Pack ice is smooth now. Snow has melted, and melting water froze again, in contact with sea ice. Like an ice rink, on which it is easy to travel on skis, with dogs or snowkite depending on wind. Even so I need more than 3 hours to go and do a CTD cast, compare to less than one hour with snowmobile before. But what a pleasure to observe more calmly a polar bear cub playing next to his mother, or a young seal lying near to the hole he will dive through if the polar bear is coming too close. On land, snow is loosing ground and areas without snow are welcoming the birds, coming back. Brent geese are showing off, purple sandpipers are forcefully looking for their food, great skuas are gliding, kittiwakes are gathering and shouting 'kitti-wake'... their presence is reassuring us: summer is coming, pack ice will certainly break-up this year again. Be patient!