Winter at Eismitte

Abstract Georgi and Sorge were alone at Eismitte from September 13 until Wegener arrived with Loewe and Rasmus Villumsen on October 30. The weather was relatively mild and a tent was adequate while they excavated an ice cave. By the time they began moving into the ice cave on October 5, morning temperatures were down to -37° Celsius (-35° Fahrenheit), and the improved shelter was most welcome.

On the day before they moved into the ice cave, they saw an Arctic fox scavenging among their provision boxes. This was a rare sight in the center of the Greenland ice sheet, as no regular wildlife inhabitants live there.They assumed the fox had followed a trail of food scraps left by sled parties and their dogs. Arctic foxes are known to travel great distances following polar bears or wolves to eat leftovers from their kills.

This fox was snow white—they turn brown in summer—and appeared to be in good health even though it was about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from its natural food sources on the coast.The little animal showed almost no fear of the men, and they were able to photograph the fox from as close as IO meters (33 feet).