We arrived back in Boulder last Sunday worn out, tired and hot. It was nearly 80 degrees which meant an almost 100 degree difference from just a few days prior in Churchill. On Monday, it snowed. Was the abrupt weather change our fault? Us holding on to the last bits of cold that brought snow to sunny Colorado. I hope so.

I haven't had much time to reflect on our experiences on Hudson Bay. As always for me, it seems that I am instantly diving headlong into the next thing. Monday morning and my desk came way to early as well and the stark contrast between sea ice and office furniture did little to help my focus.

Maria was glad to have me back although being gone for only two weeks was hardly the separation that we are both used to. The 'staging' that happens as I sort gear either before or after a big trip has long since since lost its luster, so therefore along with my other work am desperately trying to clean, sort and put away gear.

The trip provided a ton of snow biking beta and should prove more than helpful in my upcoming planning. I am pleased with my initial gear selections. I want to do a few more modifications on racks and am also looking to create a new tent that I can easily store on the bike and then set up. Next for me is to get my expedition gear and rations packed and on the bike to test weights. I'm still doing some calculating on food/fuel as that relates directly to distance I can cover each day.

I'm not sure if you managed to catch them, but if you have a chance check out some of the Terramar videos we produced from Churchill. I am proud of the work that our team did under such conditoins. These two are my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuXq_y71_fI&contextÄ70e45cADvjVQa1PpcFMDHzc Ym790TfSnm4c-cYhJwzw0uUWzZlw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKkemu5icPo&feature=relmfu

Of course, I had a great photographer along and you can see some of Stephanie Scott's images on my Facebook Fan Page here:

http://www.facebook.com/EricLarsenExplore/photos

103 years ago today Robert Peary and Mathew Henson reached the North Pole - or at least they said they did. After pouring over documents and notes, the National Geographic Society supports Peary's claim - although many people still remain suspect. Regardless, theirs was a monumental achievement because on this day so many years ago, not only did they reach the pole, but they had to turn their dog teams around and travel across a jumbled mess of sea ice BACK toward land. Incredible.

Image: Typical (if such a thing exists) ice conditions on the way to the North Pole.