Final Day's Recap
Okay, I'm finally getting sleepy. I have completely lost track of time and days. It could be said that it is still the same day that it was when I arrived here back in November, as the sun has not set once since I've been here. But to me, though, the last few days, I can't tell how many they were and what was what day.
After I ran out of food, Hannah from ALE came to my rescue with new food. I then set up my tent and went through the food. I said in my blog entry that I got some sleep while my clothes were drying. I really wanted to sleep, but it just wouldn't come to me, so I headed south. After about six miles, I reached the top of a hill and I could see the South Pole Station. I broke down in emotional joy. I then went for a short distance, and for some reason it became very difficult to move forward. It took me a while to realize that the rear tire had gone completely flat. I quickly changed the flat. After all, it was so cold that it froze a Coke that Hannah gave me from a warm state to slush in less time than it took to get the bottle open and to my mouth. I was only able to get three-quarters of it out of the bottle.
I then proceeded to the South Pole. The South Pole camp had been taken down the day before I arrived, so there was nobody there and my actual finish felt very anti-climactic. I sat around in my tent eating and maybe getting a bit of a nap. Then my new best friend, Vesa Luomala (solo ski, from Finland), arrived. A little after that, we visited the South Pole Station, took pictures of each other at the pole, and I gathered up as many snowmen as I could. I packed up my tent and we flew back to the Union Glacier base camp.
Everything is in cleanup mode here. I took so long that Vesa and I are the last two non-ALE people left. I have been hanging around doing anything besides setting up my tent yet again. To get this blog entry sent, and to try to send a few pictures, I have to leave this dining tent, since the insulation is also a radio shield. It has been a long journey.
The next flight out of Antarctica is on January 27, so I am here for a few more days.
** Sorry, but I can't seem to get any pictures sent. The batteries don't like having been frozen, and they simply aren't charging. I will keep trying to get something sent.
Okay, I'm finally getting sleepy. I have completely lost track of time and days. It could be said that it is still the same day that it was when I arrived here back in November, as the sun has not set once since I've been here. But to me, though, the last few days, I can't tell how many they were and what was what day.
After I ran out of food, Hannah from ALE came to my rescue with new food. I then set up my tent and went through the food. I said in my blog entry that I got some sleep while my clothes were drying. I really wanted to sleep, but it just wouldn't come to me, so I headed south. After about six miles, I reached the top of a hill and I could see the South Pole Station. I broke down in emotional joy. I then went for a short distance, and for some reason it became very difficult to move forward. It took me a while to realize that the rear tire had gone completely flat. I quickly changed the flat. After all, it was so cold that it froze a Coke that Hannah gave me from a warm state to slush in less time than it took to get the bottle open and to my mouth. I was only able to get three-quarters of it out of the bottle.
I then proceeded to the South Pole. The South Pole camp had been taken down the day before I arrived, so there was nobody there and my actual finish felt very anti-climactic. I sat around in my tent eating and maybe getting a bit of a nap. Then my new best friend, Vesa Luomala (solo ski, from Finland), arrived. A little after that, we visited the South Pole Station, took pictures of each other at the pole, and I gathered up as many snowmen as I could. I packed up my tent and we flew back to the Union Glacier base camp.
Everything is in cleanup mode here. I took so long that Vesa and I are the last two non-ALE people left. I have been hanging around doing anything besides setting up my tent yet again. To get this blog entry sent, and to try to send a few pictures, I have to leave this dining tent, since the insulation is also a radio shield. It has been a long journey.
The next flight out of Antarctica is on January 27, so I am here for a few more days.
** Sorry, but I can't seem to get any pictures sent. The batteries don't like having been frozen, and they simply aren't charging. I will keep trying to get something sent.
(sorry if this a dupe...blogger seems to have lost the first one.)
ReplyDeleteI once heard a riddle: where is the only place on earth where you can ride your bike one mile north, a mile west, and a mile south and end up at the starting point? Great job on getting to that spot by bike! In your honor, I will go for a bike ride this weekend in near freezing temps in my own part of the world.
Congratulations! You're crazy, man!
ReplyDeleteThanks Travis, your going with me next year right?
DeleteBefore I left jake introduced me to the daft punk song around the world. When I got to the pike I put that song on and rode around the world throughout the song. I guess one of only two places in the world where you can ride around the world in a couple of seconds.
ReplyDelete