That the lead we camped next to closed overnight could only be a good omen we thought. But the Arctic Ocean, had other ideas. For starters, we drifted two and a half miles south while we slept. The first shift found us floundering through drifts, pressure ridges and small fractured pans.

Later, Darcy asked that I navigate the last few miles to the Pole in honor of my efforts in organizing and leading the expedition. Personally, I would have prefered to ski in the back and take pictures but my hands were frozen so I agreed. For a while, I regretted my decision but my legs felt good and energy was high. After some thin ice, open water and moving ice, I skied out onto a massive vast stretch of flat ice. Before me, about a half mile farther was the North Pole. I smiled quietly to myself.

I looked back at AJ and Darcy. 'Almost,' I said. We would ski the last few feet together.

Achieving the North Pole on Earth Day is not only the realization of a dream but also a reinforcement of a basic philosophy. The quality of our lives is directly linked to the air we breathe and the water we drink. At the North Pole, lines of longitude begin, grow and extend until they reach everyone one the entire planet. In spite of its remoteness, this is the one place that connects us all.

Nearly four months ago, I was at the opposite end of the world, the South Pole (another of Earth's connecting points). Today, the North Pole. In another four months, the summit of Mt. Everest. Standing here now is the culmination of three and a half years of preparation and planning as well as the efforts of many people. While I may be personally involved in these adventures, the Save the Poles expedition is not about me. My importance in any of this stems only in my ability to share my experiences with others.

On this expedition, we often traveled within a narrow margin of safety. We had limited resources and had to conserve and meter food and fuel. There is no question that now, the 21st century, we need to use resources to ensure our health and survival. But which resources we use, how we use them (and in what quantities) and if they are renewable are cornerstone to preserving our planet for future generations. Ultimately, when we view ourselves part of a whole, we can begin to understand how our actions affect other people and the planet.

After all, we are all explorers in one fashion or another, but the job of explorers in the 21st century is not to conquer but to protect.

Thank you for following and thanks to our great partners listed below.

Major Sponsor - Bing, University of Plymouth Project Sponsors - Terramar, Goal0, Atlas, Madshus, Sierra Designs, Optic Nerve Environmental Partners - Seventh Generation, Center for Biological Diversity, Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Environmental Law and Policy Center Science Partners - Nat'l Snow and Ice Data Center, Univ Plymouth PR - Scream Technology - Web Expeditions Equipment - Madshus, Cliff, Stanley, ACR, Atwater Carey, ThermaRest, MSR, Granite Gear, Surley, Potable Aqua, Princeton Tech, Wigwam, Action Wipes, Scarpa, Iridium, NorthWest Co, Tap Logic, Sobeys, Wintergreen, Mountain House, Neve

We will do other important Thank You's tomorrow.

Image: Antony Jinman, Eric Larsen and Darcy St-Laurent standing at the Geographic North Pole.

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support froque m 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.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com

For information about guided Antarctic expeditions, please visit http://www.antarctic-logistics.com/

For media inquiries, please contact lora@screamagency.com

For technical inquires, please contact webexpeditions.net