National Park After Dark – Episode 358: Abandoned in the Arctic: Northeast Greenland National Park
Release Date: March 2, 2026
Hosted by Danielle and Cassie

Episode Overview

This episode plunges listeners into the extreme drama and psychological unraveling of early Arctic exploration, specifically recounting the 1909-1912 Danish expedition to Northeast Greenland—now the world’s largest national park. Danielle and Cassie, true to their signature blend of humor, empathy, and fascination with wilderness survival, explore the story of Danish explorers Ejnar Mikkelsen and Iver Iversen: men who endured isolation, starvation, and madness in an effort to prove Greenland was not split by a channel—and thus, not “up for grabs” by the United States.

Initially drawn by awe for the explorers’ courage, the hosts wrestle with the dark, human cost of these adventures, highlighting both historical context and contemporary relevance—touching on climate change, the value of wild places, and the enduring allure of the Arctic.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Golden Age of Arctic Exploration

• Arctic explorers of the 19th/20th centuries were idolized, knowingly courting suffering and even death “as proof of human endurance, courage, and national pride.” (00:02–01:49)
• The media celebrated their returns, rarely acknowledging the “mental toll” and “slow unraveling” that went unseen.

2. Setting: Northeast Greenland National Park

• World's largest national park: 375,000 square miles—“as big as Spain and France combined” or “1.2 billion Titanics.” (07:26–07:55)
• Remarkably remote: Only ~40 residents, mostly research and military, including the elite Sirius Dog Sled Patrol. (08:00–08:24)
• No typical tourism—entry only via cruise or sled team.
• Wildlife: Polar bears, narwhals, muskox, walrus, “only the hardiest survive.” (08:54–09:17)

3. The Danish Quest: Proving Greenland's Geography

• Political backdrop: America’s Robert Peary claims a channel divides Greenland—potentially granting the US territory; Denmark urgently needs proof it’s a single landmass.
• Previous Danish expedition has vanished, leaving only mysteries—and perhaps maps/correspondence—behind. Danish government sends Ejnar Mikkelsen to solve it.

4. Meet Iver Iversen: The Reluctant Adventurer

• Young mechanic thrust into exploration after Mikkelsen's engine fails and he desperately needs help. Enthusiastic, naïve—his “first time to shine” as an Arctic explorer. (03:04–04:05)

5. The Ordeal Begins: Tragedy and Survival

• Expedition’s first foray: Three men (Mikkelsen, Iversen, Lt. Jørgensen), 47 sled dogs, seeking missing crew and proof of Greenland’s geography.
• Immediate hardship: Thin, dangerous ice; sled dogs die of starvation and strain, dogs begin eating each other. (11:03–13:02)
• Jørgensen suffers frostbite, toes amputated with whiskey as anesthesia. “One by one.” (14:11)
• Only Iversen volunteers to continue the search with Mikkelsen after the others refuse.

6. Into the Arctic Void: Loss, Madness, and Hallucinations

• Sled accident: Iversen loses critical supplies—and his beloved dog, Bjorn, who dies in a crevasse. “The Arctic could kill you and everything you love in a blink of an eye.” (19:46–20:18)
• Only entertainment: A postcard of young nurses, which the men study and invent stories about—eventually a source of tension and surreal jealousy as the months of isolation drag on. (20:42–21:12, 54:30–58:50)
• March 22: They finally discover the lost expedition’s cairns and the all-important proof—Peary’s channel does NOT exist. Denmark retains Greenland. (23:50–25:06)

7. Starvation and Desperation: Eating What They Can

• Dogs continue to die—by starvation, by polar bear, and eventually even as food for the men.
• Scurvy sets in; Mikkelsen’s teeth loosen, legs bruise and swell. Iversen saves him by hunting and forcing him to eat raw birds for vitamin C. (30:54–33:58)
• Resort to eating dog meat. A disastrous experiment in “testing” toxic liver knocks both men out for 24 hours. (34:44–36:12)
• Mikkelsen is attacked by a polar bear; only one dog, Girlie, survives, but she eventually starves as well. (36:18–39:37)

8. Isolation, Hallucination, and Interpersonal Breakdown

• Ship is gone—converted into a hut by the crew, who left with supplies, adhering to Mikkelsen’s instructions.
• Survival in the hut: Adopt baby rabbits, tame a house fox (“Prut”), boredom so crushing even toothache is a form of entertainment. (51:23–52:03)
• Iverson hallucinates seeing his dead grandfather—a vision later confirmed to have been true. (54:30)
• Emotional meltdown and reconciliation: Jealousy over imaginary relationships with nurses in a postcard leads to a nearly unbearable silence, then laughter at the absurdity. (56:07–58:50)

9. Final Rescue and Aftermath

• After 28 months, they are saved by Norwegian sealers who tracked them down for a reward. The men look so unrecognizable one rescuer flees in terror. (59:29–61:00)
• Their contribution is largely overshadowed when Knud Rasmussen confirms Greenland’s status even as they return.
• Mikkelsen goes on to further Arctic projects; Iversen retires from exploration, content with “one adventure.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “They survived months of darkness, attacks from polar bears, and the slow horror of eating their own sled dogs just to stay alive.”
  – Danielle or Cassie (00:02)

• “It’s 1.2 billion Titanic ships.”
  – Cassie (07:52)

• “You have to be so hungry to be eating half-cooked bird meat, your gums are falling out, and you bruises all over your body…”
  – Cassie (34:04)

• “The Arctic could kill you and everything you love in a blink of an eye without a moment’s regret.”
  – Narration, after Bjorn dies (20:18)

• “We reached Perry’s Cape Glacier and discovered that Perry channel does not exist... America had zero claim on Greenland after all.”
  – Narration, reading expedition proof (25:00)

• “Imagine…my dog ate my homework…You’re never gonna believe me…but the polar bear got to it.”
  – Cassie (50:37–50:56), after Mikkelsen’s nightmare about losing his journal nearly becomes reality.

• “Morale is on the ground. Yeah, it’s in hell.”
  – Cassie (56:48), after the postcard love triangle peaks.

• “It had now been 28 months since they had seen any other people…”
  – Cassie (58:51)

• “Sorry, man, I don’t know what got into me. Yeah, we gotta get out of here.”
  – Cassie as Iverson, after the imaginary love affair spat (58:51)

• “If you ever visit Northeast Greenland, maybe you’ll still hear his voice singing one of his made up songs…alone, alone, quite alone, between heaven and earth. Alone with dogs, ice. Alone.”
  – Danielle (64:08)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02–01:49: Opening reflections on the “golden era” of Arctic exploration; its physical and mental costs.
• 06:32–08:24: Northeast Greenland National Park’s scale and remoteness.
• 13:02–14:11: The first brutal expedition—dogs dying, frostbite, toe amputation.
• 23:50–25:06: Discovery of the significant cairns and proof that secures Greenland’s Danish claim.
• 30:43–34:18: Scurvy, starvation, and the grimmest chapters of survival.
• 36:18–39:37: Polar bear attack; “Girlie” the last dog survives (and then dies).
• 45:22–46:23: Return to find the ship gone—converted into a hut, beginning their isolated wait for rescue.
• 54:30–58:50: Madness, hallucinations, and the infamous “postcard love triangle.”
• 59:29–61:00: Rescue by Norwegians; descriptions of their wild, nearly unrecognizable states.

Notable Reflections & Modern Connections

• Climate Change & Geopolitics:
  “The US wants to lay claim to all the rare earths, minerals… necessary to build the batteries and electric vehicles of the future. Although…a lot of times claims that climate change is a hoax, just the fact that they're going after Greenland is kind of them admitting that it’s real.”
  (26:33–27:09)

• Isolation & Mental Health:
  The hosts empathize with the descent into obsession and social breakdown—how even small slights become mountains in prolonged isolation.
  “He almost relished in [a toothache] because it was something new for him to pay attention to…” (51:41–52:03)

• Enduring Allure of the Arctic:
  The hosts express personal longing to visit, reflecting modern fascination with places that “almost kill you to see them.” (28:10–29:18)

• Fate of the Explorers:
  Mikkelsen returns, driven ever onward by the polar wild. Iversen, forever changed, retires—embodying two paths from the edge of human endurance.

Final Thoughts

This is a gripping, darkly humorous, and ultimately poignant episode about how far humans will go for national pride, adventure, and scientific discovery. Danielle and Cassie capture both the epic scope of Arctic heroism—and the minute, harrowing personal costs of survival. From crevasse tragedies and cannibalistic sled dogs to hallucinated love triangles and hard-won scientific victory, listeners are given a fully immersive experience in the world’s coldest, loneliest park—and the minds of those who dared to cross it.

Recommended further exploration:

• Netflix film “Against the Ice” (noted by hosts—less detail, but a visual adaptation)
• The original memoirs of Ejnar Mikkelsen

“If you ever visit Northeast Greenland National Park, maybe you’ll still hear his voice singing… Alone. Alone.” (64:08)