Skiing through the Black Sun - An eclipse in the Arctic

In retrospect, the idea of skiing during a solar eclipse near the north pole seems now to be a good one. Since we didn’t lose fingers to frostbite or polar bear nip, weather, snow, and celestial movement conspired for the most surreal and beautiful show a person could see. 

But, during the envisioning and planning phase, the idea was truly asinine. In March, the sun is only just returning to the arctic after the winter's permanent night. Even then, it's hidden by clouds most of the time. Temperatures can drop past the bottom of a thermometer at a moment’s notice, camera batteries freeze, frozen plastic breaks, and any injury can escalate to limb or life-threatening within hours. 

The tricky thing about ideas — good or bad — is that they share many qualities; risks, uncertainty, a motivating force, and a goal. Adventure with unlimited possibilities for failure holds the potential of being the trip of a lifetime.