More Nanasivik Shots

Ok, these are the last photos. I promise. There were just so many good ones that I couldn't resist. So, here we go.

We were all lucky enough to get a tour of the last remaining open mine entrance before it would be fully decommissioned in several weeks time. It was an errie experience as the mine was just pitch black and freezing cold since the ground is all perma-frost under the top 2 meters of surface material.

Frozen walls of the mine were everywhere with thick thick frost in areas as well.

This was taken close to the entrance where water comes in and then freezes making inverted icesicles.

This was very neat to find. An old Inuit shelter complete with doorways, chairs and animal bones.



This rock tower would have been made to signify where the shelters were located.


An arctic hare

My office for two weeks.

Rock hoodos

Very old stratified rock with very old ice passing by

This is the community of Arctic Bay. I'm not sure what the exact population is but you're looking at about every home in town.

Leaving Arctic Bay with the Des Groseilliers sitting in her waters.

This was the best airplane food I have ever had! On Canadian North, you actually get real silverwear!!! I had a big piece of Arctic Char on wild rice with carrots and green beens, a side of salad, a whole wheat bun and butter, a raspberry strudel, and a mint chocolate to top it all off. Wow!
I should note here that the Arctic can be a very hard place to get into and out of. If you have strict plans following a trip to the Arctic, don't even bother going. Bad weather continually delays schedules and people were stuck in Nanasivik for other a week while we were there. The runway was either fogged out or it actually rained so much that the planes couldn't even land when it cleared up. I was trying to get to my friend's wedding two days after my flight was scheduled and this proved to be very stressful. The only reason I was able to make it out in due time was that a small plane had come in unexpectedly to the Arctic Bay airport, we hoped in the Coast Guard Helicopter to check it out, and fortunately, there was room for two of us to get out to Iqaluit. From there, I had over eight cancellations, changes, delays and other screw-ups that followed me all the way home. When I finally got on the final flight from Toronto to Victoria, another wrench was thrown at me.

We were all sitting in the plane, that was hours delayed, and were ready to go. Suddenly, the pilot came on and told us that the crew was bailing out on the flight since the flight time would put them over the maximum number of hours allowed to be worked. This kept us on the ground for over another hour and it was not until 5:00am my time that I finally arrived home...

...without my luggage!!!

Damn Air Canada!
You know, I thought to myself, at least I made it home. And with that, I headed home, got a short sleep, and was up to head up to Mt. Washington for Mike and Andreas' wedding.