Greenland 2010 Legacy Crossing

May 11, 2010 9:34pm

May 9, 2010  Los Angeles/Montreal

The last few days have resembled what can be expected from final preparations on any expedition. The last minute shopping; the triple checking off the lists; the pulling in favors from friends with anything from sowing on sponsor patches (thank you T-Mac!) to running errands (thank you Mikhail!) to transferring powders into space saving bags (thank you Jeremy!) to finalizing bill payments and personal matters inherent to long absences , in this case close to ten weeks away from home…

Finally there is the last stretch which invariably factors staying up all night, meticulously packing each carefully selected item, mindful not to forget–there are no convenience stores on the ice–and not to overpack, since everything will be carried, pushed or dragged and the weight can quickly add up to mostly grunts and curses!

In the early morning, when most items have been checked off the list, comes time to shower, spend a moment with my dog, Guerra, who senses that trouble is afoot: all that packing means another absence. She huddles near my feet hoping against hope that I might pack her with me…!

Jeremy has offered to drive me to the airport, along with Mikhail who has stayed up all night out of sympathy. The three of us–and the dog–head for the airport with comfortable margins for the extra weight–almost two hundred pounds of skis, kites, protein powders, clothes and equipment, camera gear and just about anything to survive unassisted for 40 to 45 days on the ice.

After a nice send off, I lean back in my seat as the plane takes off for Montreal where I will meet Eric for two days of finalizing our lists.This is the first leg of what will take five days just to get to the ice! Greenland is off the beaten path and requires flying to Copenhagen for an overnight connection, followed by a flight, a boat ride and a hike… You get the picture!

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