Ice is loud

So we've been in transit in the ice now for about a day and a half, the
ice has been anywhere between a foot and 3-4 feet thick, more where
pressure ridges have developed. We've been making good time, occasionally
having to stop and back up to get a running start at a thick section.
Last night I was on the bridge, and we were stuck in one place for over an
hour, we had to back up and try the same ridge four times before we were
able to break through. The sensation of running through the ice is like
riding on a bus over a gravel road. It's generally rough and kind of
rumbly, but when you hit a thick area, it kind of jostles the ship a bit,
like hitting a pothole in a bus. And a lot of the time, ice chunks scrape
the hull, making a sound like fingernails on a chalkboard, but much
louder. Loud enough that you can't talk to the person sitting next to
you. People are wearing earplugs just to be able to sleep.
We should be at our first station in about 24 hours, which is a day or so
behind schedule. Hopefully while we're waiting I'll be able to go out on
the helicopter with some of the scientists and take some ice cores. Very
cool.
There have been a few walrus spotted and at least one seal so far, but
they tell me when we get further north there will be thousands of walrus
everywhere. I'll take pictures. Hoping to see some polar bears somewhere
up here, too. All I've seen so far is ice though.
Still not frozen, Steve

Thanks to Aaron Lang for the photos!