Polar Pathways: Robert E. Peary's Arctic Expeditions
1891-Pack Ice
The seemingly endless pack ice of the Arctic
“The ice-pans rose and fell with the undulations of the sea, and the rhythmic roar of the white pack’s heaving edge was grander than any surf upon the shore. The cakes were from five to one hundred feet in diameter, and from one to eight feet thick, some tiny pinnacles rising from eight to ten feet. As we moved back and forth along the ice edge, vainly seeking a lead that would take us north, we secured fine views of the grim shores of New Foundland and Labrador.” - Robert E. Peary, Northward over the Great Ice, published in 1898
As evidenced from Peary’s account, pack ice is an impressive phenomenon that provides ships with a formidable navigation challenge. Pack ice is an area of sea ice (frozen seawater) that is not landfast. As it is not attached to the seashore, it is mobile and drifts across the ocean. In the winter months, pack ice expands, covering large portions of water. Although it can provide a walking surface, it can also prove an impasse for ships. Early arctic sailors, confronted with the pack ice, either waited or attempted to force their way through.
"Ice Pack" by Donald Baxter MacMillan, Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum Collections
