The newest ice updates for the Bering Sea are considerable ice melting south of Nome. Large areas around the Kamchatka Peninsula are ice free as in most of the areas north of the Aleutians. The first small section of open water is being observed on the southern Chukchi Sea close to Kotzebue. No open water is observed north of Kotzebue, either on the Chukchi or Beaufort Sea. The Bering Sea ice has broken up with a certain amount of speed possibly not seen there as the norm. My satellite images do not see pancake ice so there are possibly sections still covered by this thin ice layer.

Atmospheric temps are rising as well with temperatures in the Yukon Basin as high as 48 in Eagle. The Yukon River at that point has not broken but should fairly soon. Typical breakup is about May 6 and this year’s prediction is around May 10. Nome temps are above freezing during the day. Barrow is still cold, subfreezing, but is getting closer to that above 32 degree mark. Farther north, at Sachs Harbor, the sun has had a difficult time warming this place. Temps are still well below the freezing mark. Sachs Harbor is about 1000 miles south of the North Pole. I may be getting that far north, just depends on the polar bears and the sea conditions. Getting caught in open water in a 17 foot boat would not be conducive to enjoying my next birthday. There are a few hazards on this trip, the ocean being a large impediment to survival but a sport challenge at that.

Otherwise planning is progressing well. In a week or so I will be introducing the two people that will keep you informed as to the where, what and why when I am up there. Dee and Steve will be adding weekly updates with position and a descriptive narrative of the expedition. I will update this later. It will be entertaining.

Lastly for this evening the updates will be weekly at least. My communications systems are a bit more primitive this time as I am a bit out of the local cell and even satellite systems. Much of my trip will be around 1300 miles from the North Pole, some even closer. North of Barrow is the small Canadian village of Sachs Harbor. Sacks Harbor is a huge city, about 300 people, so one can understand why the cell phone companies are not clamoring to establish new towers and expensive systems. After Sachs Harbor the next place is Santa Claus village and he has his own communication system.

I would need a fixed base unit to get dependable satellite service and this would sink my little pirate ship. So I will be communicating when I can with my cell, like in Barrow, Prudhoe Bay, Kotzebue and possible a couple other areas that I can sneak a signal. In short at times you will be reading the blog and finding out that I have not been heard from in a week or so. I am sure that the blog will still be entertaining just not too informative. I will try to get a message out so people can see this expedition unfold. I am looking at another option but it seems like a long shot. This involves 2 tin cans and a really large spoon of string!!

Hope all have a great summer. I sure will be.