Just a short update as we're all running on no sleep and trying to get organized for the flight to Resolute, leaving in a couple hours. We arrived in Ottawa after our cross-country road trip - which was something of an adventure in itself. If you saw the tweets or listened to the audio, we had a few mishaps after leaving Thunder Bay. First we took a wrong turn and didn't realize it for nearly an hour. Realizing our mistake, we turned around but in the process lost two hours. Feeling a bit more urgent, Darcy "put the hammer down" and sometime later were stopped for speeding. Twice. Arrrg!

Our driving plan somewhat blown, we rolled into a small town in Ontario very low on gas at about 2:30 am. Not finding a gas station open (no surprise) and none with 24 hour pumps, we went to a local motel to ask where we might find gas. The motel owner gave us the name & phone of the owner of the gas station. He didn't want to come out and open the station, so we bribed him and he relented.

From there is was on to Ottawa where we met up with Antony who arrived from England. This is the first time we'd all been together. The website has been updated with Darcy and Antony's bios, have a look and get to know them. The next hours we spent reorganizing all the gear and trying to control the chaos and get us onward to Resolute. The next update should be from the arctic circle!

Picture: Darcy trying to figure out why we couldn't get any gas on a very chilly Canadian night.

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 new remote audio post has been added to the blog...

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.

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.