I left my girlfriend, Maria's, place in Boulder last night at 10:30. Amazingly, I was able to pack up the expedition sprawl that had consumed her entire basement since I returned from Antarctica. She has been more than patient and supportive, even helping to modify Atlas snow shoe bindings, haul gear, print forms and much more. I couldn't have finished the many tasks without her help.

The KIA (my little car) is packed to the gills. I had to unbox four cases of Clif bars just so they could compactly fit underneath the seats. In Minneapolis, more gear to add. 324 freeze dried dinners from Mountain House, new terramar long underwear, tech gear from Farm Logic and a few other odds and ends.

Now, it's up to Grand Marais. On the way, a quick stop in Two Harbors granite gear for late night equipment rendezvous. This time for stuff sacks. Very exciting. I've had a 15 minute power nap in the Harincar's basement, a cup of green tea and now I feel ready for the road. Kind of. I cringed looking at my eyes in the mirror. Minnesota is a tall state. Still, exciting to be moving. One big step accomplished!

I emailed AJ today and stated I had probably driven enough miles to cross his small country (UK) several times. To which he replied, 'It maybe a small nation, but its a GREAT Nation .. Royal Britannia!!'

The help continues to come in. Dinner, packing and web help at the Harincar's. Corey my 'land lord' in Grand Marais, called to check in. Adam a friend from Grand Marais is driving me to Thunder Bay to meet Darcy. Zack from Scream Agency sent a press release for me to review. I am continually humble by all the kindness and generosity. It does not go unnoticed.

Today, was the official start of the conversation on Newsvine. Calvin posted an interview that you can check out at http://ericlarsenexplore.newsvine.com/

Darcy forwarded this note about ice conditions, 'Things are worse than last year as you can see in the attached pics. The ice is moving freely down Nares Straight and across the top of Greenland. This doesn't allow the ice to set up to the west and so everything is very dynamic.

You can also see the fog and low cloud generated by the open water. The open water creates more active weather which affects the ice and sets up more active weather and......' An unusually balmy -4F was recorded at Cape Discovery the other day.

Picture: Satellite image of Northern Ellesmere Island.

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Goal0, Atlas and Sierra Designs.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing and Terramar with major support from Goal0, MSR, Scream Agency, Sierra Designs, Stanley, Optic Nerve and Clif Bar.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net. For lecture inquires, please contact smakmaria@yahoo.com.

A roller coaster would feel better than this. Today, the pressure got to us all. Nerves our wearing thin and coordinating food purchases, gear lists and logistics over the Internet has its obvious disadvantages. Still I can't imaging doing any of this without my computer.

John Ross (whom I've never met before), commented on my Facebook Polar Explorer Eric Larsen Fan Page, 'When your feet feel good, everything else just seems to fall into place.' I'm inclined to believe him. While things are definitely chaotic, we are accomplishing the many tasks one after another in unnervingly rapid succession.

We are excited to have signed on another Sponsor. The North West Company is underwriting some of Darcy's travel costs. While the support is very much appreciated (and needed), I am actually more honored by the fact that I am now aligned with an organization that is so intertwined with the history of exploration. For those of you who don't know about the companies history, I would encourage a quick bing search and see for yourself.

To get to the North Pole we have to fly a fairly circuitous route north. After, leaving Ottawa, we head to Iqaluit on Baffin Island and then back (and north) to Resolute. After that its almost straight north to Cape Discovery. AJ booked our flights from Resolute on the 25th and our tentative departure date from Cape Discovery is March 2nd.

I have been checking the weather regularly in Resolute... - 40 F today. It's been a weird winter up there. Unusually warm and ice free. I have also heard that ice conditions are atrocious.

Darcy has been cranking on all sorts of things. Today, after buying food, he cooked inordinate amounts of bacon that will be added to breakfasts and dinners. His whole family is helping. While this has been difficult for both AJ and I, Darcy has a two children and his wife, Carol, is also in medical school. I don't know how they do it. Truly amazing.

As for me, I'm barely keeping it together. Event though my feet feel good, I still broke down again today. There are so many details that need to be exactly correct. We are all operating on too little sleep as well. Tomorrow, will be a good day. I leave for Minnesota. Soon, there will be no more decisions to make except which flavor Clif bar to eat, when to switch from madshus.com/" target="_blank">skis to Atlas snowshoes, and which piece of ice looks most suitable for a The Big Kev (our Sierra Designs tent).

I can't wait.

Picture: Canadian Geography 101. What Island is Cape Discovery on? Bonus points for the correct territory.

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, terramar, Goal0, Atlas and Sierra Designs.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing and Terramar with major support from Goal0, MSR, Scream Agency, Sierra Designs, Stanley, Optic Nerve and Clif Bar.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net. For lecture inquires, please contact smakmaria@yahoo.com.

When my mom used to ask me what I want for Christmas it was always a quick easy answer, 'wool socks'. While to most, socks may not seem like an awe-inspiring present, but for me it was the perfect gift. Warm, comfortable. There are few better things than having toasty feet on a cold day.

Now-a-days, I ask for Carbon offsets as presents so my sock collection has dwindled a bit. Never fear, the sock fairy is near. I received a box of wigwam socks for the North Pole today and immediately put on a pair. My feet were pleased with my behavior - especially since I had been wearing the same pair for the last three days.

I am almost totally geared up now. There are a few last gear details but with the arrival of a second iridium phone, some palm pilot parts from Farm Logic, we are almost GTG. (Good to go). I have been working for almost three years designing gear and equipment for this trip. While much of it has been donated, we have to purchase things as well. Yesterday I ordered 70 days worth of freeze dried meals from Mountain House. I don't even want to tell you how much that cost. Still, we were able to get a very good deal. Thanks Melanie! We appreciate your support.

There are three of us going to the pole now. You haven't really met Darcy from Canada or AJ from the UK, but you'll get to know them soon enough. That is one aspect of this expedition in which time is not our enemy.

We have been passing around a 'North Pole To Do' list between the three of us and there is still much to be done. Early Monday morning, I'll leave boulder and drive to Minnesota, then pick up a few items at Tim and Elisabeth's in Minneapolis, and finally, Grand Marais. The next morning its up and to Canada where Darcy will meet me. There, we'll go grocery shopping and then drive to Ottawa. Yikes. It hurts my but just thinking about all that sitting.

The stress of all these intense preparations is getting to us. Today Darcy and I got in a bit of an argument on the phone. Nothing serious, but we are dealing with such an infinitely small margin of error that everything has to be perfect. With different styles of working and communication, there is bound to be some friction. We managed to talk through the issue and find an amenable conclusion. Later, in talking to my mom, I broke down a bit. This task is so overwhelming.

Helen Keller says that, 'life is either a daring adventure or nothing.' I'm inclined to believe her.

Picture: A box of Wigwam's from the sock fairy. Thanks Donna!

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing and Terramar with major support from Goal0, MSR, Scream Agency, Sierra Designs, Stanley, Optic Nerve and Clif Bar.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net. For lecture inquires, please contact smakmaria@yahoo.com.

Wow, this stuff is really starting to get fun. And we haven't even left yet! Another day dotting I's and crossing T's. My old expedition partner Lonnie Dupre would be proud of me today after crossing so many things off my list. 'Got that done,' he would often say.

I had a brief conversation with another polar adventurer and good friend John Huston. 'Are you getting any sleep?' He asked knowingly. Last year at this time John was preparing for his own North Pole Journey.

The morning started nicely with another arrival from Clif Bar. This time it was my Builders Bars - chocoalate and cookies and cream flavors. In Antarctica, these were special treats. Tasty, crunchy and packed full of energy. I usually ate them during my first break.

I have been in contact with Dongsheng my client (and team member) from the South Pole. While we have talked about exchanging pictures, I have been too busy to send both Bill and Dong a representative selection of pictures from the South Pole. For his part Dongsheng's video camera didn't work in the cold so he was left with mostly inside the tent pictures.

How does an expedition change a person? As you can see from Dongsheng's face over the course of 48 days... Quite a bit. In an email he wrote, 'I am doing the first things on my wish list which I made on the ice. The South Pole trip has changed lots of thing in my life!'

Changes around here, are a bit more subtle. The list is getting smaller (and kind of growing too). I'm in the process of sorting out my iridium Sponsorship. New Suunto compasses should be arriving this week as well. MSR XKG stoves, a new heat exchanger, ThermaRests and more!

For better or worse, I still need to wash my terramar long underwear from the South Pole. But luckily a new partnership with Seventh Generation will make that tough job a bit easier.

Picture: Dongsheng for 48 days in Antarctica.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing and Terramar with major support from Goal0, MSR, Scream Agency, Sierra Designs, Stanley, Optic Nerve and Clif Bar.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net. For lecture inquires, please contact smakmaria@yahoo.com.

Moving forward because we have no other choice... To fail now is inconceivable yet it is something that we are talking about regularly. Unfortunately, the hurdles keep stacking up. Our latest quandary: obtaining $100,000 - not to spend, just to have. Sounds confusing? Let me explain.

Our logistical safety net requires many things. First, a costly flight to our starting point to northern Ellesmere Island. Next, more money devoted to a shared resupply. Of course, there is also the pick up at the North Pole. Most importantly - we are required to have a secured accounting of $100,000 (like a bond) should some unforeseen non medical emergency arises. Know anyone interested in helping out?

Other than that small detail, it is business as usual. We are managing a nearly infinite amount of variables. One thing checked off the list - Clif bars. At the most difficult part of our journey, we expect to consume 8 different Clif bars - from mojo's to the new clif c's to just the plain tasty Clif Bar (Chocolate Chip is my favorite by the way).

I've been emailing back and forth with the people from ACR electronics. Turns out they have a new feature called for their PLB's (personal locator beacons) on 406Link.com. Basically its a non-distress messaging service that wil allows us to send "I'M OK" message with our ACR Microfixes.

Next my web superstar Tim Harincar will try to take that I'm OK message and translate it into a coordinate posting on the Save the Poles web site X-plot map. That means I will be update my position several times during the day while on the Arctic Ocean.

Q: How cool is that? A: Very!

A quick update from the Arctic Ocean - worst ice conditions reported in many years. There is talk of 'super moons' at the end of February which will increase tides and consequently make ice substantially rougher. And this last nerve wracking tidbit an unusually warm temperatures in northern Canada means lots of open water. YIKES.

It's the end of a stressful day. I'm not complaining rather just stating fact. I'll deal with all this toughness as it comes down the pipe. Moving forward now because I want to. Hope, I believe, springs eternal.

Picture: The Clif Bar fairy arrived in Boulder today.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by bing and Terramar with major support from Goal0, MSR, Scream Agency, Sierra Designs, Stanley, Optic Nerve and Clif Bar.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com. For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com. For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net. For lecture inquires, please contact smakmaria@yahoo.com.