17 July 2004

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 23

Here is my first journal from Prince Patrick Island !

Greetings from Mould Bay, Prince Patrick Island Canada where the temperature is -3celsius and the winds are 20 knots. Our luck changed yesterday and we are all quite excited.

Around 3:15 Friday Skip, Vlad, Charles and Joe left with camp and loads of food on a DC-3. At 7:15pm they called us from Mould Bay! They had arrived so we headed to the airport.

Around 9:30 Tako, Ronnie, Ina, Howie, Chien-Lu, Rae, Aleksia, Gary, Manny (polar bear guide), and myself took off for the high arctic on Aklak Air's Twin Otter. At midnight we arrived in Sachs Harbor on the south end of Banks Island to get some more fuel. 2:15 in the morning found us safely landing in Mould Bay with a great view of a Musk Oxen on the way in!!

We quickly set up our tents and tried to sleep while others couldn't resist a quick walk. For most of us, sleep came around 4am.

Saturday morning we got a slow start due to a late night. The morning was devoted to three tasks. First, set up the large community tent, second set up a laterine, third set up a polar bear fence.

The polar bear fence is not what most people probablly expect. It is a series of pole with wire connected at 1 foot intervals. There are four wires. The fence sends out a 5000volt shock when touched. Enough to hopefully shock a polar bear into running away.

While we worked some Peary's Caribou watched from a distance and Musk Oxen moved over the ridge toward our camp.

Mould Bay is an amazing place sitting at the top of the world. The ice has not moved out from shore, except really close to the bay. The wind is always here and maximum temps seem to be in the teens (celsius). Oddly enough there used to be a weather station here so there are buildings and of course the run way we landed on.

For now, I should run so that I can try to send you some photos...although I doubt they will make it. I also will help with setting up the kitchen. The rest of the team has divided into 3 groups to go look for possible sample sites.

To the family and friends of the team...you are all missed, greatly loved, and everyone is having a great time!

As it rains in Inuvik we wait happily under the wing of the plane

A beautiful scene flying into Sachs Harbor