Storyline: Hiking in Nunavut August 1-12, 1998
Today we’re headed back to Pond Inlet. We’ll see if Jason (the Inuk youth we had met at out campsite two days before) is at his camp on shore and if he’s perhaps willing to ferry us across Jane’s Creek. If not, we’ll cross lower and wider this time!
As we marched along at a good pace under overcast and threatening skies, one of our most interesting finds along the way was the remains of a Thule (also known as proto-Inuit) winter dwelling (an overgrown circle of rocks surrounding a depressed area of ground, with a very low doorway made of vertical stone slabs topped with a stone slab lintel) looking out over Eclipse Sound. The site was missing any form of roof but was unmistakably man-made. The Thule populated Eastern Canada from the 1300s to 1600s, so this dwelling was at least 300-400 years old.
I was wearing my jacket because of the cool breeze on our faces, but I was a little warm dressed that way. Jane’s Creek split into three channels near its mouth. The first two looked relatively easy, while the third appeared to be the main channel. We had decided earlier that we’d strip to basics for the crossing. Easy for Michael, who was wearing shorts (mine were still a little damp from the previous crossing and hadn’t fully dried on our clothesline). I got down to my long-sleeved T-shirt, jockey shorts and surf socks. As we prepared to cross, it prepared again to rain. We made it relatively easily across the first two channels, and were scouting out the best place to cross the third when one of the guys saw a boat. We waved, and the boat turned toward us. They came and graciously ferried us to the other side. As we climbed out of the boat, one of them said, deadpan “You’re gonna freeze”. Well, anyone who knows me is aware that I’m quite comfortable when it’s cold.
We scurried up the shore to the lee of a small hill, changed into full raingear and set off. The rain stopped (for now). I was soon de-layering to avoid overheating. Nearing Pond Inlet, we decided it was time to move inland, and headed uphill to reach the ridge above us and were greeted by…the not so sweet smell of garbage and sewage. We’d arrived at the town dump and settling pond. Following the road back into the hamlet, we headed for the Co-op to see what was available in the restaurant. The guys were really looking forward to caribou. I bought two diet cokes in the store and drank one right away. It was warm and tasted cooked. The other could wait until it had sat in the stream at the campsite for a while. Outside it had started to pour, so Tim bought two plates of fries at $3 each. The menu was typical southern Canada fast food stuff, except for the prices. We finished the fries quickly, so I ordered another plate and some onion rings. An hour later it was still pouring, so we trooped resignedly down the airport runway back to the campsite and pitched our tents in the rain.
Four portions of Mulligan Stew later (tasted like chili) we hit the hay at about 9pm. At 11:15, I woke needing to pee. It took 45 minutes to complete the task. First, grab T-shirt and sweatpants and stuff them into the sleeping bag with me to warm up. Ten minutes later, with the need becoming somewhat more urgent, unzip the sleeping bag, slide into the T-shirt and quickly cover up again. Decide T-shirt and damp coat won’t be enough. Repeat above procedure with sweatshirt. Then repeat process with pants. Elapsed time 30 min. Grab socks (still damp) from the line above me. At least they don’t stink. Unzip tent. Put now damp (and cold) feet into still damp (and cold) boots. Shrug on cold (only the forearms are damp) jacket and run, shivering like crazy up the hill to the outhouse (if it weren’t broad daylight I might have been tempted to go a little closer to the tent). Slam the door behind me to get out of the wind. It blows through the ventilation window above me and is just as cold with the door open or closed. Run shivering back to the tent, detouring quickly to recover the now cold diet coke from the stream. Reverse robing procedure, but a little faster, and once toasty warm, pop the can open and enjoy. Oh drat! Does this mean I’ll have to go again before morning?? The good news is that I managed to get out and back in a lull between showers.
This morning it was still pouring. I woke at 8 and we decided to skip breakfast, break camp and head to the hotel in time to arrange things before Jim, Marian and Lindsay arrived. We struck camp in a downpour, stuffed soaked tents into soaking stuff sacks and into our backpacks, then headed back down the runway into the hamlet. Dave Reid (the local outfitter) was just about to drive a group to the visitor’s centre, so we hopped aboard for a ride and had a good tour of a well-appointed centre. The administrator made bannock for us all, so we did get breakfast.
The walk back to the hotel was still damp and windy, but when I hopped into the van for the two minute drive to the airport, the rain had stopped. Jim, Michael & Lindsay looked happy but cold as they walked to the terminal building from the plane. We threw their packs into the van and were transported in style back to the hotel. The waves in the sound were too high for us to be taken to Bylot, but there were signs that things were clearing. We were delayed for the afternoon. Good time to chat with Marian and, at her suggestion, get the tents out to dry in the hallway. We had used the hotel’s dryer for our clothes earlier (now I could wear shorts again!). It’s now 5pm. Marian is all caught up on our adventures to date and the tent is almost dry. Dinner in the hotel is in an hour and our ETD for Bylot is 9pm.
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