The first cargo flight for the 2007 North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO) was supposed to take off on April 14, with more flights of people and instrumentation scheduled for the 17th, 20th, and 22nd. Instead, today was the first real shipment of science gear. But it was a welcome, if late, start to the program.

Eight NPEO participants climbed into a Hawker-Siddeley 748 turboprop plane at 10 a.m. Central Time; four would stay in the far north, while four came along for the chance to get eight degrees closer to the Pole. Everyone was eager to get to work and eager for escape from the cabin fever of the Narwhal Hotel in Resolute Bay. Read on about our adventure on Day 6.