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Baffin Island (AP) Module 9: Wayfinding

Wednesday September 9 2009 :: posted by Ewan Affleck

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Tuesday September 8 2009 :: posted by Anton Stranc

Amanda: "It's amazing that as a team we are at 81km into the pass! I am so sad thinking that we only have 16km left for the pass, but hopefully our hike into Pangnirtung it will be just as inspiring! Again my team helped me through a rough last half of the day- but they are all so amazing. Today we got to cross a river that was about 3 feet deep- it was a rush for sure! We also witnessed a significant rockslide across the pass from out campsite- it was so powerful and loud; a true eyeshot into nature's constantly changing environment. To everyone in SoCal I say goodnight and that I love my family and Marcus and can't wait to see you all!"

Kathleen: "Tonight we sat around and ate dinner under a clear sky while we watched and heard rock fall from the mountain top. The weather today was gorgeous, the perfect day to cross our first major river...my legs went numb for awhile. So tomorrow will be our last day in the pass, if all goes well and as uncomfortable i was sleeping in the cold, going to the washroom behind a rock and walking along side cliffs, i have to say that getting through all of that really feels rewarding and I am SO glad to be taking part in all of it. Thats all for now. Cheers guys! Kat"

Tamara: "Hey guys! Today was a really great day, we traveled about 16 km. We were prepared to cross approximately 50 river crossings while on the expedition. The water level has been very low so we have been lucky. Today we crossed our first major crossing, over Weasel River. We had to remove our hiking boots and change into shorts in order to cross! The water was absolutely freezing! The second your first was immersed it was painfully cold. Although, it was a fun part of the day!! I am really missing everyone at home and hope all my family and friends are doing well! I can't wait to see you guys soon!"

Thomsen: "Sunny skies at last! The shorts were busted out. Our route today was down the valley from the moraines, down past the mighty Thor mountain and around the next bend in the valley. 16km total. We descended about 1800ft today and felt a considerable change in temperature. It was shorts and t-shirts today in maybe 15 degrees Celsius. Highlights of the day included a major river crossing where we wore our Crocs and rolled up our shorts to cross the frigid water. It was exhilarating and was a welcome break from the trail. Mount Thor and the surrounding mountains are intimidating and impressive as always. Thor is the highest vertical cliff face in the world, over a mile of cliff. Today we also saw some rock slides on some of the mountainsides. Car sized rocks hurtling towards us on the valley bottom. Crazy."

Sandi: "Today I woke up to a nice warm weather day wich means I finally got to air out my first layer of clothes which was deeply needed! I also noticed the more time I spend with my Canadian friends the more I have to stop myself from saying "eh". I actually like it a lot and i think the U.S. should pick it up. We also got to cross a river today-- cold is an understatement! But I guess "life is a daring adventure or nothing", eh? Sandi...."

Tuesday September 8 2009 :: posted by Anton Stranc

September 7th blogs

Amanda: "Hey everyone! Today was a great day... the rock treats me so well! The glacial moraine is tough and my movements are calculated, but the experience is astounding when you realize you've reached the top of the moraine the view is beyond beautiful and words cannot describe- the streams flowing and ebbing against the rocks and shores add to the spectacular environment nestled in this arctic wonderland. The weather is still brutal but its all worth it with all these wonderful people with me! Tamara, Sandi, Thomsen, and Kathleen are all so sweet and I am honored to call them my team! Love to everyone in SoCal! Take care everyone! Manduh"

Kathleen: "Hey guys! We've completed yet another day in the strong winds of the arctic and will begin our second half to Pangnirtung tomorrow. I JUST stuffed myself with some Black Bart Chili out of the bag and it was... well it was awesome chili out of a bag. I feel sorry for my tent-mates, there were many beans in that bag :) Speaking of food, our discussion today was about starvation and hunger and learning about the numbers of people going hungry in the world made me appreciate my dinner that much more! What an amazing journey this has been so far and until next time... "We're on our way, we're on our way, on our way to Pangnirtung, we're on our way, we're on our way, on our way to Pangnirtung When I get to Pangnirtung Im going to see my friends...." The song goes on :) Cheers.."

Tamara: "Day six into our hike! This means a few things: we are over half way done the pass and it has been over a week since everyone has showered! Eeeks! Every day of this expedition has brought up new surprises. From day 1-3 I found the hike very difficult physically. Now that we are onto day six everyone has adjusted to this adventure so it is getting easier. The scenery the past two days was out of this world! We have gone from green grass bog to now mountains of rocks that we are climbing. It seems as though we are in two different parts of the world from day 1 to now. The neatest part of today was Ray and I had a phone interview (with our satellite phone) with CBC. While we were doing this interview we were surrounded by mountains and glaciers- very cool !! This expedition has changed me already. I have learned so much about myself. I can't wait to feel the satisfaction once we are done!! Talk to you later!"

Thomsen: "After being in my tent for about 10 hours, I was awoken at about 5 a.m., being suffocated by my tent that had been flattened by hurricane winds. The winds had been increasing in strength since it had calmed about 3 a.m. and upon exiting my tent in the morning the winds were at 50 km/h gusting to something crazy like 90 km/h maybe. My first step out of the tent also brought the styrofoam crunch of snow under foot. We had received about 2 inches of snow in the crazed snowstorm that had started the previous afternoon. Our sand dune campsite was exposed as heck so we had to pack up camp sans breakfast, hitting the road by 7:40 am. Bonking quickly ensued since I was in severe calorie deprivation. Breakfast on the road quickly resolved this issue and a long day of hiking was underway. It ended up being my toughest day. Long hike on tough terrain, luckily with easy terrain where the lake had dropped revealing hard clay footing. I also finished my total 5000 calorie ration for the day. That's it."

Tuesday September 8 2009 :: posted by Anton Stranc

Baffin Island (AP) Module 8: Fools for Gold

Module Archive

Tuesday September 8 2009 :: posted by Ewan Affleck

September 7th Blog

Ray: "I have to write a quick blog to tell all of you how incredible these young adventurers have been...helping each other through rough spots like fatigue and fear...it really has been amazing. Their care and support for one another truly is inspiring to watch...i am honored to be part of their team. We have seen polar bear tracks, negotiated brutal bog and moraine, crossed vast valleys, and slept in a snowstorm. Last time i was here i ran through the Pass in 27 hours...this time i am learning so much from this expedition, our team and the time i have to appreciate these awesome surroundings. Each day we have taken time to listen to i2P Educational Coordinator Ewan Affleck lecture on his modules...also we have taken time to learn from each other. Awesome."

Monday September 7 2009 :: posted by Anton Stranc

September 6th Student blogs

Amanda: "Today was a much better day than the other... my hips are not hurting me as bad and we had mostly rocky terrain that helped a lot. I'm missing my family so much and my boyfriend Marcus even more. It is snowing now- I guess I'm second guessing my love for the frigid cold (just kidding!) It is so amazing here and I am learning so much about the land and the Inuit people and about myself! I have learned that I can do anything I set my mind to no matter the obstacle- even when the pain is great I continue on. I am apart of such an amazing team of peers and adults that have truly inspired me to do so much even after the expedition! One goal on my list- get back to swimming during the week and working out everyday! Love ya'll in So Cal and all who are following! Take care! Manduh"

Kathleen: "hey guys! Today was a rough day, we hiked over a number of glacial moraines and climbed over a thousand feet. I am terrified of heights so to climb large piles of loose rock meant facing my fear, I broke down and cried, but i did it. Because we are sitting in a snowstorm, we missed out on today's lesson from Dr. Affleck, but yesterday we spoke about how Inuit survived off the land. So far in the five days we hiked we have seen little amounts of possible meals off the land, there is no way we would survive out here without our dehidrated meals so it really amazes me how Inuit knew where to hunt for animals and that they were so ajungi (good) at it."

Monday September 7 2009 :: posted by Anton Stranc