July 2, 2008 – Wednesday – Small World
How CRAZY is this…
If you have been following along on this little adventure of mine, you already know that the first ever overland traverse from Thule, Greenland (NW coast) to Summit Camp was completed by four men and two large pieces of machinery about a week ago. If you haven’t been following along you might be interested to know that they left the Greenland coast more than 30 days before they arrived here and they averaged 5 miles per hour! The goal of the traverse was to find a route up here to Summit Camp where supplies could be shuttled from the coast because the cost of flying materials here is proving to be astronomically expensive.
When Kathy, the Summit Camp manager, heard that I was from Billings, MT, she mentioned that there was somebody on the traverse (they were en route at this point) from my hometown! "Interesting”, I thought.
The traverse made it here on June 24th and as I visited with the crew later that night, I remembered that there was supposed to be somebody from Billings among these four men. "Yeah, I’m from Billings” replied one of the crew. "Me TOO” I exclaimed!
After visiting with him for a while I found out the following: Pat Smith is a long time resident of Billings and his daughter even graduated from Senior High School, where I teach now. Turns out we have more in common than we thought. We both live on the same street (although we are about 10 blocks apart); fifteen years ago he lived in the house across the street from where I live now; he plays soccer with my current neighbor, who lives across the street; he knows most of the people Christi and I live around!!!
What are the odds of running into somebody from my hometown at the top of the Greenland Ice Sheet, more than 5,000 miles from home? With only 30 people in camp, I would say the odds are pretty slim!!!
Pat is an adventurer by trade and a photographer at heart…or is it the other way around. Summit Camp is a second home to him. In all he has spent 7 years of his life at this place, on and off. He has "wintered over” many times which means he and 3 other people lived in darkness for 3 months through the long Greenland winter, fighting to keep this place from becoming buried under snow and blowing away!
He and I hope to reconnect when we get back home…although neither of us are looking forward to the 95 degree heat those back home have been enduring; that is almost 100 degrees warmer than we are used to right now!
Tomorrow we will all bid farewells to the traverse team as they follow their route back to the sea. They have completed something that nobody before them has been able to do. Some people say there are no more "true” explorers; no more people who endure the hardships that previous expeditions had to endure, and these men might agree with you out of modesty. They have satellite phones and satellite internet, a luxury unimaginable by previous explorers; they have GPS, something those before them could only have dreamt of. However, imagine leaving your family and life behind for 3 months to set out across an unforgiving, barren landscape with tents for sleeping and nothing but 700 miles of ice to gaze upon. No showers, no bathroom, no hot cup of coffee in the morning, none of the basic necessities most of us take for granted each day. They truly are breaking trail…and I am glad I have been here to breathe in a small breath of their amazing journey.
![Billings, MT in Greenland!](/files/members/craig-beals/images/patcraiginfrontoftucker.jpg "Pat Smith and Craig Beals, both of Billings, MT, pose in front of the Tucker snow machine and the traverse's "Kitchen on Skis". The two had never met before but immediately found common ground in their common roots.")
Pat Smith and Craig Beals, both of Billings, MT, pose in front of the Tucker snow machine and the traverse's "Kitchen on Skis". The two had never met before but immediately found common ground in their common roots.
![Inside the Traverse Kitchen](/files/members/craig-beals/images/traversegalley.jpg "The traverse team has few luxuries but they do have a small fabric lined "tent" on skis that they tow behind the Tucker. It is their meeting place, visiting place, dining room, kitchen, and warming hut. This is their only "indoor" refuge during the months-long treck.")
The traverse team has few luxuries but they do have a small fabric lined "tent" on skis that they tow behind the Tucker. It is their meeting place, visiting place, dining room, kitchen, and warming hut. This is their only "indoor" refuge during the months-long treck.
Food Update: (Will the new cook, is settling into his new surroundings and the creative "juices” are starting to flow…can’t wait to see what is in store for meal time from here on out!)
Lunch: Sloppy Joes, Tempy Jims (vegetarian Sloppy Joes), left over Poutine, and salad.
Dinner: (You know it is going to be good when I have to get a pen and paper to write all these things down at meal time!)
Mushroom Tortellini, Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Ravioli, Pumpkin Ravioli, Focaccia bread, Sauces: Marinara, Meat sauce, Alfredo, Asparagus and Mushroom Stew over Quinoa, Sausage Bites, and Tossed Salad. I don’t even know if there was dessert, I was in too much pain after I ate a full helping of everything listed!
Stay Warm!!
PS. The video I tried to post a few days ago has finally found itself to the website. If you want to see the wind do its work on the snow, click on the link: http://www.polartrec.com/node/4612
PPS. We are going to have a 4th of July parade in camp on Friday. I have been tossing around some ideas for a float in my head, but I thought you all could help me out! Any ideas for a theme float I/we could put together? I would love to win the GRAND PRIZE!