Today we woke up to more of the same. A howling wind and violently flapping tent walls. We discovered that the wind, which is from the north, is rapidly pushing us back to our start location from yesterday. We call it a hamster wheel when the ice beneath our feet moves as quickly south as we move north.

Since we are tent bound I have felt a survival mode kick in with both of us. I found myself hoarding the last of my Pop-Tarts as I secretly tried to eat them inside my sleeping bag, denying their very existence when questioned by Mike over the noisy wrappers giving me up. From the crunching noises I hear from the other side of the tent I am certain that Mike is hogging the last of the granola in a vain attempt to eat up the last of our in tent food supplies. Next will come the dried oatmeal and I am sure he will make a strategic grab for the freeze dried breakfast skillet, but not if I act first. I will wait until he engorges himself on the granola then patiently wait for his silent, satisfied snoring before I make my move.

We were resupplied by a helicopter drop a day ago, so our sled is fully stocked, but the wind and cold keeps us locked within our warm bags waiting for the storm to ease up and until then we will rely on our in tent supplies.

I had read about stories in the past where people would resort to eating leather boots to survive, and I think of this as I watch Mike, with granola on his grinning chin, eye my best leather gloves hanging from the drying line. I must remain awake and on guard.

The intensity of this storm is actually pretty neat. Since there is very little to obstruct the wind, other than our tent, we both find the idea of going outside very un-appealing. We have only been on the ice for a little over a week (9 days?) but having the first real moments to lay here and think causes you to appreciate things in life you would normally be bothered with such as Sophia waking us up in the middle of the night, Zac trying to sneak down to play the XBox, or spending your weekends playing tag team shuttling the kids from one event to the next. I look forward to all when I return.

Sophia will be sad to learn that I have yet to see any signs of Santas Village or any clues left by Clarice. Zac would be happy to learn that once the weather breaks we do have a chance at being the fastest two degree dogsled expedition.

Time to sign out for now. Battery power is running low and I can hear Mike start to slumber off. Time to get that Breakfast Skillet.