CYCLE SOUTH EXPEDITION - 2012
I suppose at some point in the future, I will look back on today and smile - the effect of time and distance having fully pared down my memory to a few mildly amusing vignettes, but until then I am rooted in the here and now staring across one of the most remote and inhospitable places in the entire world and a goal I'm not sure I'll be able to achieve.
I have to remind myself, 'don't make any decisions at the end of the day when you're tired.'
By all accounts it wasn't a terrible day - I covered 26 nautical miles despite a variety of weather conditions. I managed to intersect with an old ALE cat-train trail and for a while things seemed good, but the trail drifted over and I alternated between riding along side and over the drifts.
At some point early on, the light turned flat and it was hard to see much of anything. Then, it started snowing. I couldn't believe it. I burned about 20 minutes trying to set up my camera to take pictures of myself actually riding my bike (not easy) until the visibility improved enough to start riding again.
I've had to amend my travel schedule slightly to accommodate the substantial effort of biking in Antarctica. As it stands now, I bike for an hour then take a break and eat a Clif Bar. After four and a half hours, I pull out my Stanley vacuum food jar and eat some soup (probably the highlight of my day). The hard candy that Skratch made for me has also been a life saver. All told, I was on the 'trail' from 9 to 6:30.
I spent a better part of my day trying to manage the overwhelming nature of the task at hand. I am far enough away (plus I couldn't see in the whiteout) from the Patriot Hills so all that stretches between me and the South Pole is a whole lot of snow and ice. In the late afternoon, the sky cleared enough that I could see a rise in the ice in the distance. I will need to climb over 9,000 feet to the pole. For the next 300 miles, I will bike up the somewhat rolling ice sheet of Antarctica.
I spent nearly an hour thinking of an old high school friend, Scott, whose young son, Noah, died tragically in an accident. It put my own troubles in stark perspective. Scott told me last year, 'it's like a burn, and even though the wound heals slightly, the pain never goes away.
He sent along Noah's picture and this quote, 'May each of us have a part of ourselves that never grows up and lives life without training wheels.'
I couldn't agree more.
Image: Yours truly.
I have to remind myself, 'don't make any decisions at the end of the day when you're tired.'
By all accounts it wasn't a terrible day - I covered 26 nautical miles despite a variety of weather conditions. I managed to intersect with an old ALE cat-train trail and for a while things seemed good, but the trail drifted over and I alternated between riding along side and over the drifts.
At some point early on, the light turned flat and it was hard to see much of anything. Then, it started snowing. I couldn't believe it. I burned about 20 minutes trying to set up my camera to take pictures of myself actually riding my bike (not easy) until the visibility improved enough to start riding again.
I've had to amend my travel schedule slightly to accommodate the substantial effort of biking in Antarctica. As it stands now, I bike for an hour then take a break and eat a Clif Bar. After four and a half hours, I pull out my Stanley vacuum food jar and eat some soup (probably the highlight of my day). The hard candy that Skratch made for me has also been a life saver. All told, I was on the 'trail' from 9 to 6:30.
I spent a better part of my day trying to manage the overwhelming nature of the task at hand. I am far enough away (plus I couldn't see in the whiteout) from the Patriot Hills so all that stretches between me and the South Pole is a whole lot of snow and ice. In the late afternoon, the sky cleared enough that I could see a rise in the ice in the distance. I will need to climb over 9,000 feet to the pole. For the next 300 miles, I will bike up the somewhat rolling ice sheet of Antarctica.
I spent nearly an hour thinking of an old high school friend, Scott, whose young son, Noah, died tragically in an accident. It put my own troubles in stark perspective. Scott told me last year, 'it's like a burn, and even though the wound heals slightly, the pain never goes away.
He sent along Noah's picture and this quote, 'May each of us have a part of ourselves that never grows up and lives life without training wheels.'
I couldn't agree more.
Image: Yours truly.
Remember, it's cool to be cold!
The Team
ERIC LARSEN
Polar adventurer, expedition guide, dog musher and educator, Eric Larsen has spent the past 15 years of his life traveling in some of the most remote and wild places left on earth. In 2006, Eric and Lonnie Dupre completed the first ever summer expedition to the North Pole. During this journey, the duo pulled and paddled specially modified canoes across 550 miles of shifting sea ice and open ocean. Eric successfully led his first expedition to the South Pole in 2008, covering nearly 600 miles in 41 days. Eric is now one of only a few Americans in to have skied to both the North and South Poles. In November 2009, Eric returned to Antarctica for the first leg of his world record Save the Poles expedition. This time he completed a 750-mile ski traverse to the geographic South arriving on January 2, 2010. Two short months later he was dropped off at northern Ellesmere Island for a winter-style North Pole Journey. The international team reached the North Pole 51 days later on Earth Day - April 22, 2010. He completed the Save the Poles expedition by reaching the summit of Mt. Everest on October 15th, 2010 becoming the first person in history to reach the world's three 'poles' within a 365-day period.
Eric's other expeditions include dog sledding in the Canadian Arctic, training trips to Hudson Bay and countless dog sled races (including the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon). He has summited Mt. McKinley, ridden his bike across the United States, been a backcountry ranger in Alaska and a white water canoe guide in Colorado. Eric has dedicated his adult life to sharing his love for the outdoor world with others. As an educator, Eric strives to connect people to places and issues. In recognition of those efforts, Eric was elected as one of Outside Magazine's Eco All Stars in 2008.
Eric travels extensively giving motivational and educational lectures to schools, universities, non profit organizations and corporate groups. He is also finishing the documentary COLDER about the Save the Poles expedition.
Eric lives Boulder, Colorado with his partner Maria Hennessey and their one month old baby boy, Merritt.
Think Snow!
Eric's other expeditions include dog sledding in the Canadian Arctic, training trips to Hudson Bay and countless dog sled races (including the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon). He has summited Mt. McKinley, ridden his bike across the United States, been a backcountry ranger in Alaska and a white water canoe guide in Colorado. Eric has dedicated his adult life to sharing his love for the outdoor world with others. As an educator, Eric strives to connect people to places and issues. In recognition of those efforts, Eric was elected as one of Outside Magazine's Eco All Stars in 2008.
Eric travels extensively giving motivational and educational lectures to schools, universities, non profit organizations and corporate groups. He is also finishing the documentary COLDER about the Save the Poles expedition.
Eric lives Boulder, Colorado with his partner Maria Hennessey and their one month old baby boy, Merritt.
Think Snow!
TIM HARINCAR, TECHNOLOGY
Tim Harincar is owner and founder of webExpeditions, a company specializing in helping adventurers and researchers communicate via the internet to audiences from some of the most remote places on the planet. Using various technologies, including custom designed software, webExpeditions helps find the most efficient ways to connect with audiences and sponsors. Based in Minneapolis, webExpeditions has assisted projects on every continent and every ocean. Tim is an avid cyclist, regularly bike commuting over 5000 miles a year. As an outdoor enthusiast, Tim has completed the Arrowhead 135 ultra marathon twice by bicycle and has been a strong proponent of winter cycling and snow bikes.
ELISABETH PLETCHER-HARINCAR, EXPEDITION MANAGEMENT
Elisabeth provides expedition support for the Cycle South Expedition by utilizing social media and managing content to share the story of the the world-first bicycle journey across the Antarctic continent to the South Pole. The goal of the Cycle South expedition is to combine adventure and advocacy to demonstrate the many ways in which people can use a bicycle to change the world; from protecting our environment to improving the quality of our lives, as well as the lives of those around the world.
PETER REESE, TEAM LEADER - OUTREACH
Peter puts over thirty years of communication leadership, outdoor pursuits and personal challenges into life's blender as part of the EXPLORE THE EXTREMES team. A former collegiate Nordic racer and coach, Peter's career has taken him to emerging nations struggling to find economic stability after decades of war and corruption. Avid cyclist and unrepentant solo trekker, he finished college overseas and continues to work internationally in the recreation industry. His vision for E.T.E.? "Be part of watching individuals change -- and then transform their communities and world." After raising five boys, Peter's ready to push boundaries including going places that actually have food in the refrigerator or pantry.
MERRITT THOMAS LARSEN, MOTIVATION COACH
Merritt joined the ELE team in Oct 2012. He resides in Colorado where he is currently dedicated to a program of eating and sleeping in order to bulk up, as well as working on his acclimation to the altitude in preparation for his first expedition. His primary role for the Cycle South expedition are keeping Eric slightly sleep deprived, so the expedition is easy in comparison. He also serves, along side Maria, as prime motivation for Eric to bike fast and get home.
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