Polar Pathways: Robert E. Peary's Arctic Expeditions

The North Pole - March 4th : Oppressively Warm

 A dog team struggles to walk in the icy windA dog team struggles to walk in the icy wind

"On the following day, March 4, the weather changed. The sky was overcast with clouds, the wind had swung completely around to the west during the night, there were occasional squalls of light snow, and the thermometer had risen to only 9° below zero... Evidently the ice was all abroad in every direction, and the high temperature and snow accompanying the west wind proved that there was a large amount of open water in that direction. The outlook was not pleasant, but as some compensation the going was not quite so rough. As we advanced, I was surprised to find that as yet none of the leads cut Bartlett's trail. Consequently we made good progress, and though the march was distinctly longer than the previous one, we reached Bartlett's igloo in good time."- Robert E. Peary in The North Pole, published in 1910

"Dog team pulling sledge" by Donald B. MacMillan, 1909, Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum Collections

« Open Water  |   The North Pole Map  |   Inaction »

Bowdoin College