We woke up to a blood orange sunrise and temperatures that had dropped to -14 degrees Fahrenheit (-26 C) throughout the night. And even though it was the coldest it had been the entire training, the weather felt quite comfortable.

On most of my polar expeditions, I donâ??t bring a thermometer. Instead, I just adjust my layers as the wind changes. Each morning, I listen to the tent flapping (or not flapping in the calm) before getting fully dressed in all my expedition gear. More wind. More layers. Less wind. Less layers.

Later in the day, as we were out skiing, we all remarked how comfortable it was. We lounged in relative comfort at breaks even though the temperature was -4 F and frost formed around our fur rufs.

Today, we officially embarked on our five day expedition on Lake Winnipeg. It was a good feeling to leave the cabin ski across the lake. Now, we are a self contained team caring ball our food, fuel and equipment in small expedition sleds. From this point on, our schedule will be fairly simple: ski, eat and sleep.

The surface is windswept and hard and weâ??ve been able to make steady progress. What I would have given to experience conditions like this during my recent Antarctica expedition.

I feel bad that I havenâ??t been able to write a full debrief of my Last South expedition, but between spending quality time with Maria and the kids, preparing for this polar training course and my upcoming Last Defree North Pole Expedition and a short film project, I havenâ??t had much quiet time for reflection. If anything it was simply â??status quoâ??. Another trip to another cold place. Then home. Now gone again.

Last year (2018) I was gone for nearly five months between adventures to Winnipeg, the North Pole, Greenland, Yellowknife, Antarctica and my 10 day WisconsATHON. Thatâ??s definitely too much time away from my family. And Crested Butte. Iâ??ve spent the past few weeks sledding, skiing, ice skating and building snow caves with my kids. Itâ??s been so much fun that I didnâ??t really want to leave to come to Winnipeg.

But I also like it here. Even after nearly five months of sleeping in a tent. Five months of freeze dried dinners. Five months of snow, ice and cold (even in Wisconsin). I still enjoy this life.

What I also really enjoy, I realized, is this polar training course. Itâ??s a lot of work to put it on. And stressful at times trying to keep everyone safe when windchills drop to 30 or 40 below... but its an opportunity to share my knowledge of expedition-style travel. Of course, relaxing in my warm polar ranger sleeping bag is pretty nice as well.