Day 45: May 17, 2026. No telling how fast it will go, but Will is confirmed that the thaw has begun, with higher temperatures and southern clouds auguring the launch of the next phase of the expedition.
photo: /wiki/Fractus_cloud
/2026log/day45
Day 44: May 16, 2026. Will resumes the lost dispatch of Day 43, because on that day he officially declared "game over" on surface travel after observing warning signs on the river.
photo: whirpool on the Firesteel River, 2016
stegercenter.org/2026log/day44
Day 43: May 15, 2026. In today's partial dispatch, Will starts the day with more cold and anticipates the navigational challenges ahead.
photo: 2016 solo expedition
stegercenter.org/2026log/day43
Day 42: May 14, 2026. Continued cold weather keeps the river breakup at bay and yields brittle, “readable” ice that makes for “some of the best river travel I've ever had.“
photo: Will's 2023 solo expedition
stegercenter.org/2026log/day42
Day 41: May 13, 2026. “Blessed” travel conditions—clear skies and cold nights—extend Will’s travel up the Horton’s canyonlands before the spring breakup as he celebrates his mother’s birthday on Day 41.
stegercenter.org/2026log/day41
Day 40: May 12, 2026. After 40 days of nonstop travel, the landscape is becoming a navigational game of “avoid the slush” and make as much progress as possible before the breakup, which "could be tomorrow.“
photo: Ellesmere Island expedition 2008
stegercenter.org/2026log/day40
Day 39: May 11, 2026. Will crossed a major ecological threshold, entering the “land of little sticks” and pushing to advance while the rising tide of brown slush signals the imminent end of surface travel.
photo: 2023 solo expedition
/2026log/day39
Day 37: May 9, 2026. Will marks off 20 miles and reflects on how essential it is to have a quiet mind to do it.
photo: frozen river on the 2007 Baffin Island expedition
stegercenter.org/2026log/day37
Day 35: May 7, 2026. Switching to an early start (4 a.m.) to catch the frost paid off on Day 35 as Will recorded his highest hauling mileage of the trip.
photo: from 2007 Baffin Island expedition
stegercenter.org/2026log/day35
The Minnesota Historical Society and the Steger Center are joining forces to present a dynamic four days of programming from June 25 through June 28—an immersive experience that celebrates the legacy of polar explorer Will Steger and the events that led him to the creation of the Steger Center.
Links below provide full event details plus necessary information for obtaining tickets or registration for the event. Keep abreast of Minnesota Historical Society events at , facebook.com/minnesotahistoricalsociety , and instagram.com/mnhs.info .
A LIFE OF LEGACY events
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“After Antarctica,” documentary screening + Q&A with Will Steger, June 25, 6pm mnhs.org/events/52583331112
Steger Homestead Cookbook brunch, June 27, 10am mnhs.org/events/52653928815
Expedition Presentation, June 27, 2pm mnhs.org/events/52387038380 (in-person) mnhs.org/events/52597525408 (virtual)
“After Antarctica,” documentary screening + Q&A with Will Steger, June 28, 2pm mnhs.org/events/52567560057
Day 33: May 5, 2026. Hitting a new gear: beautiful conditions and, later, a massive tailwind prompt ditching the relay system to cover 10 straight-line miles in a single 11-hour push.
photo: a covey of ptarmigans on the 2008 Ellesmere Island expedition.
stegercenter.org/2026log/day33
A group of ptarmigans is called a "covey." Because of their excellent camouflage against snow and rock a group is sometimes referred to more poetically as an "invisibleness of ptarmigans." The rock ptarmigan is the official territorial bird of Nunavut, Canada.
Day 32: May 4, 2026. After days of travel in whiteout conditions or waiting out storms, some afternoon clearing produces a "totally clear" and "absolutely gorgeous" afternoon.
photo: Baffin Island expedition 2007
stegercenter.org/2026log/day32
