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People & Culture

New Land Expedition: Off the ice

  • Jun 07, 2013
  • 476 words
  • 2 minutes
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After 65 days crossing Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, the New Land 2013 expedition has reached its end. This blog was written by John Huston.

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Toby Thorleifsson and his dog, Elle, spend a special moment together. (Photo courtesy the New Land 2013 expedtion)

We’ve been off the ice for two days now and have entered a strange mental state of post-expedition tired weirdness.

After traveling during the night for two weeks, the adjustment to daytime has led to more than a few jet-lag stumbles and bumbles. Sometimes we wake up way, way too early. Other times, we can’t fall asleep. We lose track of time all the time and are generally operating in a daze. Last night at dinner a glassy-eyed Kyle poured gravy into his half-full glass of water instead of onto his potatoes.

Physically, we feel very good and in great shape, but our bodies are likely more tired than we realize. It’s just an odd feeling to re-enter normal life and be back in Resolute, where two months ago we went through the stressful final stage of preparation. Now are back in the same confines with no stress and a little less weight on our frames.

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The team waits for the plane to pick them up after 65 days on the ice. (Photo courtesy the New Land 2013 expedtion)

Toby lost 23 pounds, Kyle dropped 12 pounds, Hugh shed eight, and I am only five pounds lighter. Now the scales we used may have not been laboratory-worthy, but, with the exception of Toby, we lost less weight than we anticipated. This was likely due to adding muscle and our lower metabolisms that came with the warmer spring temperatures.

It’s been really fun to get a few peeks at our photos and video clips — and we have tons of it — on bigger screens for the first time. The sorting, editing and cutting process is going to be a long, but enjoyable job this summer.

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The team’s dogs and equipment fill the plane en route to Resolute, Nunavut.

The first presentations of our expedition material will take place on June 18 in Oslo, Norway, where Toby and Kyle will speak to hundreds of school children, and then on June 20 in Chicago, where I will be speaking at the annual fundraiser for our charity partner Chicago Voyagers. Chicago Voyagers empowers at-risk youth through outdoor experiential adventures that foster healthy relationships and responsible behaviour.

Tomorrow, we fly to Iqaluit, where we will spend 24 hours visiting friends and continuing to cram as much as possible into our duffle bags.

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The four adventurers enjoy a post-shower moment.

This blog was originally published on forwardendeavors.com. Read more blog posts from New Land 2013.

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