10 December 2013
15.3 nautical miles
Finally a day that I travelled enough miles to be able to be successful. If I can average 15nm a day from here on out I should make it. The snow drifts from the recent wind have started to get hard making travel easier. Sometimes I can even go a whole mile without stopping.
The cruelty of Antarctica is, the steeper the slope, the softer and larger the snow drifts. Some years ago after completing my second Brianhead Epic I told my kids that if I ever said I wanted to do that again they should take a 2x4 and smack me upside the head. They have been hoping I will do it again ever since. Luckily for me they no longer do the Brianhead Epic. However doing the South Pole Epic is worse than doing the Brianhead Epic, day after day.
I can't do a 10 hour day without breaking it up. I get too hungry and it is just to hard to eat while biking. So I am now doing two 5 hour shifts a day. Set up the tent in between and get a good meal. Also this way I only need to drag around 5 hours of water at a time.
15.3 nautical miles
Finally a day that I travelled enough miles to be able to be successful. If I can average 15nm a day from here on out I should make it. The snow drifts from the recent wind have started to get hard making travel easier. Sometimes I can even go a whole mile without stopping.
The cruelty of Antarctica is, the steeper the slope, the softer and larger the snow drifts. Some years ago after completing my second Brianhead Epic I told my kids that if I ever said I wanted to do that again they should take a 2x4 and smack me upside the head. They have been hoping I will do it again ever since. Luckily for me they no longer do the Brianhead Epic. However doing the South Pole Epic is worse than doing the Brianhead Epic, day after day.
I can't do a 10 hour day without breaking it up. I get too hungry and it is just to hard to eat while biking. So I am now doing two 5 hour shifts a day. Set up the tent in between and get a good meal. Also this way I only need to drag around 5 hours of water at a time.
Dan, We just got the news that temperatures in Antarctica have reached a record breaking -135.8 degrees below zero! I just cannot imagine that kind of cold. I hope you are coping with this and it does not slow you down too much. As always, you are in our thoughts and prayers. -Michael Robinson
ReplyDeleteI just showed Cole your blog and told him how you are biking to the South Pole. He said, "What??!!! That is amazing. I have to go tell Kylee!" Apparently, I hadn't mentioned it to him before. I hope you are "enjoying" your adventure!!
ReplyDeleteI lose track, you should post a running total of miles travelled. Or maybe miles to go?
ReplyDeleteGood luck, stay safe.