By myself on skis in the Antarctic

What an amazing night! All by myself on cross country skis, the sun dropping low in the west, about five degrees with just a little wind, and the powder on the trails was untouched. I was amazed at the views (yet again) when I hit the trail. I grabbed some skis earlier today in hopes of getting a short trip in, but I began to realize that a long ski would be better tonight. Since it is getting near the end of the summer the sun is dipping very low each night as it circles around the sky. The first sunset is about a week away, the night before my departure in fact. Another amazing thing about tonight was seeing the moon. I have not seen the moon since I got here, but with its coming I am reminded of the fall and the fact that I am at the bottom of the world. There are very few things I have enjoyed here more than being by myself in the backcountry of this lonely land. Everything is just so huge, so vast, and so beautiful that is is easy to get wrapped up in it and lose track of time. What a great night of letting the time slip right through my fingers. Seeing virtual sunsets gets me excited to see the darkness again once I get to New Zealand in ten days.