SLOW-MOVING GLACIERS
A glacier is the buildup of snow. Glaciers only form in extremely cold places over long periods of time. These places are: near the North Pole, near the South Pole, and high in the mountains.
Over the years, as more and more snow piles up, the newer snow pushes down on the older snow, and the snow near the bottom turns to ice. This process goes on for hundreds, thousands, and, in some cases, millions of years.
After a long time, all the frozen ice becomes very heavy. This weight causes the glacier to slide, very slowly, downhill. The world’s fastest glacier is in Greenland. It moves over ten miles a year. On average, most glaciers only move about one hundred feet per year.
“We have to make a choice, and we’re going with these,” Dev declared. One of the race organizers heard him and rushed over, directing other workers to bring the sleds.
Sage and Russell exchanged glances but quickly gave in. After all, they were in the middle of a race. They needed to hurry.
“We’ll hitch them up,” a worker said. “You should grab any of the extra equipment you want.”
Dev hurried over to a display, thinking they might have some cool gadgets, but everything was low-tech. He picked up some rope, an ice pick, and a bag of dog treats, and rushed back to where the dogs were being attached to the sleds. One of the workers gave them a quick lesson on how to drive the team, and then it was time to go.
As Dev was stepping onto the sled footboards, an attendant unexpectedly put his hand on Dev’s shoulder. “You made a good choice with this team,” he said in a kind voice. “These huskies are smart and fast.”
Dev was relieved to hear him say that. He was even more relieved to see that a map had appeared on the ancam. The end point was marked with a red pin. It seemed like an easy trip, and Dev was determined to find the quickest route possible. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the team. “Ready?” he called. Everyone was in place. He turned back around and yelled, “Hike!”
In the lead position on the front right, Tucker leapt forward. The rest of the dogs followed.
Driving a dogsled over an ancient Alaskan glacier felt way more natural than Dev would have thought possible. It was straight out of his dream. With the cold, crisp air in his lungs and the vast blue horizon before him, Dev started to think about how he had dismissed things like dreams all his life. He’d based everything on science. Maybe he should trust his instincts more.
His dream had led him to Tucker, and she seemed like the most reliable sled dog ever.
He knew that Mari, Sage, and Russell were behind him, but in some ways he felt like he and his dog team were all alone. Then, after a while, Dev noticed dark shadows on the horizon. It was another team, and the red team was gaining on them!
Dev was consumed with the chase. It only took a few minutes to overtake the other sleds. As they got closer, he could tell it was Team Purple. It looked like a sled had capsized. Because no one was hurt, Dev kept moving. When he looked over his shoulder, the red team sleds were right on his tail. Dev kept going, finding an easy rhythm on the packed snow.
He noticed a bird—a bald eagle—high above, effortlessly soaring in the sky.
Dev checked the ancam again. It looked like they were approaching a fork in the road. A shortcut! He signaled to the team that he was going to stop. “Whoa,” he called, and waited for the others to pull up next to him.
“It looks like this is a shorter path,” he said, pointing on the map.
“Really?” Sage asked. The V in Sage’s brow was back, digging its way between her eyes.
“It’d be faster,” Dev said. This would be the perfect way to make up for the time he had cost them the day before.
“It looks like Team Green stayed on the main pass,” Russell pointed out. “These runner tracks are fresh.”
The eagle circled directly over the shortcut route. It had to be a sign.
“We should take the shortcut. Trust me.” Dev stepped back onto the footboards and yelled, “Hike!” Tucker and his team took off, and the others followed.
Dev liked the fact that they’d chosen their own path. But he soon noticed that the sled did not feel as steady as it had before. The runners made crunching sounds on the snow, instead of clean slices on the main track. Something didn’t seem right. They weren’t moving as fast on this path. At their current rate, the shortcut would take just as long—or longer—than the other option.
He didn’t want to admit he was wrong, yet he couldn’t waste any more of the team’s time. He waved to his teammates, but just as he called to his dogs to pull up, he heard a yelp. The sled slammed to a stop. Something was wrong. Very wrong. It took Dev a moment to realize that the other front dog, Tucker’s partner, had disappeared.
“Help!” Dev called, racing forward on the crusty snow. He did not get very far. Just ahead of the sled, the ground had opened up. Dev crawled on hands and knees to look over the edge of the ice. There, dangling from his harness, was the gray-and-white husky. When the dog saw him, he whimpered.
Soon Javier and Sage were by his side. Mari and Russell stayed with the other dogs.
“It’s a crevasse,” Javier said.
“A crack in the glacier,” Dev noted.
“Uh-huh,” Javier agreed. “One glacier must have slipped or shifted over another. It can force a chasm.” The word sounded empty and bleak.
“What about the dog?” Sage asked.
“I’m figuring that out,” Dev answered. “It’s my fault, and I will figure it out.”
CREATURE FEATURE
BALD EAGLE
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
TYPE: bird
RANGE: Canada and USA, especially northern regions; Mexico
FOOD: fish; small mammals; carrion (dead meat)
It’s not bald! With stark white feathers on its head and neck, this powerful bird can appear bald from afar, but the layered pattern of those feathers provides warmth in the Arctic chill. The feathers are made of keratin, the same material in the eagle’s beak and talons—and human fingernails.
Bald eagles are masters of flight, using special wind currents called thermals to soar. Because soaring does not require them to flap their wings, it saves energy, which they can use to make deep dives toward the water to catch fish with their sharp talons.
While they are talented at fishing, bald eagles also have a habit of eating carrion or stealing fresh kills from other animals. For this reason, Ben Franklin once argued against the bald eagle being the national bird.
Dev was talking under his breath, mumbling, because his mind was working on the problem at hand. He had read about some early science expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. When dogs had been sick or injured, the explorers had to shoot them. Dev couldn’t imagine anything worse.
“See his front leg?” Dev asked, pointing. “It’s about to slip from the harness. We can’t just pull him up by the tug line, or he might fall out completely.”
Still leaning over the edge, he gave Sage orders: First, to get the rope and ice pick from his sled. Second, to go to Tucker and reassure the lead dog.
Tucker was standing strong, but she was working hard to support the fallen dog—and not slip into the crevasse herself.
Dev worked quickly, tying the rope into something like a lasso. Javier held his legs as he leaned forward and tried to loop the rope around the dog.
“Got it,” Dev yelled. “Now, Javier, pull him up with the ice pick. Use it like a lever.”
Javier hooked the ice pick through the rope and tugged with both hands until the dog was beside them on the solid ice.
“That’s awesome,” Sage cried. “You saved him.”
Dev wrapped his arms around the dog and buried his face in his fur. He listened as Javier directed Sage and the others to turn around. The chaperone insisted they backtrack and return to the main route.
Sage hesitated. “I don’t think we should split up,” she said.
“It’ll be fine,�
� Javier assured her. “Just get as much of the team to the finish line as possible. We’ll be there soon.”
As soon as Sage started shepherding the others in their retreat, Javier turned to Dev.
“I was about to tell them to turn around,” Dev said. “If I had just stopped ten seconds sooner.”
“Races prompt hasty decisions,” Javier said, sweeping his hands over the husky. “That’s their nature. But the quick thinking you did here was far more essential. You have an engineer’s mind, and it saved this dog.” Dev took in those words. They would make his dad proud. “I’m pretty sure the dog is fine,” Javier continued, “but he’ll ride on my sled, just in case. You’ll be good with three dogs, I think. Let’s stay together until we’re back on the main route, then you can go ahead.” Dev stared at Javier. “You’re the one that’s in a race, after all.”
Dev’s mind was still on his mistake. He had to shake that. He turned back to his three remaining huskies and spoke to them softly as he checked their harnesses and adjusted the tug lines. They lifted their chins toward him and wagged their tails. Dogs were such exceptional animals, and he wanted to earn their trust, to be part of their team.
After an extra pat for Tucker, they were off again. Dev followed Javier’s sled, and they were soon back to the main path.
“Go ahead!” Javier called with a wave. Almost instantly, Tucker and the other two dogs began to lengthen their stride.
The dogs could follow the path left by the other teams. Dev just wanted to make it to the finish. Each team member had to complete the challenge, or the team would not move on to the next leg.
That’s what Dev was thinking about as the dogs pulled him to the crest of a slope. From there, Dev could see another team, a set of four sleds, in front of him. Team Yellow. Just beyond their leader there was a Wild Life banner, flapping in the brisk wind.
At first, Dev was crushed. He could never catch that team’s leader before the finish line … but he could pass their fourth sled.
All Team Red needed to place ahead of Team Yellow was for Dev to beat one of their members over the finish line.
“Hike!” he yelled, and the dogs responded.
No part of Dev’s dream made sense to him anymore. The only thing he was sure of was that Tucker was a top-rate lead dog. Her tongue flapped as she picked up the pace. The team was gaining on the group of sleds, but the banner was getting closer, too. Dev leaned forward, willing his dogs to run their best. As they neared the other sled, Dev called, “On by!” He wasn’t certain it was the right command, but Tucker and the others surged ahead of the last yellow sled just before they crossed the finish line.
Mari and Sage were cheering as they stormed Dev. Spent, Dev staggered off the footboards and tumbled to the ground right next to Tucker. Tucker, who had been all business during the race, licked Dev’s face. Dev squeezed his eyes shut as the warm tongue swiped his cheeks and nose.
“It’s nice of you to join us.”
Dev’s eyes shot back open at the sound of Bull Gordon’s booming voice. He sat up. “Yes, sir.”
“No need to get up,” said the spokesman of The Wild Life. “You’ve had a long couple of days.”
“Well, we’re in Alaska in the middle of the summer, sir,” Dev replied. “All the days are long.”
A smile slowly stretched across Bull’s tan face. “You make a good point, son. And your team put in another good effort—not as good as some, but we won’t have a winner until we’ve run the whole race.” Bull reached down, wrapped his fist around Dev’s wrist, and pulled him up. Tucker switched to licking Dev’s hand. “You were the fourth team to arrive,” Bull Gordon continued, “but another team broke the Wild Life rules. They were disqualified, so Team Red is now in third place. Maybe you can take advantage of the other team’s misfortune.”
“Yes, sir,” Dev replied, but he didn’t mean it. He didn’t want to win that way. He wanted to win on his own merits. He looked around at his teammates. He was certain they all wanted the same thing. If this leg of the race had taught him anything, it was that he needed to trust his instincts, even when they were based in scientific fact.
Bull Gordon touched his hand to the brim of his hat. “Good day, Team Red,” he said before striding away.
Dev waited until the spokesman was out of earshot. “Disqualified?” he asked his team. “What’s that about?”
“We don’t know,” Sage told him. “It was Team Orange. The organizers already picked them up by helicopter and took them back to the boat.”
At that moment, Bull Gordon opened the door to the temporary tent. Dev peeked inside and saw members of Teams Yellow, Purple, and Green drinking hot chocolate. The scene looked much more lighthearted than he felt. With only one leg left and a team disqualified, things felt very serious. He rubbed Tucker’s ears as he looked at his teammates. They had one more chance, and each of them would have to give their all if they wanted to be winners of The Wild Life.
Want to know what happens when The Wild Life moves to the African savanna? Read on for a glimpse of the next race course in
If there was a chance to answer a clue while on the bus, Team Red needed to seize it. They were currently in third place, so they had a lot of catching up to do. All five of the remaining teams were on the bus, crammed in with tourists who were anxious to start their safaris. The teams were anxious, too.
“I can’t believe the orange team was booted, just for sending in the wrong photo,” Russell said under his breath so only members of Team Red could hear.
“Julia from Team Purple told me they doctored the photo,” Sage added. “That’s why they were kicked out of the race.” Her gaze darted between her teammates and passing stretches of dry, grassy land.
“I don’t get how they could do that,” Dev stated, pulling out the team ancam. The ancam was the team’s soul communication device, and Dev was in charge of it. “As far as I can tell, the system is locked. There is no way to alter the photos you take, or to load different files. It would take an expert hack.”
Mari tried to hide her smile. Dev was as much of a nerd about tech and physics as she was about animals. That was his thing. If he couldn’t figure out how to tamper with the ancam and their answers, Mari doubted anyone could.
“Do you really think Bull Gordon would kick out a team just for giving a wrong answer?” Russell wondered. “Seems extreme.” Bull Gordon was the head of The Wild Life. Before he had become the spokesperson for the race, he had been a wilderness explorer and adventurer.
“It seems unlikely. And unfair,” Sage admitted. “But we’re down to the wire. Maybe it’s his way of letting everyone know it’s serious. There’s no room for mistakes if you’re going to win.”
Russell sighed so loudly that the whole team turned to him. He looked up, suddenly aware. “I wonder what he’d do if he found out someone really cheated.”
“They’d be gone in an instant,” Sage replied. “And they’d deserve it.”
Mari looked at Sage. The team leader had become much more of a team player since the start of the race, but Mari suspected that Sage’s old grit—her we’re-in-it-to-win-it attitude—had returned.
“Well, we won’t submit any bad photos,” Dev reassured everyone, “just as long as Mari points me in the right direction.”
“What?” Mari felt her face grow hot, and not from the burn of the sun.
“What do you mean ‘what?’ You are the wiz when it comes to these clues.”
“But we’re a team,” Mari insisted.
“Yes,” Sage agreed. “And we’re lucky to have you. You could have easily ended up with the other Smarties on Team Purple.”
Mari lowered her head again and stared at a rusty spot on the bus floor. She pressed harder on her wrist. Her brain ached. It was all too much.
* * *
“Good to see you all made it.” Bull Gordon greeted them from below, waving up to the contestants on the bus. The battered rim of his trademark fedora shielded his face from the sun
, but his smile was still gleaming and bright.
Mari and the rest of the red team were already striding up the aisle toward the stairs. They wanted to be the first off the double-decker. Mari couldn’t wait to be back on solid ground.
“Excuse us,” one of the girls from Team Purple said, forcing her way into the aisle, right in front of Mari.
“They should let us go first, anyway, since we’re ahead of them,” Eliza, the Team Purple leader insisted. “Remember, the red team is back in third place.”
Mari’s eyes narrowed. She was somewhat insulted that Sage had said she would fit in with the purple team. Sure, all the members were smart, but that was about it.
Mari sighed and stepped back, letting the purple-clad contestants leave their seats.
“Hey. Us, too,” a boy in lime green cut in with a chuckle. His team had been in the seats on the opposite side of the aisle. “’Cause we’re in the lead.”
Mari glanced over her shoulder. Sage nodded. It was Russell who tried not to roll his eyes. There was history there. Russell had known all the guys on Team Green from before the race. Mari remembered that they’d played football together, or something like that. It was weird, how Russell had ended up on Team Red instead of Team Green.
The four boys strutted off, each with his own swagger.
“There go your bros,” Dev whispered.
“Yeah, right,” Russell whispered back.
Sage nudged Mari’s elbow, and Mari followed the leaders.
“One map per team,” Bull Gordon said as he placed a folded brochure in Mari’s hand.
Mari gave him a quick smile. To her, Bull Gordon seemed like a super cool uncle or a fun science teacher.
Arctic Freeze Page 4
