 the top of the world, the Greenland Ice Cap. For countless ages, it has been a frozen expanse, feared by a man, shunned by animals, a white, cold, empty place. But today, more than ever before, there's been reason to invade this whiteness, to mark and explore it for an urgent military purpose. That of finding a means of transportation across the ice cap by which troops and heavy equipment could travel to potential bases, protecting the northern approach to the western hemisphere. In 1952, the Army Transportation Corps organized and sent an expedition across the gigantic ice cap that covers most of Greenland. This is the story of their mission. A principal feature of Greenland is its ice cap, over 800,000 square miles of snow-covered ice, ice that rises to 10,000 feet above sea level. In the narrow coastal belt of northern Greenland, there are possibilities for future military bases of important strategic value. But such bases can only be built and maintained with heavy equipment, which must be brought across the ice by a surface route from Tule. Here a base had already been established under an arrangement with the Danish government, sea and air terminal facilities, as well as housing had been set up in record time. And now in the spring of 1952, a group of Transportation Corps personnel had arrived at Tule with the purpose of making a preliminary field reconnaissance of the ice cap with heavy commercial sled equipment. Although this was good equipment, it had not been specifically designed for the difficult ascent to the ice cap. Formally used for hauling in and around Tule, the sleds needed to be repaired and converted. All the work was carried out under field conditions by sled detachment personnel. Expeditions had left Tule before to go further north, led by such explorers as Perry, Rasmussen and Froyken. Unlike their famous predecessors who traveled extremely light, this group was ordered to travel heavy and to find a route that could support the weight. One heavy load would be the Wanagan, a sort of bunkhouse on sled runners in which the men would eat and sleep. It was built solid for a lengthy stay on the ice for protection against the fierceness of arctic blizzards. Much aerial reconnaissance of the ice cap had been accomplished, but from the air the heavy snow cover prevented an accurate picture of terrain difficulties. Aerial photography was used to bring the few existing maps of the area up to date. And finally, a route was laid out across the ice cap. Sleds were lined up and prepared for loading. The plan was to carry large amounts of fuel and to call for relatively few air drops for resupply. The problem of keeping food under refrigeration would be no problem. One of the few interests on route would be food. Mealtime is an important break in the routine of arctic travel. The day arrived for departure. The first leg of the journey was from Tulay to the slope leading to the ice cap. There were many problems ahead. It was not at all certain that a route could be found which would support equipment far heavier than the dog sleds that had explored the ice cap in years past. Because it might be necessary to send out subsequent expeditions with later equipment, this group was on its way in early spring so that a maximum amount of time would be available before September when weather would make it difficult for further ice cap exploration. From the beginning, the gawing was tough. The snow on these slopes was deep and loose. Tractors winched the sleds slowly forward. After the sled was free, it would be unhooked and coupled to continue in the train. But time and again, the party would be halted by a sled that had bogged down. Double heading was used to pull the sleds past the moraine. The group was on its way to the marginal zone where more serious problems were expected. Gradually, the party gained altitude. Through thinning fog, it rose into the bright and revealing light of the marginal zone. But although the visibility became excellent, there was much that could not be seen here. Even from the air, crevasses, deep cracks in the ice were to present the most formidable obstacle of the trip. A vehicle could easily fall into a crevasse with its driver so a remote control technique was used. Working with lanyards attached to his track brakes, the driver could walk safely behind his tractor. Skiers would feel ahead, probing, making sure of a firm route. Much assistance was given by transportation core helicopters called up from the base. They could scout large areas for signs of crevasse. Once this marginal area was crossed, they would be the relative safety of the central ice cap. But much time was spent here, advancing and backtracking, pulling vehicles out of small crevasses, avoiding the large ones visible from the air. Some crevasses were 50 feet across and hundreds of feet down of undetermined depth. The area ahead was scouted most carefully. No vehicles were lost, but unfortunately some of the smaller crevasses were discovered by the sleds themselves. Perhaps there was too much weight here for crossing the marginal area. A decision was made to go no further, but to return with knowledge and experience that would help make possible an ice cap crossing with equipment designed more particularly for the purpose. This initial reconnaissance party had ventured 17 difficult miles out over deep snow, hummocks and crevasses. It returned to base having experienced the most difficult part of an ice cap crossing. There was still time in the summer of 1952 to prepare for a second venture onto the ice cap and perhaps across it. In July, the Tule detachment was reinforced with additional experienced personnel. They readied equipment that had been selected with knowledge gained from the spring reconnaissance. Weasels, amphibious snow tractors were modified with cab extensions for housing radio and seismic equipment and to increase living space. To aid in navigation and observation, astrodomes were installed and made snow tight. Broader runners for low ground pressure would help keep the sleds from bogging down. Pipe stanchions were erected to support a canvas roof and sides. These one-ton sleds were in sharp contrast to the heavy wooden wonigans taken on the spring trip. The route would be staked with 12-foot trail markers painted international orange. The sleds were loaded on trucks for the trip over now snowless roads to the base of the ice cap. The weasels, too, were to be carried by truck to save them from unnecessary wear and tear over eight miles of rough road to the ice cap to keep them in the best possible condition until the real beginning of the journey. The ice cap again could the road that led to it continue over it. Every possible use had been made of knowledge gained in the past. For example, the weasels were more maneuverable than the tractors used by the spring group and their longer hulls would help bridge crevasses. But next day a start was made under unexpectedly good conditions. It was 3 a.m. in cold, clear weather. The temperature had dropped and a crust had formed in the slushy snow helping the group to make fast progress. Like so many army trips at the beginning, this one looked easy. In the Hummacky area, the weasels took the bumps without effort and the sleds followed along securely. Temporarily, there were no problems and then the pace was slower. Far off rocky peaks, in unitoks piercing the surface of the cap were a clue to crevasses ahead. Proceed cautiously. A helicopter was called to help scout the area. The pilot delivered some last-minute items, received his instructions and flew ahead. The snow scout, an air-propelled reconnaissance vehicle, was especially valuable when visibility from the air was poor. Traveling at speeds up to 35 miles per hour, it had extremely low ground pressure and could even jump crevasses when necessary. Fog moved in abruptly when the snow scout was out. The party waited, somewhat anxiously. By following its own trail, the snow scout was able to return with information about the area ahead. Now, as the weather became worse, it was possible to continue on in the tracks of the snow scout. More unitoks and slower going. Every movement ahead was guided carefully. In particularly delicate areas, two markers were placed to indicate a safe lane between. When a small crevasse was discovered, vehicles could often be led across it at right angles. In spite of precautions, vehicles did slide in. This sled came out easily with no damage. A crevasse that looks small might be wider farther down, as big as a cathedral. There was no telling. While this group proceeded up the ice cap toward Camp Alpha, the remainder of the sled detachment at Tulay, informed of the difficulties being encountered, decided to cross the Wollstone Home Fjord to find a better route up the ice cap. In this marginal zone, a road had to be constructed. The big job here at Nuna Tarsuak Peninsula was to build the road from the beach up to the base of the ice cap. Road building equipment was brought ashore under unfavorable conditions. There were extreme tides to contend with. Also, the beach lay very close to the Molkiye Glacier. And from the calving cliffs of this glacier, miniature icebergs, burgy bits would break off and drift in, interfering at times with unloading operations. Equipment had to be carefully handled since it was exposed to considerable wear and tear from the rocky soil of this area. Moranic deposits from receding glaciers. Sled detachment personnel in an engineering role made the road building project a success. A rough trail was laid out and vehicles were able to proceed ashore onto the ice cap. The road leading to a less hazardous and shorter route through the marginal zone to Camp Alpha was of vital importance. The CO was on hand to give the project his personal attention. Meanwhile, the group ascending the ice cap had reached Camp Alpha and had radioed back for supplies. The group waits for mail for fresh food. Everyone is on the lookout for the plane. Guided by the ground party, it flies at low altitude for a free drop. Gasoline drums splash safely onto the snow. Another run, the drop rations. This one was too high and too fast. The result was miles of rations strewn across the snow. Breakfast, lunch, and supper as far as the eye could see. The packages had not been able to withstand the impact of a high free drop. Dynamite, separated from its parachute, was important for later seismic work. Little was lost except time. Four hours of policing the ice cap. Subsequent drops were more successful. At last supplies were organized. Fifty-five gallon drums of gasoline had not been carried over the crevast area in order to travel as light as possible. Now the fuel was transferred to five-gallon cans for easy refueling en route. Full tanks eliminate the danger of moisture condensation within and subsequent freezing of fuel lines and fuel pumps. A cache was dug. Here surplus supplies would be stored to be used by other Arctic parties or perhaps by this group on its return trip. Finally, the cache was marked. Henceforth, Camp Alpha would not simply be a geographical spot on a map but a true camp with a well-stocked deep freeze. And now the party was ready for the 800 miles across Greenland. In many ways it was going to be like an ocean trip across a sea of frozen water with some of the pleasures of an ocean trip like sunning on the top deck. On good days when this sea of ice was calm there was nothing to do but stay on course in the tracks of the vehicle ahead. Sometimes there were waves, snow waves, so streaky in which case the sleds would dig in causing considerable strain on tow bars. These had to be reinforced. Helping the party and selecting a route were several young French scientists with previous experience in Greenland. After shooting at the sun to calculate their position they prepare for a seismic shot to determine the depth of the ice at this point. Wire is played out for approximately half a mile. The seismic shot will be made with an explosion of dynamite placed just below the surface of the snow. The technique developed in petroleum research involves a shockwave traveling through a medium and its echo being recorded. Seismometers, contact microphones are attached to the wire at various points to pick up the echo traveling through the thickness of the ice. The wires connect to a blasting machine and to a seismograph installed in a cabin extension at the rear of a weasel. Everything is ready. The charge goes off. The data obtained, some of it revealing the potential location of crevasses, will be used in future plans and operations on the ice cap. Altitude was obtained daily by reading the atmospheric pressure on a mercury barometer and comparing it with the pressure at sea level received over the radio from Tule. Layers of snow like the rings in a cross-section of a tree tell a story. Each layer has its own temperature and snow density revealing the weather in years past. Relative humidity measured with a psychrometer was included in the daily message to the base. One weather condition that the eye could see for itself was the approach of a blizzard. It would come suddenly. Surface winds would blow up and whirling snow would be all around the party. Trying to outrun the storm with visibility decreasing was a strain on the driver. He had to keep close watch on the vehicle ahead. Being lost during an arctic blizzard is about as dangerous as being lost at sea. When the blizzard proved too much the convoy would be halted. Vehicles would face into the wind and be so placed that snowdrifts building up on their lee side would not block the path of the vehicle in back when the convoy was ready to move out. Big blow. Nothing much to do except play a game of cards. Maybe a few hundred games. Outside, visibility zero. A whiteout. Inside, visibility zero. A blackout. Eventually, and this could mean a few hours or a few days, there are signs that the blizzard is giving up. The sun begins to come through revealing weasels with a new coat of caked snow. A blizzard wastes time and as soon as it appears to be letting up the convoy is anxious to get started. First, there are some jobs to do like digging away some of the drift snow. After a blizzard, the fresh snow glistens like a million diamonds just like home and clearing a path to the garage. The convoy starts again and with it the routine of ice cap travel. You go ahead at about six to seven miles an hour staying in the tracks of the vehicle in front to relieve the strain on your vehicle. The whiteness slips by and there's more whiteness and it's daylight all day. You've got the sun in the morning and the sun at night. The group comes to a halt for an airdrop supplies for the final leg of the trip. Bring her down. Keep her level. Drop now. The flame must be brought in low but watch to see that barrels don't bounce back into the tail surfaces. After each run, the drop zone was shifted slightly so the supplies would not fall on top of those already dropped. The first interest was the mail which was a one-way affair since letters were received but not picked up. Contact with family and friends was maintained by an arrangement with the base which sent out letters informing the people at home on the health and well-being of expedition members. At 7,500 feet altitude, the air is thin and lifting the 55 gallon drums took more hands than usual and at such altitudes because of the greater loss of energy as well as the long hours and the cold supplemental rations were provided. Frankfurters were counted out carefully and stakes were cut with hairline accuracy. Hot steaming chowl on the empty ice cap made up for a lot of other things that weren't around. There was a general cleanup. The man got ready for a big date with their destination. The ice cap seemed less hostile now almost friendly, at least better known, better understood. The cap began to slope downward. Not much of a slope but it quickened the pace. Now the smell of land was in the air. The party stopped. There was something ahead. Water. A lake. The lake proved to be shallow but it was a curious phenomenon. A lake on the ice. Being amphibious the weasels were very much at home here. The lake was a break in the monotony a sort of a tourist attraction but from now on there'd be plenty of things to be seen or rather to be on the lookout for. The group was in the marginal zone again. Those strange dark clouds ahead they were a reflection of land but land wouldn't be reached before dozens of melt streams had been crossed. Six to seven miles an hour became two to three miles an hour. Bumping downward over hummocks was hard on the equipment. The sleds were unhooked and left behind. The weasels were taken by the hand and led over larger hummocks and more frequent melt streams. Carrying for the vehicles was instinctive here. They were the means of getting home. To avoid crossing melt streams paths would be selected in between but sooner or later one would have to be crossed. The weasels were being subjected to severe strain. They couldn't undergo too much of this. Should they be taken any further? The answer was decided by the view ahead bright gleaming cliffs of ice and land. The party went forward on foot, eagerly. Each man a parry an amundsen an explorer of the white unknown past white slope then a feast for the eyes brown land. Moscoxon had their first look at man and found the site most disturbing. The edge of the ice cap steep cliffs 200 feet high gave some indication of what had been crossed. Except that in the center of the cap the ice was many times as high. Where the cliffs had collapsed might be a good place for a road someday. 400 miles from the North Pole amid rocks and a few miniature flowers there was a pause for chow. Overcoming panic the Moscox looks at man again his last look for a good long time. For now the destination was home back up the rocky slope onto the immensity of the ice cap over a known route that could be followed not only by these men but by others. A route and a method had been found over which cargo could be hauled not simply light but mass over the ice cap transport was feasible. Braille was there 800 miles of it. The mission had been accomplished.