Today was an adventure day. We will stay at the same cabin tonight and do some adventuring around this area.
The temperature was minus 11, but again no wind and virtually a cloudless sky-another perfect day.
The visitors book in the cabin highlights the special nature of this area and it is also a popular place to visit in summer time when the ocean thaws and ice flows and icebergs abound.
The dogs were hitched in the usual frantic manner and we were off heading out to sea on the pack ice. We passed some huge icebergs and some large cracks in the ice where it was beginning to thaw. It was bumpy in places, and also very deep snow on the pack ice. It is amazing to think of the 2-3 metres of ice frozen over the ocean, then up to another 1-2 metes of snow on top. All this thaws by about July. There are still icebergs and ice flows all year round.
I continue to marvel at the dogs, the way they just plough through the snow. Nothing is too much trouble for them. They run through deep snow, over hilly areas and are guided simply by the musher's voice commands; a command each for right, left and straight ahead. Of course the musher has to keep his eyes out for any dangers as the dogs don't see anything wrong with any terrain. Without warning we came upon a very large ditch. The dogs went up the ridge, down in to the middle and began climbing up the other side - while the sled was still going up!!! As the sled had reached the top of the first incline, the dogs had reached the top of the second incline to exit the ridge. This meant that the sled became airborne in the middle and ploughed into the second (exiting) incline. We were thrown around. The dogs were still frantically trying to pull the sled, the musher was yelling at them to stop and the sled's front was wedged in and the rear was balancing. We had a problem. Aaron and I jumped off and tried to scramble up to the top. I fell straight through the soft snow up to my waist and momentarily could not move. I managed to scramble out of the hole and pull myself up to the top. Aaron, being more nimble than me made it without incident! The others ahead saw our mishap and remarked how spectacular it looked. Needless to say other teams avoided the ridge line. I jokingly commented that I went into the snow so deep that I could see the ocean! This became somewhat of a statement for the remainder of the sledding whenever someone walked into deep snow. With that all sorted out, it was back on the sleds and off again; keeping a much better eye out for holes!
After about an hour of bouncing around and once again enjoying seeing the dogs hard at work, we stopped near a large iceberg. Aaron followed the guide who climbed to the top with binoculars to look for wildlife. Aaron picked a different route to the top and he could hear continuous cracking in the ice and snow as he walked firstly around the iceberg then climbed to the top. A very large expanse of sea ice in every direction, huge icebergs, the sound of cracking ice and sheer beauty of it all was so beautiful.
There are many islands off the coast in this area, so we circled back on the dogsleds taking care not fall in a crevasse again. The guides were very competitive with their sledding and it was obvious that there was a race back to the cabin. Our guide, Ogy 2 and Linda's guide Martin, we're always close together and Ogy 1 with Nerelle and Kel would occasionally head in a slightly different direction. It was clear that Ogy1 was picking a different track about 300 metres off to our right. Sure enough as we rounded the corner and saw the cabin he closed in, cut the corner and won.
By this time it was lunch time - basically self help from the three supply trunks.
In the afternoon we took a walk across the ice to a mountain overlooking the fjord and ocean. The guides carried their rifles, mandatory at all times, and we all had some target shooting at snow mounds. The mountain was too steep for me so Ogy 2 and I walked back to the cabin. He had to come with me with a rifle for protection. The others kept going to the top. They reported the view spectacular and that they could see the water and breaking pack ice.
We all had a great time with the rest of the day relaxing around the cabin enjoying the scenery and pinching ourselves that we were here in this wilderness area. Wonderful! It was minus 8 degrees and no wind or cloud.
Dinner tonight was more musk ox mince, spaghetti, hot drinks, biscuits and chocolates.
At about 9pm, with the temperature at minus 15, the Northern Lights began their light show for us on our last night in Greenland. Spectacular colors swirling across the sky. Another beautiful sight, although we all agreed that the first evening in Ittoqqortoomiit had been the most spectacular.
After the experience of the previous night, and the warm cabin, we all decided to sleep on top of the sleeping bags tonight. I crawled into the wooly overalls and was very comfortable.
Tomorrow it is a 30 kilometers sled back to Ittoqqortoomiit and we should make it by 12pm, so everyone can make the various helicopter flights back to Constable Point.
It has been another great day.
Photo is of the scenery around the cabin.