Alta Backcountry: Living and Exporing in Wild Places

  • Greenland Crossing Day 20 – Margins

    September 3 –  26 km, camped at 7,438 feet After yesterday’s ice, everything slowed. The surface had softened overnight, turning from bulletproof to soggy. Skis sank again. The easy glide was gone. Progress took effort. It rained briefly in the… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 20 – Margins

  • Greenland Crossing Day 19 – Wet

    September 2 It rained all night. By morning, we were sealed in. A half-inch of ice had encased the shelter, locking the fabric stiff and brittle, zippers and guy lines frozen solid, stakes buried under a glazed crust. It felt… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 19 – Wet

  • Greenland Crossing Day 18 – Sunshine on the Plateau

    September 1 – 24 km Happy September 1st. The sun has been a rare commodity lately, and when it finally appeared this morning it lifted the entire icecap with it. The day still began bitter cold, as the summit area… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 18 – Sunshine on the Plateau

  • Greenland Crossing Day 17 – The Highest Point

    August 31 – 16.6 km, crossed summit at 8,159 feet Morning came slowly after the late night before. My hands were still stiff and unreliable when we finally started moving again. The sky was muted. The light flat. Whatever energy… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 17 – The Highest Point

  • Greenland Crossing Day 16 – Where the Sky Moves

    August 30 – 20 km, 950 meters of climbing By the time we finally moved, the icecap felt less like a landscape and more like a boundary between worlds. Wind still worried the surface, snow drifted endlessly, and the light… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 16 – Where the Sky Moves

  • Greenland Crossing Day 15 – When Systems Fail

    August 29. 13 km. Camped early in severe wind. The day began badly and never recovered. A strong east wind hammered the icecap the moment we stepped outside the tents. Snow streamed sideways and visibility collapsed. Early on, my sled… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 15 – When Systems Fail

  • Greenland Crossing Day 14 – Under Pressure

    August 28. 21 km, 274 feet of climbing. Camped at 7,686 feet. The day opened already in motion. Wind pressed at our backs, snow streamed low across the surface, and visibility shifted minute by minute. It wasn’t a sudden change… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 14 – Under Pressure

  • Greenland Crossing Day 13 – Into the Light

    August 27. 18.7 km, nearly 500 feet of climbing. The day began in white. Not dramatic whiteout, not storm-driven, just the familiar absence of contrast that has come to define travel out here. Elaine and I took the first lead… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 13 – Into the Light

  • Greenland Crossing Day 12 – White Space

    August 26. 19.4 km, ~200 feet of climbing. Camped just under 7,000 feet. The day started well enough. We marked Arjen’s birthday in the morning with small cakes pulled from sleds, a brief pause for something sweet and human before… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 12 – White Space

  • Greenland Crossing Day 11 – Settling Into It

    August 25. 22 km, 350 feet of climbing. Camped at 6,866 feet. The day began warm again. Not as oppressive as two days ago, but warm enough to feel wrong for this place. Somewhere far south there must have been… Continue reading

    Greenland Crossing Day 11 – Settling Into It