Inuits were our sled drivers across the fiord. Bob Burns can be seen studying one of the sleds in the background. grisefiord018_3 Nigel can be seen drinking snow tea. How very English! grisefiord018_4 Van wanted to take my picture. When I looked into the camera, he wanted me to tilt my head back so the sun could be seen reflecting off of my glasses. grisefiord018_5 We lingered for a while; it was a beautiful day. grisefiord018_6 Time to return to the village. Three expedition members can be seen loaded onto the sled ready for the ride back. grisefiord018_7 The expedition members can be seen holding on to the sleds tightly so they won't fall off. grisefiord019 It was time to leave and head back into town. This was the manner in which we traveled across the fiord. A Ski-Doo can be seen pulling one of the sleds. grisefiord020 I was sitting at the front of the sled facing forward. It was cold! You can see our driver and another sled in the distance. grisefiord020_5 I gave my camera to Pat who then took this picture of me riding the sled. grisefiord020_6 One of our sled pilots can be seen driving across the fiord. grisefiord021 While I was taking a picture of one of the other sleds, they had the same idea and decided to photograph me. Nigel can be seen at the front of the sled enjoying the bumpy ride across the fiord. We weren't strapped in so you had to hold on for fear of being tossed off. The photographers took their chances when snapping pictures. grisefiord021_5 Another sled can be seen off in the distance as we traveled back to the village. grisefiord021_6 For whatever reason, I was facing forward during the journey across the fiord. It was cold but the view was better than if you were looking backward. grisefiord021_7 You can see the driver of our sled and another sled off to his left. grisefiord022 The town of Grise Fiord can finally be seen in the distance. Our sled ride across the fiord is nearing an end. It took us 20 minutes to travel the 5 miles. grisefiord022_5 Off in the distance, a hunter's sled and his sled dogs (resting) can be seen. grisefiord022_6 This is another angle of the hunter's sled and his sled dogs. grisefiord023 The Inuit hunters killed seals. Here you can see the seal skins hung on a line to "dry". grisefiord023_3 This was my sled driver. I thanked him for a wonderful journey across the fiord. grisefiord023_4 The sled dogs were very curious about the expedition members. grisefiord023_5 This sled has not been used in awhile since it is buried in a snow drift. grisefiord023_6 Several of us went touring around the village after our return from the sled ride. grisefiord023_7 I fell in love with the cutest husky puppy dog. I was changing my film when she came up to me and crawled in my lap. I think I was warm and she wanted to get off the snow. I had Nigel take my camera and take a picture of me. grisefiord023_8 When I got my camera back from Nigel, I laid down and the puppy nestled her nose against my neck. I tried to take my own picture and I sure hope it turns out. The puppy was adorable. grisefiord024 In the Arctic, you don't need a refrigerator. You simply place your meat in the back yard - it will stay frozen! This is a seal one of the Inuit hunters killed. Igloo igloo001 This is the first photo in a sequence of 36 that shows the construction of an igloo. The first step is to "cut" blocks of snow. Each block is 9 or 10 inches thick and weighs 50 to 60 pounds. igloo002 The next step in the construction of the igloo is the placement of the "cornerstone". This will dictate the location of where the igloo will be. igloo003 As you can see, the base of the igloo is starting to take shape. 4 of the snow blocks have now been positioned for the base. igloo004 The final snow block is now being positioned at the base of the igloo. The base is a circle. The size of the circle will determine the number of blocks that will be required to complete the igloo as well as to determine the number of people that will be able to sleep in it. igloo005 After the circle has been completed, you will notice that part of the base has been cut for the second row to be placed. But, instead of placing the second row immediately on top of the first row, the cut will allow a spiraling to take place which will enhance the strength of the final igloo. igloo006 The members of the Polar Expedition watch on as the Inuit continue to build the igloo. igloo007 The second row is now almost complete. Notice one Inuit remains in the igloo while one on the outside carries and hands the snow blocks to him. igloo008 Three rows of snow blocks are almost complete on the igloo. igloo009 The snow blocks must have their edges shaved to an angle that allows them to snugly fit next to its neighboring block. The bottom edge is also angled so the snow block begins to lean in towards the eventual igloo zenith. If this were not done, the igloo would be a cylinder. igloo010 You can now easily see the importance of 2 people to construct the igloo. The Inuit on the inside must correctly shape and pack the snow blocks in their correct position. It would not be good to have the igloo fall in on itself after you have settled down for the night. igloo011 You must remember that each of these blocks weigh between 50 and 60 pounds. Therefore, the person designated as the outside construction engineer must be hearty enough to carry and pass the snow blocks to the inside construction engineer even as the igloo gains height. igloo012 The fourth row of the igloo can now be seen. igloo013 You can see there are still at least 9 snow blocks remaining. igloo014 This shows the Inuit shaping the snow block so it will properly rest in its place in the igloo wall. igloo015 Snow is an easy substance to work with. It can be easily be shaped and the scrapings can be shoved into openings to reduce the amount of wind that might be able to penetrate. igloo016 You can see one of the Inuits cutting more snow blocks. The initial blocks that were cut have already been used thus forcing more to be made. igloo017 After the block has been cut, it must be lifted, carried, raised and handed to the Inuit on the inside of the igloo. igloo018 The fifth row of the igloo can now be seen. You can get an idea of the height of the igloo by noticing the head of the Inuit just barely visible in the center. igloo019 Passing in snow blocks gets more difficult as the igloo nears completion. There are two factors that work against the construction engineers. The igloo is getting taller while at the same time angling away from the person on the outside who has to pass in the snow blocks. igloo020 The fifth row is almost complete. The hole at the top of the igloo continues to shrink. igloo021 You can see that a block has just been passed in and has not yet been shaped for final position. A long sharp knife will be used to perform the shaping. igloo022 The Polar Expedition members can be seen viewing the construction of the igloo as it nears its completion. igloo023 The height of the igloo has now exceeded the ability for the outside Inuit to pass a snow block to the inside Inuit. To overcome this situation, a set of steps has been built from the snow blocks thus allowing the block to be passed in. Notice how strong the snow is; allowing the Inuit to stand on it without any crushing or denting. igloo024 The sixth and final row is now being figured out how to be shaped in place. igloo025 The last block is being placed into position. The igloo is almost complete. igloo026 You must remember that the Inuit on the inside has just sealed himself in. There is no way for him to get out. So, the final step is to cut the door for the igloo. You can see that being done in this photograph. igloo027 The construction of the igloo is complete. You can see the spiral effect as the snow blocks wind their way to the top. Additionally, you can see the door that was cut into the side to enable entry and egress. igloo028 The Inuit that was responsible for the shaping and positioning of the snow blocks (the inside construction engineer) can be seen emerging from the igloo. igloo029 The final step in the process to build an igloo is to fill in any holes. This is done by shaving pieces of snow from the snow blocks and inserting them in any open spaces. This helps to prevent any wind from entering the igloo. You can also see how strong the igloo is as it holds the weight of two people climbing on the outside of it. igloo030 Upon completion of the igloo construction, I climbed inside and took this picture of Bob Kaller and Tom Largen as they looked on in awe. igloo031 I pointed my camera straight up from the center of the inside of the igloo. This picture clearly shows the spiral approach that is necessary for the successful construction of a strong igloo. igloo032 I then leaned against the inside of the igloo wall and one of my Polar Expedition friends took this picture of me. igloo033 After a job well done, the two Inuits that built the igloo posed for pictures in front of their project. igloo034 Members of the Polar Expedition can be seen looking around the area of where the igloo was built. igloo035 Earl Wilkinson can be seen standing in front of the completed igloo. If you look closely, he placed a sign above the entrance that says: AIR CONDITIONED igloo036 There was one other addition to the igloo roof - a hole was cut for smoke from any fires that might be lit inside the igloo. We, of course, did not light any fires when we were in the igloo. But, if you were out on the Arctic Ocean and you needed an emergency shelter, the igloo would be your best protection. A fire inside would make it very comfortable. Any smoke from the fire would need an exhaust point - hence the hole in the roof. grisefiord025 Van took this picture of me getting ready to sleep out in the igloo overnight. Caribou skins were placed on the floor under the sleeping bags. It was very warm in the igloo - it was 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit! But, there was no wind! grisefiord026 Van and Bob Kaller can be seen with cups of Napoleon brandy. We were given a half bottle to keep us warm and we finished it as soon as we got inside. When we finished the bottle, we tried to go to sleep. But just like little kids on a camping outing, we told jokes and laughed. Day 9 Grise Fiord grisefiord027 One of the Inuit children came out to see the igloo the day after it was built. Bob Burns gave him the Winston Cup Series hat that he is seen wearing. This picture also shows more details of the side of the igloo. grisefiord027_5 The morning after my nights stay in the igloo, I returned to see my sleeping quarters and encountered this young Inuit. He wanted to have his picture taken. I obliged him. grisefiord028 The area of where the snow blocks were cut from (that were used to build the igloo) can be seen in the daylight. One of the Inuit children can be seen standing in the middle. grisefiord029 This is from the inside of the igloo lit from the back by a bright sun. grisefiord030 Ah, lichen. There is life everywhere in the Arctic even under the harshest conditions. Magnetic North Pole magnetic001 We saw some spectacular scenery on our way to the Magnetic North Pole. This was what I saw looking outside my window. This is a picture of the northern-most year round body of water prior to our landing at the Magnetic North Pole. magnetic001_5 On the way to the Magnetic North Pole, Pat decided to catch a snooze. magnetic002 The first thing I did was to set my compass down on the ice and take a picture of it. It was not exciting - it did not go crazy - it did not spin wildly. The north magnetic pole is rather boring. The geographic north pole was beautiful on the other hand! magneticDeclinationChart The Magnetic Declination Chart 1985.0 - Red contours indicate the angle, in degrees between true north and magnetic north. Blue contours depict the average expected rate of change, in minutes per year, between 1985 and 1990. magnetic003 The members of the Polar Expedition can be seen gathered around the plane after it landed at the Magnetic North Pole. magnetic004 When we got out of the plane, the pilots told us to stay close, as we were in Polar Bear country. Pat had all of us group together so we could take group shots again. It was cold here. The temperature was 1 degree below zero Fahrenheit with a wind. And it was a piercing wind, too. We didn't stay long here. magnetic004_5 Earl is seen sneaking up behind Pat and I as we were having our picture taken at the Magnetic North Pole. He was always kidding around. magnetic005 This is the Magnetic North Pole! magnetic006 En route to Resolute, we flew over Polaris mine, a lead and zinc mining operation and the most northerly mine in the world; the ore is concentrated in a large barge which was built in Montreal, towed to Little Cornwallis Island and sunk to freeze into the beach; the concentrated ore is shipped out in the late summer when there is open water. Day 10 Resolute Bay resolute008 Bezal and Terry Jesudason had all of us as guests at their house in Resolute Bay. A neighbor of theirs came over with her daughter to perform some throat singing. It was bizarre! It sounded like something from "The Exorcist". It is a dying art that this Inuit woman is passing along to her family. The two women face each other and begin "singing". When one of them start laughing, the song is over. It is very difficult to describe how it sounded. resolute009 Then the old woman brought out 3 Jews Harps. This is a musical instrument that you put on your teeth and strum an extending piece of metal. The fascinating thing about all of this is that Bob Burns has been playing one of these things throughout the entire trip! So he joined the old woman in playing a song. It was great. Day 11 Resolute Bay resolute009_5 Bezal and Peter picked us up. It was 20 degrees below zero Celsius (5 degrees below zero Fahrenheit) with sunshine and no wind. They drove us to the top of the hill behind Resolute, to take pictures of the settlement and to look for fossils in the gravel that the wind had swept clean of snow. This is a picture of the weather station. resolute010 We turned in all of our arctic gear and drove to a hill looking for fossils. I found some trilobites - I was so excited. A funny comment came from Elsieanna. When Bezal was bent down on top of the hill looking at the ground, Elsieanna said, "Oh look. Bezal must be looking for seals." Pat told her that he was only looking for fossils and the water was miles away. resolute011 Nigel and I visited the Grise church. He, of course, was extremely fascinated with it. resolute012 This is a picture of the altar inside the Grise church. resolute013 At the airport, we saw one of the Inuit children all bundled up. Everyone took pictures of him. resolute014 The mounds of snow in the distance has an interesting story behind it. There is so much snow in the town of Resolute Bay, you simply cannot push the snow off of the streets. Instead, you must haul the snow away so it doesn't collect and form a giant snow mountain. These mounds are where the trucks dumped the excess snow away from the town. Members emAntol Robert A. Antol emAntolPhoto This was the photograph that I had to send to Society Expeditions when I applied for the trip. emBergman Charles A. Bergman (National Geographic - select photograph for additional details) em100Bergman I did not have a close-up picture of Chuck Bergman. So, I enlarged a portion of the following photograph. From the left: Chuck Bergman, Nigel Larn, Art Wolfe, and Pat Sutherland. Will Savy and Van can be seen at the far right. emBurns Robert B. Burns emGraff Elsieanna Graff emKaller Robert Kaller emLargens Patricia K. Largen and Thomas L. Largen emLarn Nigel Larn emRogers Frances C. Rogers emSavy William Savy (in center - select photograph for additional details) em100Savy I did not have a close-up picture of Will Savy. So, I enlarged a portion of the following photograph. The men's dorm. From the left: Tom Largen, Will Savy, Bob Burns, and Bob Kaller. Pat Largen can be seen in the kitchen standing next to the water reservoir. My bed is located behind Bob Kaller, the bottom bunk. The sleeping bags seen in this picture were extremely warm. No one was ever cold sleeping. emVan Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan (at left with Bob Kaller at right) emSutherland Patricia Sutherland (Expedition Leader) Read about Pat Sutherland in this Time Magazine article from May 8th, 2000 entitled The Amazing Vikings. emWilkinson Earl Wilkinson (Aussie) emWolfe Art Wolfe (National Geographic - select photograph for additional details) em100Wolfe I did not have a close-up picture of Art Wolfe. So, I enlarged a portion of the following photograph. We played lots of pool when we had the chance. Chuck Bergman is shooting; Art Wolfe is watching. These two gentlemen were from the National Geographic doing an article on wolves. They were hitching a ride with us to Eureka. Notice the sign on the wall at the left. NO LOUD NOISE POOL SHUFFLE BOARD BETWEEN 10 PM & 8 AM THANK YOU Crew emBrechin John Brechin (Pilot - select photograph for additional details) em100Brechin I did not have a close-up picture of John Brechin. So, I enlarged a portion of the following photograph. John and Matt stand in front of the Twin Otter at the Magnetic North Pole. emGacek Matt Gacek (Pilot) Read about Matt Gacek in this Raytheon Polar Services update from April 26th, 2001 entitled The Rescue of Dr. Ron Shemenski from the South Pole and in this CNN news article from April 26th, 2001 entitled Ailing doctor rescue to leave frozen continent. emHarris Dan Harris (Proprietor at the Narwhal and Cook) emJesudason Bezal and Terry Jesudason (Hosts) emScott Debbie Scott (Cook) emStevenson Monty Stevenson (Pilot - select photograph for additional details) em100Stevenson I did not have a close-up picture of Monty Stevenson. So, I enlarged a portion of the following photograph. It was 10:07 AM Tuesday, April 23rd, 1985 when Matt and Monty received word from Camp Opal that the weather was satisfactory for an attempt to the North Pole. Photographs Provided by Patricia Sutherland Shazen010 The members of the Polar Expedition can be seen walking towards the plane just prior to our departure for the North Pole. I am second from the left carrying a bag. Shazen011 This is the Ruggles River outlet. Sopal005 Pat Sutherland took this picture of the plane I was traveling in. I am sure if you looked very close, you would see my face pasted to the window absorbing the sites on our way to the North Pole. Sopal007 In the center of this picture is the plane I am traveling in much lower than the second plane. You can easily see the pressure ridges and a lead on the left side of the photograph. I had this photograph enlarged to 8 x 12. A scan of this size was also made. Spole002 The North Pole as seen from where the plane landed. Spole003 One of the pressure ridges on the North Pole. Spole010 The members of the Polar Expedition. This is a photograph from another camera taken to the North Pole. Sfortconger002 This is a view of our plane as seen from the old historic structures at Fort Conger. Historical apollo11crew Fifth Manned Apollo Crew - The members of the Apollo 11 prime crew are (left to right) Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) first lunar landing mission. history001 These are polar Inuits sledging Peary's supplies ashore. This was taken at Cape D'Urville, Ellesmere Island in 1898. history002 The Peary Expedition on the ice north of Cape Columbia in March 1909. history003 This is a pressure ridge on the Arctic Ocean taken by the Macmillan Expedition in March 1916. history004 The five flags at the pole from the first expedition that made it to the North Pole. From the left: Ooqueah - Navy League Ootah - Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity Henson - Polar Flag Carried 15 Years Egingwah - Daughters of the American Revolution Peace Flag Seegloo - Red Cross Flag history005 Robert E. Peary. The first man to reach the North Pole - April 6th, 1909. The Board of Managers of the National Geographic Society at a meeting held at Hubbard Memorial Hall, November 4th, 1909, received the following report: "The sub-committee to which was referred the task of examining the records of Commander Peary in evidence of his having reached the North Pole, beg to report that they have completed their task. "Commander Peary has submitted to his sub-committee his original journal and record of observations, together with all his instruments and apparatus, and certain of the most important of the scientific results of his expedition. These have been carefully examined by your sub-committee, and they are unanimously of the opinion that Commander Peary reached the North Pole on April 6th, 1909. "They also feel warranted in stating that the organization, planning, and management of the expedition, its complete success, and its scientific results, reflect the greatest credit on the ability of Commander Robert E. Peary, and render him worthy of the highest honors that the National Geographic Society can bestow upon him." (Signed) Henry Gannett C. M. Chester O. H. Tittmann The foregoing report was unanimously approved. Immediately after this action the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: "Whereas, Commander Robert E. Peary has reached the North Pole, the goal sought for centuries; and "Whereas, this is the greatest geographical achievement that this society can have opportunity to honor: Therefore "Resolved, that a special medal be awarded to Commander Peary." history006 Matthew A. Henson. Assistant to Robert E. Peary. Matthew Henson was Peary's Negro assistant who was with Peary in one capacity or another since his second trip to Nicaragua in 1887. He accompanied Peary on each and all of his northern expeditions, except the first, in 1886, and almost without exception on each of his farthest sledge trips. Henson was given this position primarily because of his adaptability and fitness for the work; secondly, on account of his loyalty. He shared all of the physical hardships of Peary's arctic work. He could handle a sledge better (and was probably a better dog-driver) than any other man living, except some of the best of the Eskimo hunters themselves. End of Text