Mornings seem to be coming earlier and earlier now. Our six o'clock alarm is unpleasant to say the least. We have been putting in long days and every second of sleep is needed.

I've changed the order of how I eat my Clif bars - not that it really matters much to you, but out here with only a limited supply of energy every little detail is important. I've started eating my Clif C on the trail, Clif bar at first break (before it freezes solid), Builders bar is next. Lunch is soup (now with six pieces of bacon in it). I save my Cliff MOJO and Shot Bloks for the next and last breaks. They're sooo good.

I take my rest break eating protocol pretty seriously. This is an important component of my energy throughout the day. It also has to be easily accessible, eaten with big mitts on and be small enough to shove through the small frozen hole of my face mask.

It was sunny for the first time in I'm not sure how long. There is some heat broadcast in our direction as well - at least when the bitter north east wind wasn't blowing it away from us. Huddled behind a large wall of slabbed pressure during an early break was somewhat comfortable, although I hesitate to use the term too freely.

'It was incredible to see the power of the sun,' said AJ.said 'Under one slab of ice we saw icicles with melting drops.'

Overall, we had good luck with the ice. No leads but new conditions - big thick (4-5 feet) slabs of ice rammed high into the air. At one point, a five foot diameter ice boulder was perched precariously on top of a slab. How it got there so perfectly balanced, we have no idea.

The moon is waxing larger and lager. Low on the horizon, it now provides a reference point to the track across the sky. Setting up the our Sierra Designs tent this evening both loomed large at opposite sides of the sky.

Image: The morning food thaw. Clif bars, cheese and salami warming by the MSR XGK.

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Seventh Generation, Goal0, Atlas, Sierra Designs and Optic Nerve.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

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