29 Dec CSM Bar – Day 38 Of SPEC

A rough one today with the sastrugi getting the better of us.

The mileage is dropping but the effort is full on. It takes all our energy to get through these days. The journey is all uphill and we were walking into a head wind as it blows down from the Polar Plateau creating a resistance that one might find in the NASA astronaut training center!

The pulks feel heavier and every muscle is working overtime. The smallest blisters and bumps are engaging in this trauma and when we reached the tents tonight, I am not sure any of us spoke much. Just eat….then sleep.

We still were able to cover 10.2 nm which was a miracle in itself. The sastrugi is the highest we have seen to date and I hope it will be for the remainder of this Expedition. Though something tells me….perhaps not. The break stops were shorter as now with temperature at -22° C you get cold quickly. Although nothing stops me from my CSM Bars……..not even Antarctica!!

Which reminds me of the little note I found inside one of the bars…..from Michael Hesler  “Speaking on behalf of the CSM team it has been an honor to serve you Robert and Barney and a genuine pleasure to solve the technical challenges associated with the product development.  I should mention a non-CSM gentleman whose research provided us with an insight leading to our eventual success.  Dr. Michael A. Berthaume’s numerous publications regarding tooth geometry and diet prompted us to think about the problem of eating a frozen bar differently.  Michael was kind enough to correspond with me and I hope our collective thought processes have led to a food product that is practical and enjoyable even if eaten frozen.”

Maybe I will have just a little more now……until tomorrow

Barney