I have been asked many times, "Why did you go to the North
Pole?". I will answer that question and others now.
Why did I go to the North Pole?
There is, of course, the flippant answer, "Why not."
But, that is not what you want to here. Nor do you want to hear the
mountaineering answer "Because it is there."
So, I need to try and explain why I had this desire to go to the North Pole.
The Society Expedition letter
said it best, "It's the ultimate travel adventure -- to feel
the exhilaration known by the world's great explorers, to share a truly rare
experience. Fewer than 100 persons have ever stood at the North Pole."
I have always wanted to travel in space. I have dreamed about setting foot on
the surface of the Moon; I have dreamed about walking across the barren
landscape of Mars; I have always wanted to go where few men have gone before.
These were dreams that were more than likely not achievable. I have always
thought it should be possible to attain one's dreams. But, I knew that these
dreams far exceeded my grasp.
I was then presented with an opportunity to satisfy my dreams. I had the
chance to walk on the top of our planet Earth at the North Pole. This
opportunity came to me one day while I was reading the Sunday edition of the
New York Times. There was a small advertisement that said
"Interested in a fun-filled exciting vacation? Try the North
Pole." My interest was piqued.
Here was a place that was almost as remote as the Moon or Mars. I could smell
the sense of adventure. This trip had my name written all over it. Plus, this
dream was achievable. I sat down at the kitchen table and wrote a
letter to Society Expeditions asking for details regarding this expedition to
the North Pole.
Several weeks later, I received a
packet of information in the mail
with details about the trip. At this point, my mind began to think. Should
I or shouldn't I? I wanted to go but was the cost of the trip worth it?
The projected cost of the trip was $8,730.
I continued to think. I was still single at the time. If I let this
opportunity pass by, I may never again have the chance to go. I had the
money - I had the time - I had the desire.
I made the decision to go! And that was the best decision I have ever made.
I fulfilled my dream of going where few men have gone before. It may not have
been the Moon or Mars, but the polar landscape was Earthly beautiful. Instead
of my boot prints in the lunar regolith; I would settle for my boot prints
in the Arctic snow pack.
Why did I create these Polar Journals?
Just prior to the 15th anniversary of my walking on the top of the world, I
thought it would be a good idea to scan in some of my pictures from the trip
onto the computer. When I went to the Pole, I also took a daily log with me.
The log was handwritten and I never shared the contents of the log with
anyone. To preserve the log in digital format, I began entering each of the
pages online in the HTML format you now have in front of you. After entering
the 11 days of entries, I thought it would be a good idea to link some of my
textual thoughts to the images I had scanned. Well, one thing led to another
and before I knew it, what had once been a simple idea to scan in some
pictures and transfer the log to the computer ended up being a major project.
This major project started in March of 2000 and ended in September of 2000.
But it was a fun major project. I expanded the scope of the project to include
more pictures than I originally intended. I added a few bonus sections as
well. If you take some time to peruse these journals, I think you will
appreciate the time and effort that went behind the construction.
One added advantage of having these digital journals is that I can share them
with my friends; both the ones that experienced the journey with me and those
that did not get the opportunity to stand on the top of the world.
What is the meaning of the pictures at the left in the README Data pages?
Near the conclusion of our polar journey, we were all asked what were the 5
most interesting and memorable events from the trip. I did not have to think
very long to come up with my list of 5.
| 1 |
|
Obviously, standing on the top of the world was the most memorable. Those
memories of that event will be with me forever.
|
| 2 |
|
Next on the list was sleeping out in the igloo at Grise Fiord. The
severe cold, the constant daylight, a genuine Inuit constructed igloo all
contributed to the memory.
|
| 3 |
|
Then, upon returning from the North Pole, the ice fishing in the middle
of the night under the midnight sun was fantastic.
|
| 4 |
|
Arriving in Eureka and riding out to the ice berg in noisy and oil burning
bombardiers was extremely exciting. The sight of the ice berg was also
very breathtaking.
|
| 5 |
|
And finally, riding on the Ski-Doo pulled sleds at Grise Fiord was very
thrilling.
|
|
Now that you understand the 5 most interesting and memorable events from my
trip to the North Pole, you will understand why I selected those specific
5 pictures to introduce the reader to these journals. I then placed the
memorable images in each of the introductory sections:
Symbols,
Dedication,
Contact Info,
Version Number,
Why the North Pole?.
Are there any hidden features in these pages?
In today's digital world, there is a term that is applied to DVDs known as
Easter Eggs. This term has the following meaning:
- Easter Egg
- Hidden goodies on a DVD that are accessed through your menu options or
via a hidden icon. Your DVD may have hidden featurettes, interviews, music
tracks, and more!
Well, I can promise you that there are no hidden interviews or hidden music
tracks on the CD-ROM that you now have installed. But, there are Easter
Eggs buried in these journals. You have to
look
for them in order to find them. And once you find them, I don't think you
will be disappointed.
Are you ready to begin?
Are you ready to begin your journey? The
next page will start you on your own expedition
to the North Pole.
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