Resolute Bay refuel
Bucket-list marathon complete. Just a few Arctic days remain. No runners in the house. Musk ox scientists, deep-ocean fishermen, fat tire-cyclists from Vancouver, couple über wealthy families & of course, our hosts & staff at the Camp. Only my solar-charged iPhone remains for pics/videos. Camera lost in an Arctic Ocean kayaking mishap. Tough to image-capture musk oxen & polar bear far in the distance — but know they’re there, along with… Arctic white wolves, guides have been actively following. Pack has pups. Feeding on summer vermin, ptarmigan eggs & caribou.
Guides: hunters, skiers, fishermen. ATV’d/hiked with the musk ox scientists for a day. Read books in the Camp library. Watched video/listened to stories from adventurers presenting on inclement (high wind/sleet) days. Time’s a wastin’. Most likely, my one & only Arctic Circle adventure.
Long run please. Like… really long. 40 miles ‘cross Somerset Island. I’ve studied/almost obsessed with maps. I don’t have a death wish. I’ve seen polar bear on the ice. I’m wary, honest. But… I WANT this. Paid for evac insurance; they can drone-locate my body — no other human placed in danger. 24 hours of sunlight. I’ll pack lite. Eat/drink what I gather. Back within a day.
Signed a waiver, packed a can of bear spray, BEGGED (no guide could match distance/15-hour goal). And… my ‘spirit’ run began. July 8th. 2022. Aside from the physicality/joy of running & hiking — the opportunity to be alone, all alone… no human noise, no machines. Just you, your brain/inward-outward talk for company. Whatta amazing life treat! Super appreciative.
10 days in: [like a] final exam in school. Wildlife. Edible plants. Drinking snow melt. Avoiding crevasses. Canyon climbs. Ocean. Boulders, wind-swept terrain. Every bit of info sponged from folks staying at Camp — today, I’d recall stories, strange jargon, words read from books.
Life is meant to be lived. I was here, inside the Arctic Circle. Blessed. I’ve lived an amazing adventure ❤️
-
- Cunningham Inlet
-
- Somerset Island
-
- far in the distance…
-
- MUSK ox
-
- ridge CLIMB
-
- Ptarmigan camouflage
-
- Arctic DREAM hike
-
- edible Saxifrage
-
- Arctic goodbye
-
- RODEO brew crew
Somerset Solo Hike (Part 1)
Somerset Solo Hike (Part 2)
Tomorrow. It’s gonna happen. Really.
Another long hike adventure, returned to Camp & received word. News of a ‘marathon’ buzzing around Camp. No taper. No pre-race pasta dinner. One of the camp engineers (manages machines/generators) told, he & another marked 42K course today with orange flagging — 7 miles over frozen ocean. Guides formally announced our event at dinner. Much of camp support staff would be gone participating in the race. Those of us not carrying a rifle, assigned bear spray. ATV & drones would be used to monitor & report results back to Camp. Insta-excitement from the news made it difficult to sleep. Clear sunny skies forecast. July 5th. Top of the World. Canada’s Northwest Passage.
Woke early. Sat quietly outside. Waited for the sound of generators, announcing start of the day. Backpack ready. Layered. Start banner positioned outside the Lodge.
Safety announcements, SHOT GUN start. First 7-8 miles knew well; been running these hills EVERY day for a week. Unfair advantage? Excitement of the day, nip in the air, wind/gusts, hills — solid 2nd, distant behind the lead. Maintained my position on the climbs, caught easy on the DOWN. Steady strong near shore. SUPER windy to the Half, where few folks dropped & transported back to Camp. Handed a turkey/pesto sandwich. Fancy food in the Arctic. Nice!
Waited for folks, ate my lunch, toilet break. Guide asked we’d enter the ice as a group together. Assured surface was frozen. Advised we were not alone. And… since I didn’t feel comfortable running with a rifle, I waited 15-20 minutes & ran with the pack.
Running on ice! & not slippery. Snow pellets frozen to its surface, create a grit/tread. Lead guy [young Canadian kid] led us out. We’d jump over cracks on the surface. Water bright blue like glacier melt, reflection off ice. Actual ocean water (in the distance) dark, foreboding. waves churning. Where/when/how you gonna get this chance in life again? HUGE SMILES. Just WOW!
Lead guy stopped. Pointed. Polar bear! Far but visible on the ice.
Back on land, regrouped by a whale carcass. Eventually, reconnected with my morning run route (course would go long by 2+ miles). Walked the HILLS but finished strong. Helps it’s ALL DOWNHILL back into Camp. LOL> Experience well beyond expectation.
Unlike Antarctica… a quick lukewarm shower awaited. And… ‘the American’ got to speak at dinner! Less loud & proud, more thankful/life-grateful to hosts. Congratulated our young marathon winner — & thanked him for carrying a rifle.
Told our audience: it inspired me to RUN faster! ❤️
-
- Northwest Passage
-
- cold water refuel
-
- POLAR BEAR
-
- Arctic Ocean
-
- DREAM marathon 🏃
-
- BACKBONE 🐋
-
- Narwhal medallion
Polar Bear!
TERN colony
2,450 miles from home.
Morning run along Cunningham Inlet followed by a long canyon hike into the interior of Somerset Island. Bird colonies — arctic terns — nest high in towering canyon walls. Colorful mosses appear/soak up solar. Snow drifts continue to retreat, forming seasonal rivers/stunning waterfalls. Yellows & purple… tiny flowers in bloom.
It’s a hard desolate existence top of the World but... life always finds a way. Well, life AND death. On my run, came across a pile of bones. Some sea mammal most likely washed ashore & later, picked clean. Bones bleached white in the high Arctic sun.
Super blessed but bit somber/reflective/quiet today, as the sole American in Camp. Carried a USA flag on my journey. Post-hike planted outside my tent. That’ll do.
Happy 4th — Red White & Blue. Happy Birthday U-S-A 🇺🇸
-
- CANYON hike
-
- shore REMAINS
-
- Happy 4th!
-
- BELUGA crew
Independence Day 2022
