Mike's Arctic Adventure

Days 9-12 Tuesday August 2nd to Saturday August 6th

2011-08-07T11:11:00.001-05:00

Well, my faithful blog readers, I’ll start this entry off with an apology. My intention to write a blog entry for every day has fallen to the wayside. It certainly isn’t for a lack of anything to write about – if you’ve looked on the Students On Ice website, you’ll see that we have been visiting some incredible places, meeting fascinating people and doing amazing things.

And at the end of the day, it’s all I can do to stay awake until my head hits the pillow.

So for those who promised to read my blog every day, I’m sorry I haven’t kept up my end of the deal.

Today, we are entering our last full day aboard the Clipper Adventurer. Right now, we are anchored somewhere along the western Labrador coast, with thick pea soup like fog surrounding us. The schedule says we might have a possible zodiac cruise and/or landing, but I’m not sure if that will happen. With the fog, there’s not much to see on a cruise, and if we land, it will be difficult for the gun handlers to watch for bears approaching our group.

Since it’s the last day aboard ship, the rest of today will be spent packing, last-minute journaling, and a series of presentations and activities designed to give the students some perspective on this expedition. Basically, we’ve given the tools to continue with their passions and dreams, but now we need to give them ideas on what to DO with those tools.

Tonight will be the traditional talent night showcase, and a real sense that this expedition is coming to a close. As in my previous two years, I’ve watched this unique and talented group of young adults bond closely together over the past two weeks as they share common experiences. And now, the process of separating begins.

The last few days, as I said, have been amazing. After a relatively calm, but busy, sea day from Greenland to Iceland, we arrived at the Labrador coast with little difficulty last Wednesday morning. We pulled into Sagluk Bay in Torngat National Park – the newest national park in Canada.

There, we were welcomed by a group of scientists, Parks Canada workers and Inuit students and elders. Together they had formed a base camp along the shore of the bay to conduct various activities of a scientific, cultural and environmental nature.

It was a great honour that they took the time out of their busy days to make us feel at home for a few hours. They gave us tours, showed us some of the activities and talked to us about what projects they were working on.

At the end of the day, we were treated to a BBQ on the beach, and a bonfire with lots of singing and, yes, even dancing. The base camp has about 75 people working and living there, and with our lively group, the numbers jumped to over 200. It truly was a surreal experience.

The following day was a trip up further in Sagluk Bay to a branch called the North Arm. Once again, we were joined by members from base camp, who came up to join us with some gun handlers, Inuit elders and other park staff and students. The elders told stories, park staff led groups on a hike to a waterfall, and some of the students cooked up some caribou, whale, arctic char and seal on traditional flat rocks heated by campfires underneath.

But the highlight for me was the chance to do some fishing. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve been fishing in my lifetime, so the idea of fishing in a fjord in a remote part of Labrador seemed pretty far-off to me. But there I was, in a zodiac, wetting a line with some SOI staff and students.

I didn’t catch anything. But that’s not the point. Remember back in elementary school on the first day of school when you were asked what you did on your summer vacation? Well, I was in a fjord in the Torngat Mountains of Labrador, fishing for arctic char in a zodiac with people from New Zealand and Iceland. Can you beat that?

Later that day, the Inuit elders gave us special permission to visit Rose Island, an Inuit burial site for many centuries. Sadly, a few decades ago, an archaeologist removed over 100 bodies from the site, all under the claim of science. The remains have since been repatriated, and the site protected by Parks Canada and the Nunatsiavut government.

It was a haunting visit, and a somber, but meaningful dichotomy to what we had done earlier in the day.

Friday’s activities were a blur of zodiac cruises, landings and workshops. I finally got to cross off “close encounter with whale” when the zodiac I was in while coming in for a landing found itself next to a minke whale. After years of mostly only seeing black dots on horizon, it was a special treat to see one of these magnificent creatures up close.

Oh, and I got to drive a zodiac. Twice. Don’t tell Geoff Green. Or anyone else of authority who wouldn’t be happy that I was piloting a zodiac. It’s all good. Everyone made it safely.

And so now, blog readers, it’s 1:30am. The talent show has ended and the staff are full on into their last post-curfew wind-down. Tomorrow, we leave our home on the Clipper Adventurer and head off on our last zodiac ride to Kuujjuaq, and a flight down to Ottawa.

Tears will be shed. Emails exchanged. Hugs given. But the expedition will come to an end.

Is anyone curious about the question I asked in my first blog for this expedition? I’m not sure if I know the answer yet. I’ll try and figure it out later and post it in my last blog.

Good night all, and clear skies.

Day 8 - Monday, August 1st

2011-08-06T23:56:00.000-05:00

What do you like to do when you get a bit of cabin fever? Obviously, you want to get outside. If it’s summer, there’s lots to do – gardening, go for a walk, take in a garage sale. Winter is especially tough to combat cabin fever, but with co-operative weather, you could still get out for a walk, some snowshoeing, or even a trip to the mall for some shopping.

None of which you can do on a moving ship.
It’s safe to say that cabin fever is in full force aboard the Clipper Adventurer, after two full days at sea – one, travelling across the Denmark Strait from Iceland to Greenland, and the second trying to poke our way through thick ice and fog to actually SEE Greenland.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve been kept busy with Students On Ice’s educational program, filling our time with presentations, workshops and activities. But there’s been a certain amount of eagerness to stretch our wings and do some explorin’!
Well, the wait was over this morning. As we awoke, we were greeted to some clearing fog and the beautiful landscape of Greenland ahead of us. Despite a similar environment to Iceland and areas I had already visited around Baffin Island, I was surprised to see a landscape that was noticeably different.

Large, jagged peaks loomed over us, with a sprinkling of snow and ice near the top and blending into a palette of green and brown near sea level. It was like a scene out of Lord of the Rings, one student said, but there was no amount of CGI that could imitate what nature had done so well.

With breakfast done, we began our foray into Prins Christians Sund (by the way, I spelled this wrong in my previous blog entry! Sorry!). This body of water slices into the southern tip of Greenland, with countless tendrils of mini-fjords branching away from the main artery. As we slowly navigated our way along the sound, every corner was like an unwrapped present waiting to be opened.

As we traveled along, all eyes were peeled for wildlife – seals, whales, polar bears. Sadly, nothing appeared to us except stark natural beauty. So it was with a bit of surprise that we came across a small village of colourful buildings nestled comfortably at the summit of one particularly tall set of cliffs.

It was a stark reminder that the Arctic is not just home to a large number of animals, plants and insects, but to people as well. Finally, as we turned yet another corner, we came upon the sight we had been waiting for – the Greenland ice cap.

If you’ve ever looked at a map or atlas with Greenland on it, you probably have noticed that most of the island is covered in white, as a good portion of it is one giant glacier. On previous excursions, I’d only seen hints of glaciers from afar.

But here was one, right in front of us. And what a sight it was. Shining bright white in the mid-morning sun, it stood proudly in our path, daring us to come closer. Littered in the water in front of it was the evidence that this was a force of nature to be reckoned with – an active, calving glacier.

Healthy glaciers are in constant motion, gravity pulling them inexorably downwards. As they near sea level, the water eats away underneath the glacier, weakening it until the point that “CRACK!” a portion of the cliff face gives way, or calves, and shards of glacier tumble into the ocean as newborn icebergs.

It truly is an amazing scene. We clambered aboard zodiacs to get a front row seat… from a safe distance, naturally. As we slowly made our way through the detritus of ice cubes, you could hear the snapping and popping of the ice that had already broken away, punctuated by sharper cracks from the glacier itself. We crept closer, waiting and watching.

But nature has patience. And we didn’t. Despite the constant crackling, the glacier remained solid and static. Not willing to be thwarted, we made our way to a second glacier in another mini-fjord. This glacier was not as healthy, and had receded away from sea level. But not far enough that we couldn’t reach it easily.

Within a few steps of jumping out of the zodiacs, we became Students ON Ice for the first time. As we stood upon the glacier, one of our resident glaciologists, Eric Mattson regaled us with loads of info on these mighty works of nature.

Eager for more glacial fun, we zipped back to the ship for some lunch and a quick hop over to a THIRD glacier. This too, had receded, but still showed evidence of active calving. In fact, as we went our separate ways to conduct some shore workshops, a firework-like crack echoed through the valley as a portion of glacier avalanched down the slope.

Up to this point, I hadn’t actually witnessed a calving. So with a bit of determination, I climbed to the highest safe vantage point, and plunked myself down in the soft tundra with cameras in hand to see if I could out-wait this glacier and capture it in action.

Glacier 1, Mike 0.

After 90 minutes of glacial contemplation, nary a flake had calved away from the glacier. With a sigh of disappointment, I packed up my gear and trudged down the hill to the zodiacs. As I did, I realized just how much nature imitates life.

Bear with me. So a glacier is in constant motion, gravity pulling it downwards until it begins to shed its layers, just as new snow accumulates and becomes a part of the glacier. For a healthy glacier, it’s a recurring cycle. Break the cycle, and the glacier becomes unhealthy.

Life’s a little like that. Instead of gravity, time pulls you forward, slowly but surely. And like a glacier, you accumulate new experiences and people that become part of you. But at the same time, you need to shed the old baggage and weight so that it doesn’t drag you down and make you unhappy.

For me, I’ve been so grateful to have had someone come into my life and have her become a part of me for the past three years. At the time, I had thought I had managed to “calve off” all the negativity that I had dragged along with me for many years. But it turns out, I haven’t. And like a glacier, it’s unhealthy.

I’m not going to be so grandiose and say that I had an epiphany as I walked back to the zodiacs. But it did give me the resolve to work harder at calving off the old ice as time goes on. All it takes, is a little patience.

Tomorrow is our last day in Greenland. Fog and ice continue to be our enemy, but it looks like we should be able to visit a community, and that’s always a highlight of our expeditions.

Day 6 - Saturday, July 30th

2011-08-02T11:09:00.004-05:00

Greenland!

How many people can actually say they’ve been to Greenland? Most people know where it is on a map (it’s the big white splotch with a green border between Canada and Europe) but I can’t think of too many who can say they been able to visit the world’s largest island.

Well, neither have I! Yet. Today was our scheduled day to arrive at Greenland after having crossed the somewhat turbulent Denmark Strait. Except for one slight problem.

Fog. Thick peasoup-y fog. So bad, at times you could barely see the bow of the ship. Now, have no fear blog readers, our fine vessel, the Clipper Adventurer, is equipped with state of the art navigation system, radar, etc. But according to the latest ice charts, the area where we were scheduled to first visit Greenland was surrounded by thick ice. So the pragmatic thing to do is slow down, even in clear weather.

After a full day at sea, and a lot of seasickness, I think it’s safe to say that were all eager to get out and touch terra firma. So there was a sense of anticipation on board as we all clamoured out onto the deck to see what we could see.

And we waited. Aaaand waited. More fog. A few birds that seemed to taunt us. The main thing of interest was a nice intense fog halo, courtesy of the low lying morning sun.

Then, in the distance, appeared something in the water. It was definitely something floating, and it was white in color. As it grew closer, it became apparent that this was… an iceberg!

Well, OK, it was not REALLY an iceberg, but what’s referred to as a bergy bit – essentially a small chunk of ice that either was a bigger iceberg, or was a chunk from a large iceberg that broke off. And in reality – it was barely the size of a kitchen stove. But that didn’t stop 100 cameras from swinging starboard and click-clicking away to capture this momentous occasion from every possible angle.

Laughter ensued as we realized how excited we got over one little ice cube. But then cheers erupted as a second BIGGER ice cube came by. And another. And another. Finally the water was pockmarked with bergy bits, growlers and good-sized bergs themselves.

At that point, Geoff came over the loudspeaker to announce that were finally nearing the coast of Greenland! But at that exact moment, the fog cleared enough for us to see what lay ahead. One giant field of ice. Now, the Adventurer is capable of plowing through some good-sized ice. But she’s not an icebreaker. Her reinforced hull DOES have limits.

So it became very obvious that we weren’t going ahead with Plan A. So in typical Students On Ice fashion, we went for Plan B. The ship turned south to hug the coastline of Greenland, looking for a break in the ice field and an attempt at another fjord.

But as minutes turned to hours, it became obvious that Plan B wasn’t going to pan out. Or Plan C. In fact, by the time the day turned to evening, Plan F was in full force. Rather than waste more time attempting to push through the ice, we would continue full steam ahead to the southern tip of Greenland in an attempt to get well clear of the ice and enter Prinz Christian Sund, a nice little series of fjords with long, tendril-like mini-fjords snaking off of them. It essentially carves a path across this tip and would hopefully provide us with an opportunity to move in and actually see Greenland.

But that wouldn’t happen until morning. A wave of disappointment ran through the students at the thought of a second day at sea without touching land. But as disappointed as I was, too, I reminded myself (and anyone who cared), that in 2010, we didn’t see ANY ice. So to have sailed past a few larger icebergs and come across a field of ice – well, that was a plus.

Luckily, SOI’s backup plans kick into full gear, and students and staff were kept busy with workshops, activities and presentations to pass the time. Journals were rapidly being written and sent home to go up on the SOI website. There were even some cutthroat games of Euchre to be had.

Tomorrow morning, we expect to be at the entrance to Prinz Christian Sund. This is mostly virgin territory for SOI – only a handful of staff (and a couple of students actually from Greenland) are familiar with it. So fingers crossed for some good karma and clear skies!

Photo by Lee Narraway

Day 5 - Thursday July 28

2011-08-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

There’s nothing more exhausting than motion sickness. Well, actually, there probably is. But when you are hit with it, it can seem like the most exhausting thing in the world. It saps you of energy, ends all higher brain function and generally incapacitates you.

I first experienced it in 2009 on Expedition #1. Not wanting to experience it 2010, I took to some good old fashioned drugs to counteract it, in the form of seasick patches. See any picture of me from that year to observe said patches. But they worked!!

So for 2011, I knew to be prepared, and stocked up on a good number of those little wonders. As soon as I arrived on ship, one of them came out and immediately made its home behind my right ear. Night one passed uneventfully for me, although sadly not for some of the students. Right on cue, as the waves hit the Clipper Adventurer, teenagers started a-swooning.

Before long, seasick bags were being whipped out and many yaks were spotted throughout the ship. Luckily, the effect wasn’t to last very long, as we pulled into a fjord called Isafjörður, our final official stop in Iceland, on the very northern tip.

It was here that we made our very first landing and cruise with zodiacs. Our resident bird expert, Garry Donaldson, led groups up to the top of some cliffs where hundreds of thousands of birds made their homes at this time of the year. The highlight of the trek was the viewing of an Arctic fox as it snuck down one of the cliffs to grab one of the unsuspecting birds for a meal.

Of course, I saw none of this. As usual, the trek was through some very treacherous and uphill terrain. Most of the group had no trouble scrambling up through the spongy tundra and jumbled rocks to make it to the top. I got about 1/3 of the way, and decided that I shouldn’t push myself. After all, there will be LOTS of other hikes.

It was at that point, I came across two students, Beatrice Yueng from Hong Kong and Yashvi Shah from Niagara Falls. Both were honest in admitting to me that they were out of their element and were having trouble keeping up with the main group. I encouraged them to do as I planned – go as far as we can, as fast as we can, and hold our heads high that we accomplished what we did. With mutual encouragement, we kept going to the point where a fog started to roll in, and we got a surreal view of our vantage point along the side of this fjord.

It wasn’t the top of the cliffs, and there was no Arctic fox in sight. But for the three of us, we felt on top of the world that we had made it to this point, and happily took pictures of ourselves from our lofty perch. It’s one of the few times that I realized that “good enough” really was good enough.

And then we realized we were only halfway on the hike. For you see, as far up as we had gone, we still had to return the same distance BACK to the zodiacs. The only advantage was that it was mostly downhill. Although that just means burning different muscles. So with a sigh, we set off for the coastline and the zodiacs. Of course, it started raining. And despite our best efforts to stick to the original path, we ended up going through the thickest, soggiest tundra we could stumble across. It’s quite unnerving to step onto what appears to be a normal patch of ground, only to sink three feet into the spongy terrain. It was exhausting and by the time we reached the zodiacs, we were ready for a nap.

But a cruise around the fjord was in the works first, and we were treated to beautiful views of the bird cliffs, some seals and lots and lots of puffins. Despite our exhaustion, it was a great sight and we excitedly snapped photos and pointed every direction at the sights to see. In the distance however, was something I didn’t want to see – white caps on waves being whipped up by some strong winds. It meant more seasickness, and I wondered if my patch would hold.

It did, sort of.

After lunch, we said goodbye to Iceland for the last time and turned out to the Denmark Strait for our next destination, Greenland. But right on schedule, the ship began rocking back and forth and before long, staff and students were flat on their backs. The Horizontal Club had been called to order, and I as its charter member was there to greet it.

Did I feel as bad as 2009? No. Did I feel great? No. I think a lot of it had to do with tiredness, and so at about 2:30 in the afternoon I collapsed in my bunk for some shut-eye. And that’s about all I remember. I do recall getting up to see if I needed to do bed checks, only to discover that all but a handful of students were still up. I also discovered I missed prime rib for dinner that night. Sigh. Stupid seasickness.

Not sure what tomorrow will bring as it’s going to be a full day at sea. Geoff says the weather conditions will improve, but I’ve learned better than to rely just on that. Hopefully it will get better.

Photo by Lee Narraway

Day 4 - Wednesday July 27

2011-08-01T11:08:00.010-05:00

You can really sense an aura of excitement today. After four days of touring beautiful Iceland by bus and foot, the morning broke over Sauõárkrókur with the anticipation of reaching our ship, the Clipper Adventurer, today. Our expedition leader, Geoff Green had some news that due to some change in the schedule for the Adventurer, we would have to meet her at a different port later this afternoon. Change in the schedule is not unusual for Students On Ice – “flexibility is the key” is Geoff’s mantra, and after three expeditions, I’ve gotten pretty used to it.

So we started the day with a bit of mystery in our future plans. But once again, we resolutely loaded the buses with all the luggage and said goodbye to our brief home in Sauõárkrókur. It took a brief 90 minutes before we were in the scenic town of Akureyri. Considered to be a vacation destination for many Icelanders, Akereyri is a bustling town with lots of tourist-y things to do and see.

We settled into our base location at the town’s Cultural Centre (with fascinating architecture) and were given some free time to explore the town on our own. With no definite schedule, the students scattered throughout the tourist district like ants on a kicked-in anthill. The only two students with a plan were our two Tennessee youth, Shaquille and Derrick. Both had quite the journey to get to us here in

Iceland, and although they arrived safely, their luggage did not.

Thanks to generosity of their fellow expeditioners, they already had some replacement clothes, but the search was on for some cold-weather gear. Luckily, it’s Iceland, and before long, the two of them were ambling back, arms loaded with bags.

After a couple of presentations and lunch at the Cultural Centre, it was back on the buses for our final journey to the town of Siglifjordur. This was the unplanned destination of today’s itinerary, as our ship couldn’t meet us in our original embarkation point. As we drove through the Icelandic countryside, excitement built as the miles slid past.

I couldn’t help notice how beautiful each town was. Our guide did a great job of giving us some background on each place we drove through, and I couldn't help but wish I could return here and rent a car to travel to some of the places again. There were countless museums, heritage sites, quaint cafes and craft houses, but most of all there were friendly people. Almost everyone speaks English, and although they had the usual European quirks that comes with being from a foreign country, I felt totally comfortable here. Well, except for the one tunnel…

Yes, a tunnel. In a country with towering mountains, and long fjords, it makes sense to build tunnels. And it doesn’t make sense to spend more money than you have to on them. But when we drove through our first one-lane tunnel, you couldn’t help wondering if they couldn’t have spent a liiiiiittle more on another lane. Instead, there are little “lanes” that one can pull into to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. A bit unusual, but we navigated it superbly.

And then we arrived at Siglifjordur. This week is their annual Herring Festival, although that’s a bit ironic since there wasn’t a herring to be found. Nevertheless, we were treated to a great tour of their museum, their town centre and an informal game of volleyball with some of the locals.

But all eyes became glues to the port, when our ship arrived. With a majestic swoop into the fjord, our vessel pulled up to the dock and all of our expedition giddily clamoured to line up and get on board.

The Clipper Adventurer is a much nicer vessel than the one I’d gone on twice before. Similar layout, but having been refurbished a few years ago, it was much more elegant. The main lounge was roomier with a panoramic view of the path ahead. Dining was a 5-course meal, with servers catering to our every need. And the cabins were also outfitted nicely with TVs/DVD players (disconnected for this voyage) and chocolates on the pillows!

With everyone and everything settled in, we raised the SOI flag and set sail for our first destination – the Arctic Circle. Again, regular readers may recall that this was a feat I couldn’t accomplish on my previous two expeditions. In ’09, ice prevented us from traveling far enough north to cross it. And in 2010, the only people crossing the Circle were those who hiked 25 km. to reach it by foot – a journey my body was not up to completing.

So imagine my pleasure when we actually sailed up to latitude 67.33 degrees and official became visitors to the geographical Arctic. Pictures were taken, cheers were done and we all basked in the glory of reaching this destination.

To make matters even more exciting, numerous whales decided to make themselves known to us. In previous year, I haven’t been too impressed with our whale sightings, as most of them looked quite literally like black dots on the ocean. But tonight as we sailed across the seas, they came out in droves, some coming up for air a few metres off our bow. For creatures that are normally afraid of sea-faring vessels, we were getting a rare show for our first few hours at sea. As you can imagine, everyone was quite excited about the welcome, and what the future holds for us.

And then the waves hit…

Photos by Lee Narraway

Day 3 - Tuesday July 26

2011-08-01T10:57:00.006-05:00

Our 3^rd full day in Iceland broke with an early breakfast and loading of the buses to head to our second hotel on the north coast of Iceland. This process it immensely time consuming as each student and staff have one piece of personal luggage, and there is easily a second bag filled with SOI supplies. We take 2 full touring buses – one with 70-some passengers and the other with 50-some passengers.

As you might imagine, this is not an easy process. In the end, some of the luggage compartments are being closed by at least two strong burly men throwing their bodies up against the luggage door trying to get it to latch. Somehow, it gets done.

So by now, we’re all getting sick of buses. More importantly, I’m getting sick of buses – they are crowded, hot and generally unpleasant. Every time we get off the bus, we do a checklist to get back on. And because of the way the hotels worked, I was on the “boys” bus. This year, we have an inordinately small number of male students – only 19 out of 73 students are male. They are all getting along famously, but there is a sense of relief when we get off the bus and get some fresh air.

Today, we head off through the picturesque scenery of rural Iceland. As mentioned previously, Iceland is a highly active region, tectonically. And for the first time on our trip, we get the chance to visit a volcano. Not an active one, mind you. But Grabrók crater is no less impressive.

This was the first REALLY strenuous hike of the expedition so far, as you can probably guess, climbing to the top of an inactive volcanic crater means a lot of going up. Faithful followers of my previous expeditions will know that I’ve had trouble with these hikes. They illustrate just how much I’m out of shape and lack endurance to do anything like this, and this year is no different.

Despite all my best intentions to get healthier, each year I’m reminded of how far I have to go. And especially as I start to stretch towards the 40-year-old mark, getting in better shape becomes even more of a priority to me.

But enough about me – on to Grabrók crater. Well, it was impressive. And I can now say, I’ve climbed a volcano, albeit an inactive one. But by the time I reached the lower edge of the crater rim, I was tired. I took a few camera shots, including a video of the surroundings, as I don’t think still shots could do this sight justice. And then, somewhat dejectedly, I headed back down.

From there, we headed to the what seemed like the middle of nowhere, where we came upon a farmhouse nestled quietly in the Icelandic countryside. Obviously refurbished as a family restaurant, it made quite the impact on me with its deeee-licious lamb soup, considered a highlight of Icelandic cuisine. It was being like home a little bit, as I wandered the farm yard, checking out chicken coops and Icelandic pony stables. OK, I know, I don’t have either of those in my yard at home, but it still felt like the Prairies.

Next up was a quick stop at a place called Hvammstangi to visit the Icelandic Seal Centre and a trip to the coast to see if we could spot some seals. It was successful – seals were spotted in the distance, but as excited as the students were at seeing these beautiful creatures, I knew that we would have better views in the days to come.

Finally, we arrived at Mikligarour Hotel for our stop for the night in Sauõárkrókur. It was much nicer accommodations that our previous hotel, with showers and toilets in individual rooms and a larger meal space. But perhaps the most excitement came from the realization that it was the first time outside of meals and the sightseeing stops that the entire group stayed in the same location. It was a loud and rambunctious group that met for the traditional Speed Dating activity, where groups of students moved from table to table to learn about the background of each of the staff.

As you might guess, our entire group being together means that it was the first time that both genders stayed in the same hotel. Naturally, SOI has many procedures in place to ensure that nothing happens, and that’s part of my job on expedition – nightly bed checks and curfews. My senses were on high alert tonight as we checked all the rooms. And except for a couple of somewhat high-pitched giggles coming from a couple of the rooms, all was quiet. Sleep is a commodity that one doesn’t take for granted on an SOI expedition.

Looking ahead, Geoff announced we were off to the town of Akureyri tomorrow (which set off a rousing rendition of “It’s A Long Way To Akureyri” from some staff) followed by boarding of our ship, the Clipper Adventurer and setting sail for the Arctic!

Photos by Lee Narraway

Day 2 - Monday July 25

2011-08-01T10:32:00.005-05:00

So, blog readers, I can already tell you a big difference between this year’s expedition and ones from previous years – my sheer lack of time to sit down and dedicate myself to writing daily blog entries. I’m not sure whether it’s that the schedule is

so different, or longer, or if I’m just not as dedicated as I was to writing blog entries. Perhaps it’s a combination of a lot of factors. But to make a long story short, I apologize for getting these out so late.

Where to pick up? Ah yes, Reykjavik. Day 2 of our ti

me in Iceland saw us heading out by bus to explore Iceland. Our first stop was to Thingvellir National Park which includes Iceland’s largest natural lake – Lake Þingvallavtn. The scenery was, naturally, beautiful and the lake was

a sight to be seen. But the highlight was Almannagjá

canyon.

At first glance, the canyon appears to be two large cliffs looming over a valley. But it’s much more than that. Essentially, this canyon represents the fault point between Earth’s two largest continental plates, the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. The two plates meet in the Atlantic Ocean – and peek out above sea level across Iceleand. And it’s literally ripping this country apart.

Not quickly, mind you. The process will take million of years. But it does make Iceland one of the most tectonically active regions in the world, as evidenced by recent volcanic activity.

Next stop, a “coin fissure” near the canyon. No, not an area where coins spit out

at unsuspecting visitors. Instead, it was a deep crevice filled with clear glacial water. The idea is to take a coin in your left hand, turn your back to the fissure, throw the coin over your right shoulder, ask a question, and then turn around. If you can spot your coin before it hits the bottom, any question you asked will be yes. Anyone who knows me, knows I am NOT superstitious in the least little bit.

But I did give it a try. I followed the instructio

ns exactly with a nice fat Canadian loonie in my hand. I turned around as my coin bounced nicely off the edge of a rock side of the fissure and landed with an unceremonious thunk on the ground a couple of feet from the edge of the canyon.

Well, great. This is why I don’t play basketball.

Final stop in the National Park was the Öxarárfoss Waterfall, also know as the Golden Waterfall. It was a magnificent sight and a pleasure to see, but as I trodded down the well-worn and safe path to the edge, along with dozens of other students and tour groups, I was struck by one thing. While I’m happy to have visited these places, it was all still a little bit too “touristy” for me. It may sound selfish and greedy, but I wanted to visit places that few people had been to and walked upon.

Essentially, I wanted back to the Arctic.

Off to the buses again, as we headed towards our lunch stop near a series of geysers or geysirs in Icelandic. These are essentially fissures in the ground where Iceland’s famous geothermically heated hot springs gush out in a spectacular display of Earth’s natural process. One of them is very active, with a regular gush of steaming water every five minutes or so.

Naturally, that’s where the students seem to congregate, as they did countdowns towards the next eruption in the hopes of getting soaked by hot, geothermal water. Eventually, I wandered over to take some video with my iPhone and planted mys

elf in a great location with a good view of eagerly-anticipating students. As I looked down, I noticed the ground was damp, but figured the students knew where the best spot to get wet was.

Wrong.

With a great juicy burp, the geyser spewed forth a frothy spurt of water… about four feet high. With a collective sigh, the group dropped their guard and turned away in disappointment. It was at that moment that the geyser erupted in a more massive burst, many times higher than the first, premature one… and as gravity did it’s work, the spray headed straight for me. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination but I will say – I was soaked, but the iPhone was not. And the video is quite amusing…

OK, so that was the morning. The afternoon was supposed to be a trip to an Icelandic geothermal power station, but as typical of an SOI day, that got changed. However, I think this diversion was acceptable. Because that afternoon, we were off to see the President. No, not the president of the power station. THE president. The head honcho of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímmson, the fifth President of the Republic of Iceland.

As we made our way to his estate called Bessastađir, excitement rose at the honor of getting to meet Iceland’s head of state. The President has somewhat similar power to the Governor General in Canada, essentially signs off on laws and has the power of veto. One big difference is that he or she is elected. The current President was about to end his fourth term.

It was a nice reception as we got to tour his entire estate just outside of Reykjavik. He also graciously took the time to meet everyone personally and shake their hand. The President is highly involved with the Arctic Council, a group of countries with stakes in the Arctic region. In his talk to us, he gave us some insight from his perspective on the political and societal issues of the council and the region.

Then, he took time for some questions from our group and delighted us all with some humor and informal conversation. All in all, it was a significant honour for Students On Ice, and this group, to get the chance to interact with him.

To wrap up the very busy day, we headed back to our hotels for some presentations, some music (courtesy of Ian Tamblyn) and even some early journaling from a few of the students, which I encourage you to read on the SOI website.

Next up, tomorrow, we check out of our first hotel and head out on buses to the north coast of Iceland.

Photos by Lee Narraway

Toronto - Reykjavik, Iceland

2011-07-28T17:00:00.005-05:00

Apologies blog readers, if you are getting this a couple of days later. It's been... hectic, to say the least. But it wouldn't be an SOI expedition if it wasn't! Saturday was travel day for almost all students and staff. My role was on the Meet and Greet team (an awesome team, if any of you read this later) at Pearson International, greeting all the students arriving by plane. All told, about 25 students flew in between 3pm Friday and 4:30pm Saturday and I'm happy to say I was one of the first SOI faces they met when they arrived... well, those that DID arrive, anyway. Despite all attempts to make everything go smoothly, delays, lost luggage, and scheduling issues make things interesting. Happily thought, all but two students (from Tennessee) arrived on time for the early evening group check-in. (UPDATE: both are now here, having arrived on later flights!)

The flight was uneventful, and most people slept, or chatted quietly with the people in their rows.

As with my previous expeditions, it was fascinating to see how quickly this diverse group of teenagers can bond together so quickly.By the time we arrived in Reykjavik, it was like some of them had known each other for years.

Sadly, I'm going to end things off here. Sorry, it wasn't an interesting update - I promise I'll do better next time! But just wanted to let everyone know I've arrived safe and sound, and expect to see more in the next day or so!

Photos by Lee Narraway / Students on Ice

A whirlwind of activity

2011-07-26T20:03:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone.

My apologies, blog readers. As I mentioned to a few of you, I had fully intended to send out a blog entry every day of the expedition. Well, my best intentions have quickly fallen to the wayside through the whirlwind of activity that is a typical SOI adventure.

Saturday the 23rd was the arrival day for most of the students. As a member of the meet and greet team, I was tasked with greeting all of the students arriving by plane at Pearson International Airport. As you might imagine, getting 70-some teenagers and 50-some adult staff to the airport at one scheduled departure time is not an easy task. But there we were, at 6pm all gathered at the Icelandic Air counter, checking in. Well, minus two students from Tennessee who were re-routed due to flash floods in Chicago. (UPDATE: they both caught flights and have joined us safe and sound!)

The flight to Reykjavik, Iceland was relatively quiet (except we never really seemed to fly through darkness) and we arrived early Sunday morning. Admittedly, it was my first time in a foreign country (other than the US) in a LONG time, and it didn't take long for culture shock to set in. Different style washrooms, different traffic signs, different daily habits - it all took getting used to. And if I had trouble, I can only imagine what it felt like for some of the students who were travelling out of their home town for the very first time!

We got through Customs easily enough, and stepped outside into the cool Icelandic air (a balmy 12 degrees, although the strong wind made it feel much colder!). Strangely enough, even though it was 8:30am (3:30am Winnipeg time), we headed for the Blue Lagoon spa - a geothermally-heated outdoor mineral spa. This was a strange experience to say the least. Even though it was a chilly day, the temperature of the water was beautifully warm. But the winds were so strong, they actually created whitecaps on the water! And there was something slightly unnerving about the lifeguard wearing a full-body haz-mat suit while patrolling. You can check out a picture of me in the spa on the Daily Journey Updates on the SOI website.

After breakfast, we headed to the Keflavik Viking Museum for lunch and an overview of Viking history. They had a replica of a Viking longboat that sailed on a recreation of the Viking expeditions across the Atlantic. It reminded me (in some ways) of the Nonsuch at my Museum. The smell of the pine tar was like a soothing reminder of home. The Museum itself was fascinating, and definitely worth the visit.

With our first Museum visit behind us, we headed to the main part of Reykjavik, capital of Iceland. Our hotel was sparse, but comfortable (communal showers and toilets). Since we were given some free time, some of the students asked to walk to the center of Reykjavik. I came along as a chaperone plus the chance to check out the city.

Following our informal tour, the group got back together for some more presentations and talks before heading to bed for some much needed sleep.

And that ended Day One in Iceland. Obviously more has happened since then, but the hour is late and it's time for me to catch up on sleep. If I do some more updates, they'll be coming from our ship, the Clipper Adventurer!

Thanks for reading!

Once more unto the breach, dear friends...

2011-07-22T01:07:00.000-05:00

When does “once-in-a-lifetime” become… routine?

Two years ago in the summer of 2009, I was given a great opportunity to go along with an organization called Students On Ice, taking 60 students to remote Canadian Arctic locations aboard a refurbished Russian icebreaker to learn about the effects of climate change on that region.

It sounds so clinical to sum it up like that, yet its effects on me (and the students who went) were far from that. It truly was a life-changing experience and opened my mind to a new-found passion for the environment and environmental education.

It was… once-in-a-lifetime.

Then, in 2010, I was given a second chance to participate. Although very much different from ’09, Arctic ’10 was no less of an experience. Not many people could consider themselves similarly lucky. It furthered my passion for the environment, and sent me on a life path that has made me happier than I have been in a long time. Surely, for those reasons, I could still call it “once-in-a-lifetime”.

And now, here I am. About to embark on my THIRD expedition with the amazing staff of Students On Ice, merely 36 hours away from meeting a whole new set of 70 young people who I’d have the pleasure of getting to know over the course of 18 days. Like last year, I go into this journey with no expectations, no preconceptions of how things will go.

But how will this expedition… feel? Will I fall into familiar habits of previous years, overlook things because I’ve seen them before, or not be surprised by anything because it has become… routine? How long can “once-in-a-lifetime” last?

Well, one thing’s for sure, the itinerary will be different. Some of you may recall the ship we travelled on for the past two years, the Lyubov Orlova. Well, sadly, sometime after Arctic 2010, she was impounded for some financial reasons and her crew sent home. As far as I know, she sits empty in St. John’s harbour.

So, SOI had to find a new vessel for this year, and they found her in the Orlova’s sister ship, the Clipper Adventurer. With somewhat newer refurbishing, the Adventurer also has a different itinerary – departing from Iceland, travelling along the southern tip of Greenland and over to Labrador and the northern Quebec coast.

And of course, other than travelling outside Canada, the other difference will be the students. In both ’09 and ’10 we had a few students from the U.S. and Monaco joining us Canadians. But this year, we’ve got people joining us from 13 countries, including South Korea, Viet Nam, New Zealand and Russia. All told, over 12 languages will be spoken by our participants. And we have a burgeoning staff – over 53 scientists, educators, chaperones and explorers.

Over the next two weeks, I hope to introduce you to some of them, as well as the sights we will see. And no doubt, you’ll get a bit of insight into what I’m thinking – these expeditions tend to make me even more verbose than usual. I even get into icky things, like emotions and crap like that.

So it shouldn’t be boring. But will it be another “once-in-a-lifetime” experience? Time will tell. No expectations, right?

The adventure… continues.

Stay Tuned for Arctic Adventure 2011

2011-07-20T14:11:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!

Thanks for choosing to follow my blog. I hope to update it everyday, starting tomorrow (July 21st) but in the meantime, you can look back at my PREVIOUS blogs for Arctic 2009 and 2010!

Blog you soon! In the expedition spirit,

Mike

Day 16 – Akpatok Island and Ungava Bay heading towards Kuujjuaq

2010-08-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

Today marks the start of our long goodbyes and farewells, as we end our last full day on the ship. It’s a day of highs and lows as we all come to the realization that our long journey is about to come to an end.

The morning started with a refreshing zodiac cruise around Akpatok Island. Akpatok is home to the largest seabird colony in the Arctic, numbering over a million. But it was seven polar bears that highlighted the visit, lumbering along the shore, including three cubs.

The island itself has towering steep cliffs made of limestone, which reminded me of the quarries of my hometown, Stonewall. It seemed a fitting way to end our last cruise – a sight that made me look forward to returning home.

The rest of the day flew past and before long it was time for the traditional final briefing and talent show. To give you an idea of the talent of our students and staff, here are some examples of what was said and done:

Geoff Green introduced and thanked the Captain of the Orlova, along with its staff and crew. All of them received a standing ovation. Geoff then gave some more details on our expedition – it was the longest SOI trip ever done, with 14 cruises and landings. We’ve traveled 2160 nautical miles on our journey from Kuujjuaq and back. According to the kitchen, we ate 200 dozen eggs, 5 kg of dark chocolate, 140 litres of milk, 50 kg of sugar, 100 lbs of pasta, 400 loaves of bread, 100 kg of onions, 100 kg of potatoes, and an amazing 80 lbs of cheese.

The rest of the talent show was made up of students and staff reciting poems, singing songs, playing instruments (guitars, harmonicas, violins, and an accordion). There was a lot of laughter, some bad singing and some great performances. It truly was a fine way to wrap up our diverse and unique excursion.

It’s after midnight, and the talent show is winding up. As usual, our plans have changed for tomorrow. We arrive at Kuujjuaq early in the morning, but instead of getting tours of the town, we have to head straight to the airport to catch our flight, which had changed from early afternoon to late morning.

It seems surreal that things are coming to an end for another SOI expedition. Tomorrow will start the tears and hugs, as we begin to say farewell to some members of our family. If it’s anything like last year, it will be an emotional time…

See you all back in civilization!

Day 15 – Day at sea along the south east coast of Baffin Island

2010-08-18T22:56:00.002-05:00

I’ll actually start this entry with the moments just after submitted last night’s entry. As we headed out of Cumberland Sound for the Davis Strait, the swells started to pick up, along with one heck of a good wind.

Since we had a few minutes before student curfew, I grabbed my windbreaker and headed out to see what a true sea wind felt like. I could come up with all sorts of clichés to describe it (takes your breath away, sweeps you off your feet), but it still wouldn’t do it justice.

Just another experience on my second Arctic expedition that I can’t put into words.

It’s pretty obvious that there’s a lot to the Arctic that can’t be put into words. That’s why a big component of our voyages is documented on video. We have two videographers on board – Alex Taylor and Pascale Otis. Both are Arctic explorers in their own sense, but have temporarily given up those titles to record our exploits for posterity.

The journey of how one of our videos is made is quite extraordinary. Both Alex and Pascale head out with the students on landings and zodiac cruises. One usually captures the candid moments and reactions of the students, while the other makes sure to film all the sights that we get to see. Together, with a bunch of interviews with staff and students, they gather all the raw footage they need.

If our landings or cruises took place in the morning, Pascale would then hibernate into her cabin-turned-editing-suite for the afternoon, barely coming out for air and food. It would seemingly be a daunting task to edit the enormous amount of footage taken during our always-eventful excursions.

Yet somehow, in time for our daily briefing in mid-evening, in would walk Pascale with a thumb drive in hand and a tired smile on her face. And then we would sit in awe as she paraded her five-minute masterpieces on the large screen in front of us.

As always, thunderous applause resounded through the ship as the credits flashed on the screen. But Pascale’s (and often, Alex’s) job was far from done. Next up is the arduous task of getting the video out to the world via satellite transmission.

This involves climbing up to the top deck of the ship, no matter what the weather or sea conditions. Often it takes multiple attempts to successfully send the videos, photos and our journal entries (including the one you are reading), before it’s received by the Students On Ice head office in Ottawa and uploaded to their website.

If you haven’t already checked out these great videos, please do so. Because if pictures really do say a thousand words, then you are in for a one heck of a long novel…

Tomorrow, we race towards Ungava Bay to start our journey home. In the morning, we’ll stop for a cruise around Akapatok Island, home to a large collection of seabirds. Then it’s back to the ship to begin a long period of celebration as we wrap up our time on the ship.

LAST MINUTE UPDATE! Northern Lights! As we ended our evening briefing, word got out that there were some aurora to be seen. I quickly grabbed my warm weather clothes and headed out to the bow of the ship. There, I saw one of the most spectacular displays of northern lights that I have ever seen!

Curtains of green and white, tinged with purple, danced across the sky above our heads. As people gazed with awe, the astronomer in me came out, and before long, all sorts of constellations, planets (well, one anyways) and other nighttime sights were getting pointed out.

Alas, curfew hit and the impromptu astronomy workshop was put on hold for a while. Who knows, maybe I’ll get another chance before this expedition is over.

Day 14 – Kingnait Fjord

2010-08-18T22:29:00.003-05:00

So the morning started with a 6:55am announcement from our fearless expedition leader, Geoff Green, that there were bowhead whales off the port bow. Now normally, this would have me racing for the upper decks in eager anticipation of seeing these majestic creatures of the sea. But instead, I turned over and studied the inside of my eyelids.

Now this might seem to be to antithesis of what I should be doing, and in fact, if Geoff read this, he’d probably kick me off the ship. And don’t get me wrong, the opportunity of seeing bowheads is one that no one should miss. They are truly one of the highlights of any Arctic trip.

But as Geoff continued to crow about the dozens of bowheads that were appearing on all sides of the ship, I kept turning over and tuning him out. Here’s the thing. Bowheads whales, among other creatures, have been hunted by ships for decades. They have an instinctive fear of these vessels and always seem to give us a very wide berth.

So I knew fairly confidently that the best view of the bowheads that we would have, would be of a distant dark spot on the horizon, the occasional spray of a blowhole, or if we were lucky, a distinctive fluke arching above the waves.

They’re the same pictures I got LAST year. And I was tired. So, forgive me if I didn’t race out of my room to do some early morning whale watching.

Next up, was a trip to Kingnait Fjord, another encore SOI stop for me. Last year, we hiked to a beautiful waterfall, and this year we did the same thing. But in addition to that, we also had a BBQ on shore, our 2010 group picture AND the Arctic swim. All of those went fairly successfully, especially the swim – which I managed to again join.
But once again, the best part of the day was the UNPLANNED part. For the second day in a row, we experienced an unusually quick receding tide (at our daily briefing, we were told it was a 9-meter tide, instead of the expected 4 meters). As a result, the zodiacs were once again hard put to make it out of the rendezvous spot to deep waters.

So, off we trotted to a location farther down the shore (thankfully, the BBQs that had been brought to shore for lunch had left on an early zodiac). It was a wet, muddy and tiring trek to catch up to the tide with 80 or so people, but in the end, all returned safely to the ship.

It sure punctuated one of our mottos on expedition – flexibility is the key.

Tomorrow, because of our delayed departure this afternoon, we will be hard-pressed to make it to our planned destination – the Lower Savage Islands. At the very least, we’ll have a full day at sea, with lots of workshops and activities to fill the time.
P.S. As I type this, two of our staff, Matty McNair and Remy Rodden, along with one of our many talented students, Khloe Heard are jamming in our presentation room with two violins and a guitar. I don’t know what they are playing, but it’s just one of many moments I will never forget about this expedition.

Day 13 – Pangnirtung Fjord and Auyuittuq National Park

2010-08-17T12:52:00.002-05:00

Waterfalls fascinate me. I can sit and watch them for hours. The constant roar of the rushing water. The cool breeze blowing down from the mountaintop. The pungent smell of moisture from the rocks, slick from the frothy spray. But most of all, I’m fascinated by how waterfalls are constantly changing. They carve different paths as they flow eternally through the landscape. It’s kind of a little bit like life, if you’ll permit me a metaphor. But I digress… Today was the day of the big hikes in Auyuittuq National Park. Most of the students and staff departed the ship early in the AM to start a 25-km hike to the Arctic Circle. The remaining students and staff, including myself, were to participate in a shorter hike, followed by a series of workshops in the afternoon. I’d come to grip a few days ago with the fact that I wouldn’t be going on the long hike. My substandard performance on Digges Island had illustrated to me that I had a long way to go before I was ready for such a physical ordeal. So I had resigned myself to the shorter and less “memorable” hike to a really nice waterfall a few kilometres into the park. I can’t deny my disappointment that I would once again not participate in what is a deep bonding experience for all involved. But as my fellow chaperone, Wayne Lovstrom pointed out, there’s no room for disappointment with Students On Ice. It brings bad karma. So, I set out on my hike with hope and optimism coursing through me. It was a good hike. And I’m happy to say that I completed it without being nearly as exhausted as I was last year, or on Digges Island. But here’s the thing. The waterfall I was expecting… didn’t happen. Or at least not at first. We had walked for a good ninety minutes before I realized that we had passed it. Why did I miss it? Because it looked different. Even though it had only been a year, the waterfall had changed its appearance quite dramatically, to the point that I almost didn’t recognize it. And it got me thinking about waterfalls and life. There was a point a while ago where I had my life all plotted out, right down to the date. But like a waterfall, life likes to carve different paths. And various events have changed those plans drastically. Nowadays, I try not to plan things out so rigidly. Don’t get me wrong, I know what I want to do in the next few years. Most importantly, I know who I want to do those things with. But like a waterfall, I’m letting life carve the paths for me, instead of trying to divert the flow myself. OK, enough metaphor stuff for now. Let me tell you about the coolest thing I did today, if not on the entire expedition. So, Pangnirtung Fjord has the fastest tides in the Arctic. And as we prepared to head back to the ship, the tide was moving out quickly. The first zodiacs barely made it out, and we had to walk a few hundred metres further so the second round of zodiacs could pick us up. Even then, we had to watch very carefully to make sure we didn’t hit any submerged rocks as we made our way slowly away from the shore. Alas, the water was muddy from the glacial run-off, and before we knew it, our zodiac of 12 passengers was firmly hung up on a rock, with the tide receding by the second. Now, I am well aware of my pecking order amongst the more-experienced staff members with waaaay more wilderness training than me. So I stayed in the boat while Jenna, our zodiac driver, and Eric Mattson, our glaciologist, jumped out to try and budge our hung-up craft. But it became quickly obvious that there was nothing moving. So without hesitation, I took off my backpack and swivelled into the cold Arctic water. At the same time, Scobie Pye was manoeuvring in with a second zodiac to help. Coming in bow to bow, we got him close enough to transfer some students over to his boat and push him out to deeper waters. That gave us enough weight loss for all of us to pull the zodiac off the rock. But we were far from out of danger. The tide had receded to the point that numerous other rocks blocked out escape route. In such shallow waters, the outboard motor isn’t very manoeuvrable, so we ended up having to drag the zodiac through the rocks. As the water deepened, we all flung ourselves in the boat and sped away to the safety and dryness of the ship. It was the single-most exhilarating moment of the trip, if not both SOI excursions. For the rest of the day, I had a huge grin on my face as I basked in the adrenaline high from the experience. As the afternoon wore on, I couldn’t help but shake my head at how quickly the water can shift (literally) and life can carve a new path for you. One minute I was a little melancholy about missing out on a memorable experience, and the next minute I was chest deep in Arctic waters pulling a zodiac to safety. Tomorrow, we are off to Kingnait Fjord, just a little bit down Cumberland Sound from Pangnirtung. Last year when we visited it, there was an absolutely stunning waterfall that left all of us in awe. I’m sure it’s still there, but I can’t wait to see how it has carved new paths. And I can’t wait to see how life will carve new paths for me…

Day 12 – Kekerten Island and Pangnirtung

2010-08-16T23:07:00.004-05:00

As I believe I mentioned before, other than the town of Kuujjuaq, all of this year’s excursions are at places I’ve never been to before – until today. This morning we returned to Kekerten Island (which I learned today is redundant because Kekerten is Inuktitut for island). Kekerten is an old whaling station that was one of my first stops on last year’s expedition and I recall being stuck by the haunting stillness of the place. If you stood still, you can literally imagine the whalers hauling these majestic creatures up the shoreline, slicing them open for their blubber oil and other body parts, the entire beach running red with blood.

It’s graphic but it’s reality. Kekerten has since been transformed into a park, with interpretive trails and displays. It was nice to be able to revisit this place and recall my memories from having experienced it a year earlier.
But there was little time for reminiscing, as my cabin-mate and fellow educator, Jeff Baxter, a teacher from Paulatuk NWT, had planned an activity to demonstrate how blubber insulates against the cold. To make a long story short, it involved Ziploc bags, duct tape and LOTS of shortening. The students really seemed into it, and raised it as a highlight in tonight’s briefing.
Pangnirtung was also a blast to revisit. Students On Ice visits this community every year, as it is at the head of a fjord where we always hike. They always give us a warm welcome, with demonstrations, food and tours. For many of the northern kids, it was a chance to revisit with some family and friends who live there. And for almost all of the students, it was a chance to taste civilization again. The Co-op and Northern Store were heavily hit, with junk food, pay phones and energy drinks the most common commodity.
The elders of Pangnirtung also generously take some time to talk to the students about the changes they have seen in their community during their lifetime that have resulted from global warming. It’s valuable first-hand evidence of this crisis, and I challenge any climate change nay-sayer to contradict their reports as the oral history of the Inuit peoples far predates any written meteorological records.

Tomorrow we're headed up Pangnirtung Fjord to Auytittuq National Park. This is where all the staff and students get separated into two groups – one for a longer 25-km hike to the Arctic Circle, while the rest do a 10-km hike to a beautiful waterfall. There was some minor disappointment as students who expected to go on the longer one were put on the shorter one as some staff felt they were physically better off there. But in the end, it will be a rewarding and challenging experience for everyone.

I hope my endurance has a better showing than it did a few days ago on Digges Island…

Day 11 – Cruising the southeastern coast of Baffin Island

2010-08-14T23:33:00.004-05:00

While on expedition, one tends to lose track of time. Not hours and minutes, since activities are planned out to the minute throughout the day. But dates and days of the week tend to get forgotten as the days and nights flash by on the voyage. The only indications of recognizing dates are when someone has a birthday (celebrated with cake and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday during dinner).

But today, we couldn’t help but notice it was Friday the 13th. Despite the negative connotations of the day, none of us felt unlucky today. First of all, we are lucky enough to get to participate in this amazing expedition. Second, we are lucky to have such an exceptional and diverse group of staff and students to share the experience with.

Thirdly, we are lucky to have all these incredible sights to see along the way – including today’s stop at Monumental Island, right on the corner of Baffin Island. As we prepared to board the zodiacs, our resident mammal expert, Dr. David Gray, just happened to mention that every time he’s visited this island, he’s seen polar bears. Everyone was tingling with excitement at the possibility – to see a polar bear would be a fine notch in the SOI Arctic 10 expedition.

What David neglected to tell us, is that he’s only visited the island twice.

Nevertheless, despite jinxing it by predicting polar bears, we were treated to a sight that we couldn’t have imagined. Not one, not two, but SEVEN polar bears, including three cubs, graced our camera lenses, binoculars and wide eyes as we circled the island in zodiacs.

Last year, I don’t even think we saw seven polar bears on the entire expedition. Admittedly, one of those rare bears last year was chowing down on a seal, so that made up for their lack of numbers. This year, we may not have caught the bears at mealtime, but they still put on a visual feast for us.

Our first sightings were of two solitary bears, which we later determined to be males. They were in good shape and seemed unalarmed as long as we kept our distance. Then we spotted a mama bear and cub make a beeline for the crest of the island. It’s obvious that their main concern was to avoid us.

Then, as we rounded the last corner to head back towards the ship, we spotted another female bears with two cubs swimming near the shore. Without getting too close, we manoeuvred in for a better look. Before long, all three were clamboring up the rocks onto dry land. We continued to watch them for a few more minutes before leaving them in peace.

With that bit of good luck behind us, we continue to make our way to our next destination – the community of Pangnirtung. This is our third northern community visit, and my second visit to Pang, having gone there during last year’s expedition. I’m looking forward to seeing how it has changed and how much is has stayed the same.

Here’s hoping that our good luck continues with some bowhead whale sightings and maybe even a bit more ice to play on…

Day at Sea along the southern coast of Baffin Island

2010-08-14T02:28:00.003-05:00

Happy International Year of Youth!! Today marks the official kick-off for this celebration recognizing the importance of youth around the world. And we are celebrating it in fine style aboard the Orlova. Of course, the whole intent behind Students On Ice is to promote knowledge and action about climate change to today's youth. I believe I mentioned this before, but we have 78 students on board this year all united with the same purpose - Protect the Poles, Protect the Planet.

But some students aren't just content to stop at participating in this expedition. Today, a number of them gathered together to plan out a video promoting the IYY celebrations and how they feel about their role in protecting the environment. It's a really uplifting moment to sit there and watch these young people in action. Even though myself and three other staff were there to guide them along and keep them on track, this video is ALL youth-driven, from the storyboarding to filming and editing. Can't wait to see the final product.

This afternoon was our second Pod Team meeting. Pod Teams are a part of SOI's educational component. Students are divided up into teams of 7 or 8, with two staff. In those smaller groups, it is easier for some of the less out-spoken students to get some dialogue going about the various issues we've been looking at, the sights we have seen, and to get to know each other a bit better. I'm teamed up with Jacqueline Phillips, a teacher and fellow educator on board. We've got a great Pod Team consisting of some bright and talented students - Hannah, Bradley, Joseph, Julie B., Estelle, Kamil and Lavinia. You can read their bios on the Students On Ice Arctic 2010 website. Tomorrow, we are continuing around the south eastern coast of Baffin Island. Geoff Green calls tomorrow an Expedition Day, which means he has no clue what we are going to do, where we are going to go. There's still no sign of large amounts of ice, but we are hoping there's some hiding in some fjord or cove somewhere that we can go explore. Perhaps some polar bears or whales will be spotted tomorrow.

Of course, it is the Perseid Meteor Shower tonight - although there's few chances of actually seeing some shooting stars, we're all wishing that tomorrow will bring some more exciting activity here in the Arctic!

Cape Dorset, Nunavut

2010-08-12T12:21:00.005-05:00

We check out a lot of natural locations along our journey through the Arctic – seabird habitats, prime walrus viewing spots, caribou hunting grounds. But as great and important as all of these locations are, some of the best places to learn about the effects of global warming are in the communities that we visit along the way.

We’d already been to one community, when we landed in Kuujjuaq to board our ship. But today we visited Cape Dorset on the southern coast of Baffin Island. Cape Dorset is well-known for its Inuit art carvings and prints and the ship was a-buzz with excitement.
Our first stop today was an archaeological site across the bay from Cape Dorset. Thousands of years ago, a series of huts were built along the edge of a freshwater lake a few hundred meters from the Arctic Ocean. Today, all that remains are the dugouts with collapsed rocks strewn within them. After hearing about the history of the people that built the huts, courtesy of our resident mammal expert turned Arctic historian David Gray, we set off on a choice of hikes.
Still recovering from the trip to Digges Island a couple of days ago, I chose to head down a short, gentle slope to an inukshuk on the shore and sit with my feet dangling in the water, skipping stones. It was a nice relaxing time and I couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed when we were called back to the zodiacs. After lunch, it was off to Cape Dorset. The plan was to meet for a community welcome complete with some traditional country food (including caribou stew), throat singing and Inuit games demonstrations followed by a talk with some elders to discuss their perspectives on the effects of global warming.

Well, at least, that’s how it was supposed to go. Yes, we got the throat singing and Inuit games, but in addition to the country food, we were also treated to a fresh seal that had been caught and killed earlier today. I’d experienced raw seal liver on last year’s expedition, and this year, I managed to get my teeth around a seal rib. But my best amusement was saved for watching the students sample the various parts of the seal for the first time. Most kept it down… some didn’t.After the demonstrations, we were given free time to explore the community, instead of talking to the elders. Our group quickly dispersed, much to my dismay, as it felt like my herd of sheep was scattering into the wild. Some went and hopped up on junk food at the Co-op, while others went searching for souvenirs. Many were “kidnapped” by some of the local children, who held the hands of various students as they went exploring the town. One of our male students, Connor, was even offered three marriage proposals.He turned them down.This was a great community visit. But as amazing as it was, it illustrated to me just how much we have become a little floating community of our own. It’s been a week since we’ve all come together and the bonds between everyone has grown strong.It was especially evident when we said goodbye to our first friends – Peter Mansbridge and his son Will. It was a teary good-bye for some, as they had become attached to Will, who despite his younger age, made some close friends during his short time. However, based on my experience from last year, it is a mere fraction of the emotions that will be experienced on our last days.

But that’s in the future. For now, our community will have a day at sea tomorrow, with lots of activities and workshops planned. In the meantime, hopes of a full night’s sleep tantalize me... good night!

Walrus Island

2010-08-11T17:07:00.002-05:00

Since I found out there was a chance I would be able to go on this expedition, I’ve been telling anyone who I could find about the special guest that would also be coming along. Don’t get me wrong, we have an amazing collection of staff scientists, educators and experts along with us on this incredible experience.

But this one is, as one of my fellow staff chaperones put it, “world class”. For the past few days, we’ve been privileged to have Peter Mansbridge, chief correspondent for the CBC and host of The National, sail with us along with his son Will. A couple of updates ago, I mentioned that I participated in a workshop that Peter held at Douglas Harbour on Journalism and Interviewing. It was a surreal moment that I invite you to read over, if you haven’t already.

Tonight, as we prepare to arrive at Cape Dorset tomorrow, we also prepared to say goodbye to the Mansbridges. Sadly, they have commitments back home that prevent them from coming along on the entire voyage with us, and so they will be disembarking while we are visiting this community famous for its Inuit artwork.

As a last hurrah before bidding farewell, Peter conducted one last presentation for the entire group tonight. Although billed as another talk about Journalism and the Media, Peter told the students to put their pens down and close their books. And for the next 90 minutes, we were treated to a personal and insightful look at one of the most famous faces on Canadian television.

Through a series of anecdotes, Peter took us on a journey of some of his more memorable experiences, from Sri Lanka after the tsunami, to the Netherlands on the 60^th anniversary of the Dutch liberation in WWII, to the Canadian forces bases in Afghanistan. It was one of those unique Students on Ice moments that will remain with the students (and the staff) for the rest of their lives.

Peter is truly a spokesperson for the Arctic. Since his start in Churchill, Manitoba, his passion and love for this region shows. And he was given quite a show today, as we visited Walrus Island, aptly named because it has, surprisingly, lots of walruses… or walrii… well, you know what I mean.

This hunk of a rock at the “top” of Hudson Bay is well-known for these chubby, awkward looking creatures that are so difficult to get close to that even our own Inuit elder, David Serkoak, had never seen them before. At least one thousand walrus lazed around in the mid-morning sunshine, or frolicked in the clear icy waters as we cruised silently by in zodiacs, the only sound coming from the dozens of cameras.

After that incredible sight, we returned to the ship for an atypically lax day for Students On Ice. There was a series of workshops, a couple of presentations, but much of the day was spent journaling, reading, soaking in the sun on deck, or resting.

Tomorrow, as mentioned, will take us to Cape Dorset on the south coast of Baffin Island. Because we are making good time, we might be able to stop at an archaeological site – guess what?... another first for SOI.

We might be saying goodbye to Peter Mansbridge, but the adventure for us, is just beginning.

Digges Island

2010-08-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

During last year’s expedition, there was a low point. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of it, as I am with this one. But along the way, one’s energy reserves drop down, the brain turns off and you just want to crawl into your bunk and shut out the world.

In 2009, that point was about 10 or 11 days into the expedition. This year, it was today.

Again, let me assure you, today was overall another good SOI day. We landed on Digges Island, an island that very few people, let alone an SOI expedition, had ever set foot on before. We saw almost a quarter of a million thick-billed murres nesting along majestic cliffs that towered above the Hudson Strait.

Back on the ship, we had an educational and fun series of presentations and workshops ranging from Birds of the Arctic to Working with GPS. The night rounded off in musical fashion with our resident Inuit elder, David Serkoak, leading everyone in traditional drum dancing and our musical “experts” James Raffan and Remy Rodden playing guitar on the bow of our ship with about 50 students swaying back and forth in tune to the music.

So why would today be a low point on the expedition so far?

While on Digges Island, we participated in a hike. This is not unusual at the Geoff Green Center for Weight Loss. I’d participated in many an SOI hike last year, some I couldn’t complete, and most of them ended up so out of breath and weak in the knees that I could barely make it to my bunk. After the expedition was over, I swore I would start living life a bit healthier – more exercise, better eating, etc. with the intention of coming back and conquering the hikes with ease.

Well, the past year hasn’t been as healthy as I would like. Many times I relapsed into an unhealthy meal, or a lazy night in front of the TV. But I’d like to think that I’ve cut back on the unhealthy food, taken a few more walks than before and was, in general, in better shape than before.

So when heading out on today’s hike, I thought for sure it would be no problem. Admittedly, it WAS up a very steep hillside over rocky terrain, trickling streams and spongy tundra to a point overlooking the cliffs of thick-billed murres. But within minutes I realized this wouldn’t be easy. In fact, I knew it would be darn right difficult.

Within half an hour, I came to the conclusion that any gains I had made in the last year were far from enough. My breath was ragged, my muscles aching; sweat pouring out of every inch of my body, mosquitoes by the dozens were swarming around me like vultures circling a soon-to-be corpse.

As I was passed by more and more people coming BACK from the destination point, my stamina (and my spirits) reached a low point. I was far from in shape to conquer the hikes with ease. The Arctic, with its stark beauty and harsh climate, had still conquered me.

By the time I had made it to the zodiacs for the trip back to the ship, I was one of the last few people. And those that were with me were there because they didn’t want to leave me behind. It was not a good feeling, being the reason why everyone was waiting. It’s called Students On Ice, not Mike On Ice.

It was embarrassing, it was exhausting, and it was depressing. As the zodiacs sped back towards the ship, it took everything I could not to break down in tears. I was tapped out, not only physically, but emotionally.

So how do I recover from this low point? In the end, it was the realization that despite the aching muscles, being the last person to make it back, the pure exhaustion I felt… I had made it. There were plenty of opportunities for me to turn back. But I didn’t. I kept pressing on, with each step, until I finally stood on the edge of an 800-metre cliff looking out at the pure elegance of the Arctic at its best.

I may still have a long way to go in my personal journey to live better. But today was a pretty good first step.

Day 6 – Diana Island to Douglas Harbour

2010-08-09T23:45:00.008-05:00

Today was a very busy day. Probably one of the busiest I’ve ever participated in on and SOI expedition. Despite the exhausting schedule, I’m feeling very rewarded about my contributions to this experience. The only question is will I get enough sleep to do them. But I digress…

As morning broke over our fine ship, we arrived in Douglas Harbour along the northern coast of Quebec. The plan for after breakfast was to head to shore and participate in one of seven workshops held by our very diverse expedition staff – anything from art to caribou hunting to water labs.

This was SOI’s first visit to Douglas Harbour, and that means you never know what to expect. That unknown is exciting but, at the same time, a bit dangerous. However, this landing spot was as safe as could be as we dribbled out of the zodiacs onto shore. From there, we split off into the workshops of our choice.

My choice, naturally, was the Journalism, Interviews and Responsible Citizenship seminar being held by none other than Peter Mansbridge. It was a privilege to sit in on his workshop and absorb a bit of the knowledge and experience that he has gained over the past four decades. I was able to let the “pure” journalist in me come out and have some frank media discussions with one of the most respected professionals in North America.

Couple that with some very intelligent and well-thought out questions from the students who also attended, and it was one of the most engaging dialogues I’ve been involved with since Journalism school.

It was a bit surreal, as Peter had picked a babbling brook to have this workshop. There were also some great

caribou sightings (a first for me on either expedition), lemmings and voles darting in and out of the underbrush, and even the appearance of a ringed seal right off shore from our landing spot.

After returning to the ship, we had a whirlwind afternoon with seminars, pod teams meetings (groups of 8 or 9 students with two staff), and other presentations. I’m one of the pod team leaders and my group is called the Arctic Ninjas (hooooooo-waaaaa!!!) and looks to be a very dynamic group.

Right afterwards, myself and a few other staff had a discussion about a Critical Thinking seminar to get the students thinking about the news and opinions they read and hear and to think about what they mean. I’m really looking forward to that.

But the highlight of the day occurred just a few moments ago before curfew. The sky had cleared for the first time of our expedition, so many students quickly rushed outside to see what was left of the sunset. As we did, we looked up and got a show of Northern Lights!! Despite the fairly bright twilight, they were quite visible and elicited a few oohs and aahs. Meanwhile, some of the students inundated me with questions about this phenomenon and I got to do some actual astronomy for a few minutes!

All in all, as I said, a busy but rewarding day. Tomorrow we are off to Digges Island, a well-known bird sanctuary just at the southwestern corner of Hudson Strait. Geoff Green mentioned something about a 250 metre hike up a cliff – something that I’m leery about. But I’m always up to the challenge…

Wrapping this up so all the journals, photos and videos of the day can be sent out via satellite! Good night!

Day 5 – Ottawa – Kuujjuaq

2010-08-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

Greetings from the Lyubov Orlova heading north through Ungava Bay! We set sail just a few short hours ago after a flurry of activities throughout the day brought us from our meeting place in Ottawa to the friendly town of Kuujjuaq on the northern coast of Quebec to zodiacs that carried us to our new home for the next two weeks.
Where to begin… well, first, I hope this is getting through to everyone. So far, I have either been updating this blog personally, or emailing it to someone personally. But now, I have to rely on satellite technology to beam this update to you. Hopefully some pictures came through as well.

Ottawa this morning was rushed. We were up at the ungodly hour of 5:30am to pack our bags for the airport. Our flight to Kuujjuaq was uneventful, but our arrival was not. For starters, there was a driving rain through most of the day. Having packed most of my wet weather gear safely in the backpack that was on its way to the ship, it didn’t take long for the rain to soak me to the skin.

But despite the cold weather, the reception was far from cold. After some speeches, we were treated to a BBQ of hamburgers, caribou skewers and potato salad. Then it was off to explore this fine town. One of our stops was to the Nunavik Research Centre, where they are conducting cutting-edge research on many northern issues.

Finally, it was off to the beach for our zodiac rides to the Orlova. It was funny – as we approached alongside, I was struck by a thought I had the day we DISembarked from the ship last year. After the two incredible weeks aboard her, saying goodbye was tough. So I just thought to myself “see you later”. And as I climbed aboard her for the first time this year, a wave a familiarity ran over me.

Last update, I talked a bit about home, especially its impact on the northern students. Being aboard the Orlova does feel a little bit like home and it hasn’t take long for the routine to settle in for myself, or the new students. Before long, we weighed anchor and headed off towards Ungava Bay.

Speaking of the students, they continue to mesh very well in this short time. Obvious cliques are forming, which are discouraged in the long run, but are fine for now. Sadly, the friendship and camaraderie hasn’t extended to one of the Northern students, who I mentioned last update has come down with a severe bout of homesickness. He has made the decision to stay in Kuujjuaq until he can safely fly home.

I guess in the end, if your attachment to home is greater than your desire to explore and participate in the adventure, then the choice is pretty clear.

Tomorrow we are off to Diana Island, home to a LOT of musk oxen apparently. Hopefully my seasickness will stay abated as it is right now, and I will be able to carry on with whatever happens to come along.

Day 4 – Ottawa

2010-08-06T01:10:00.005-05:00

Today was the official launch day for the SOI Arctic 2010 expedition and everyone was kept hopping from activity to activity. First off was a trip to the newly-refurbished Canadian Museum of Nature, which for a museum geek like me was almost like a form of Valhalla. Sadly, in depth touring of the new galleries was not to be, as we were hustled up 4 (FOUR!) flights of stairs to a large conference room.

There we conducted Staff Speed Dating, which (creepiness aside) consisted of all the students rotating amongst the staff, who introduced themselves each time. In theory, this is a great way for the students to get to know the expedition staff. However, after the 9^th or 10^th time of hearing each other’s life stories, the staff started to get a little punchy. Myself and two other educators, Jeff Baxter (who teaches up in Paulatuk, NWT) and Jacqui Phillips (Grade 5 teacher in Ontario) were able to recite what we say almost word for word, and by the end, we were starting to make up stories about each other (Jeff, for example, worked in a cheese factory before throwing knives in a circus).

All that aside, the media launch event was a huge success with drum dancing, speeches and an appearance by the “star” himself, Peter Mansbridge. And yes, he sounds EXACTLY like he does on TV. When you talk to him, it’s like you are being interviewed.

Then it was a VERY hot walk to the Parliament Buildings where we had just enough time to walk around the buildings before having to get back on board the busses. This was second year in a row where we had little time to tour Parliament, so it was a bit disappointing. But it was still a good visit.

Back at Encounters With Canada, the students were treated to some seminars on journal writing and provided with their “polar fundamentals” – including the basics of The Arctic region and a bit of the history and politics behind it.

While all that was going on, we spent some time with a student who had a touch of homesickness. Well, it actually turned out to be a full-blown case of it. For many of the Northern students, coming to Ottawa and getting thrown into the Students On Ice experience can be overwhelming – lots of strange, loud people in a different, uncomfortable climate with unfamiliar foods and customs. It’s surprising more students don’t feel it like this student did.

When this happened last year with another student, we convinced him just to keep going hour by hour, day by day, until we got up to the Arctic and on the ship. Once there, he felt more at home and weathered the rest of the expedition with ease. This time around, it’s been a bit tougher, but fingers crossed, he’ll get on the plane tomorrow and get back to a more familiar environment.

But, it was a sobering reminder of the emotions that can get stirred up when one leaves home and the effects it can have not only on the person who’s traveling, but the ones he leaves behind. Even though he’ll make new friends and eventually consider this to be a fantastic experience, home will always be home and when he gets back to the people he loves, he’ll be a better person for having experienced it.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of my travels so far, including me in front of the Canadian Museum of Nature, and one of some of the students I’m going with. In this picture, there are four countries represented – Canada, U.S., Norway and Monaco. Would you believe that none of these young people knew each other 24 hours ago?!

OK, that’s it for me tonight. It’s late, and there’s an early wake-up tomorrow as we prepare to leave for Kuujuaq at 8am! Back to the Arctic I go! My next report will be from the aboard the Orlova as we set sail into Ungava Bay.

Day 3 - Ottawa

2010-08-04T23:27:00.001-05:00

The students have arrived!!! Well, most of them. We’re still missing two… er, not really MISSING them – we know there they are, but they aren’t here at Encounters With Canada. But the rest are here, and what a vibrant, unique bunch they are. Just like Arctic ’09, I sensed a close bond forming between the students almost immediately. Some met on the plane trip here, others while waiting in the airport (a story I will tell later), but no matter how they first came across one another, already the connections were immediate.

There’s still a gap between the northern students and the ones from “the south”. It will take a day or two or maybe even more before that gap closes entirely. I felt it while doing bed checks tonight – the Inuit students who arrived last night were very overwhelmed by the noise and rambunctiousness of the new arrivals. But since many had been traveling for hours, it didn’t take long before the sawing of logs prevailed in the boys’ dorm.

As mentioned, there was a lot of waiting in the airport. I arrived there shortly after noon to greet arriving students. The first couple of hours went smoothly, with all flights arriving nearly on time. Then, the storms hit. This happened last year, causing delays all across the board. And this year was even worse. Flight were diverted and canceled. Luggage was lost. Chaos reigned.

OK, maybe it wasn’t that bad. It just seemed that way. I was supposed to be shuttled back with the last students at 5:30pm, but instead it was 9:30pm before I slothed my way back to EWC. As a result, I missed dinner (lasagna, which anyone who knows me, knows I loathe anyways) AND the all-important meet and greet of all the students. Oh well, I’ll get to know them better in the coming days.

So, my loyal blog followers, if there are any, this is a very boring daily report, and I apologize. In the coming days, I hope to have more substantive stuff to say about this grand adventure. Tomorrow is a trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature for our official launch and media event. If it rains, we get to tour this newly-refurbished facility (which I dearly want to do!) but if not, we’re off to the Parliament Buildings.

With that, I bid you all a good night. If there are any questions that anyone has about the excursion, things you want to know or just general comments, please feel free to do so. I believe that option is located somewhere just below this entry. I’d love to hear from anyone who might be reading along…

Day 2 - Ottawa

2010-08-03T22:43:00.001-05:00

Well, I’m getting to know Ottawa a bit better! Today, I was tasked with driving to various locations throughout the Capital Region to gather supplies for our expedition. I have no problems driving through an unfamiliar city… IF I have an excellent navigator with me. With directions from Google Maps. And a regular map. Luckily I had all of those.

For our pre-expedition days here in Ottawa, we are staying at Encounters With Canada’s Terry Fox Youth Centre. It’s a fine facility with dorm spaces for 150 people, a cafeteria and lots of classrooms space. Bedding is provided – but not towels. Sooooo… off I went on a towel run.

Now anyone who has ever driven with me knows I am a pretty good driver. 22 years without one accident or speeding ticket (until last Sunday, thank you Winnipeg Police! Grr…) So, I was being extra careful in Ottawa considering it was unfamiliar to me, and I was driving van. But to make matters worse, once we picked up bags and bags of towels, we were off to collect dozens of empty beer bottles. Yes, that’s right beer bottles. And not just regular kind, but the old stubby ones.

Why, you ask?

Good question. Once on the ship, we will do a bottle drop. Each student will get a chance to put a message in a bottle (complete with instructions for the finder, should that happen) and throw it into the Arctic Ocean so that we can learn more about ocean currents and movements. To do that, we need 150 stubby empty beer bottles.

Anyhoo, to make a long story short, there I was, driving through Ottawa with a bunch of empty beer bottles clinking away amidst piles of bleach-y white towels. And I’m thinking to myself, “Mike, don’t speed. You will never be able to explain this one to the police officer…”

After safely returning with the supplies, it was off to a meeting with my fellow chaperones and leaders. It’s another great group of scientists, fellow educators and other people passionate about the Arctic. Some familiar faces from last year and lots of new faces. I definitely encourage anyone reading this to head to the Students On Ice webste to look up the bios on the Expedition Team. There are some amazing people on there.

Once we all introduced ourselves and talked more about the education program, we headed off to dinner at a local pub. While we were there, some of the Northern students arrived at the EWC facility. Since weather conditions can often play havoc with travel between northern communities, we get some of the students started a day earlier. That way, should some unforeseen circumstances delay a flight, they have a whole day to catch up.

Myself and a fellow educator, Jeff Baxter, who teaches up at Paulatuk, NWT, did our first bed checks tonight. Some of the Inuit students are very shy and withdrawn – something I remembered quite well from last year. Many feel homesickness in the first couple of days. It’ll take some coaxing to get everyone to warm up and socialize.

Tomorrow, the rest of the students arrive from all over Canada and the world. I’m off to the airport to greet them and then it’s back to EWC for the big grand meet and greet with almost our whole team!

In the meantime, off to get another good night’s sleep.

Day 1 - Winnipeg to Ottawa

2010-08-02T23:09:00.003-05:00

Not much to report on today – I purposefully took a flight a day earlier than last year’s so that I could ensure I would get a full night’s sleep before the two weeks of insomnia starts. I took a morning flight to Ottawa that was fairly uneventful and arrived in Ottawa to pretty much the same temperatures and humidity that I had left in the ‘Peg. Got to the hotel, checked in, and immediately met up with Scobie Pye, one of my fellow SOI staffers from last year.

Scobie is the consummate adventurer – our Tasmanian devil, as we refer to him. And if you spend an afternoon and evening with him, you get regaled with every story imaginable. On the ship last year, his stories were legendary, told during the evening wind-ups. The students (and yes, even the staff who had heard them many times before) hung on every word. And today, I had the master storyteller all to myself. I spent hours listening to him spin yarns about his home in Tasmania, trips to Antarctica, and expeditions around Norway. His stories ranged from the hilarious (Zodiac mishaps) to the alarming (few polar bears spotted around the Norwegian coast this season). It was truly a relaxing and entertaining start to my journey this year.

Tomorrow is a relatively late start (8:15am). Getting picked up by the SOI staff and put to work preparing for the arrival of the remaining expedition staff. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting some new ones. Meetings, collaborative planning time and an all-staff dinner round out the day. And even some students from a few Northern communities will arrive! Can’t wait…

For now, sleep beckons. Good night!

And the adventure... continues!

2010-07-28T15:28:00.005-05:00

Well, what was supposed to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, has turned into a "twice-in-a-lifetime" one. I'm heading back to the Arctic for a second turn as a Polar Educator with Students On Ice! It's another great opportunity to see some great Arctic landscapes, learn and witness all about the effects of climate change on this pristine land, and most of all to meet some fascinating and engaging scientists, fellow educators and students from all across the world!

I'll try and update this one more time before I head off to Ottawa to join the expedition team, but in the meantime I encourage anyone reading this to check out the SOI Arctic 2010 website at http://www.studentsonice.com/arctic2010/ to learn more about the program, the itinerary, and most of all, the TEAM! I can tell you one person I am especially excited to meet - Peter Mansbridge, national anchor for CBC TV. He'll be on board with his son Willie - and the journalist in me couldn't be more excited.

Also, take the time to read my blog from LAST year's expedition. I expect that my impressions and experiences will have changed since then, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

Thanks for following!
Mike Jensen
Science Educator, The Manitoba Museum

Day 17 - Ottawa to Winnipeg

2009-08-19T16:29:00.003-05:00

I’m home! After hundreds of hugs and teary goodbyes were said and done, I finally arrived back in Winnipeg safe and sound. It was quite the emotional day saying our farewells. It’s amazing how quickly this group of students bonded in such a short time, and it wasn’t easy to watch these new-found friends depart. With luck, Facebook and other social networking sites will allow everyone to keep in touch for a long time, but the reality is that this may be the last time many of them see each other.

Luckily, we all have our shared experience together that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. In retrospect, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do with this adventure, as I hope all the students did. For 12 days, we explored the Arctic like few other people in this world have had the chance to do. Rather than reading about the effects of climate change on the poles through second-hand websites, magazines and books, we got to see and hear about it first-hand.

From Inuit elders to Arctic Circle hikes to zodiac trips around sea ice, evidence of global warming was all around us. And while there is no doubt that a portion of it is natural, much of it is man-made. The community of Pangnirtung felt it when the permafrost exposed by heavy rains last year, flooding the town and washing out bridges two summers ago.

Students On Ice founder Geoff Green labels the students who participate in the expedition and others their age “Generation G” for generosity, graciousness and other positive g-words. And although each of these students is committed to doing what they can to educate and counteract climate change, it’s everyone that has to make some changes in the way they live. Otherwise, places like the Arctic will continue to be drastically affected. And that would be a shame.

“O lands! O all so dear to me – what you are, I become part of that, whatever it is,” said Walt Whitman. It’s safe to say that I now have “ice in my veins”, as the saying goes. Having been to this beautiful and fascinating part of our planet, I feel like I’m a part of it now, and it a part of me. I can’t wait to go back.

But as much as the Arctic became a part of me, it was the people that I experienced it with that had the greatest effect on me. From the fantastic staff, scientists and fellow educators to the amazing students, I will miss each and every one of them. In some cases, like the staff, I hope our paths will cross again, perhaps on future SOI expeditions.

As for the students, I hope to see some again in the future. Already, I’ve planned to make some joint presentations with my fellow Winnipegger, student Susan Nanthasit. But in most cases, I expect I will hear more about them as a result of their successes in life, which I know will be plentiful.

To any of the students reading this, please know this. You were the most talented, dedicated, diverse, exhausting, interesting and funny group of young adults I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with. Although I was supposed to be an educator on this trip, it was you who educated me and I thank you for it.

I urge you to never lose that enthusiasm and passion that you all exhibited on this adventure. As you go through life, build upon what you have gained from the experience and continue to make the world a better place. I know my world is a better place having gone through this experience with you all.

And so this brings to an end my blog for this amazing Arctic expedition. Thank you to all who read it. It’s tempting to end with a quote about the voyage having come to an end, but really it hasn’t. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing,” according to Helen Keller. So let the adventure… continue!

Day 17 - Ottawa to Winnipeg

2009-08-19T16:29:00.000-05:00

Days 15 and 16 Nannuk Harbour, Iqaluit and Ottawa

2009-08-13T12:05:00.001-05:00

First off, apologies for not sending a report for yesterday. I’ll recap it (and today) in a minute, but it was simply so packed with activities, there was no time. Where to start… ah yes, Nannuk Harbour. Our last landing of the adventure was a nice little spot on the south coast of Baffin Island. It was easy to feel a bit of a “been there, done that” attitude – same plants, same rocks, same landscape.

But luckily, there was none of that going on. First off, there were polar bears everywhere. Reports were at least eight of them including a cub were either walking or sleeping in the near vicinity. So, we did some group activities until our intrepid armed watchers gave us the all clear for a hike. Yes, I said hike. Because the Geoff Green Center for Weight Loss doesn’t stop just because it’s our last landing.

The hike was good, although the crisp wind meant the layers stayed on. Which meant some serious sweating was going on in my case. But that’s ok… I can’t wait to get home to a scale to see if this did any good for me.

We ended up at a geographical survey marker placed on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Hudson Strait. There we pretty much did one big huge group hug in one different form or another. It was a special moment for everyone and a lot of fun. There’s a lot I will miss about the Arctic tundra – the ever-changing terrain, the surprising palette of colours and the overall feeling that we are someplace special that needs to be taken care of by all of us.

The afternoon and evening was spent packing and celebrating our last evening on the ship. It was filled with activities like thank yous for the crew of the Orlova, games, awards, a talent show, slide show and a special appearance by the “rock” band Geoff and the G.G.’s. Ah, you had to be there. There was laughter and there were tears; and overall it was a truly special time that I will remember for the rest of my life.

This morning, we were up early (ugh) to disembark and head to Iqaluit, the modern and modest capital of Nunavut. It was weird to be back to civilization as my cell phone announced a text message for the first time in two weeks. Arriving on shore, it took some time to re-acclimate to paved roads, car alarms and debit cards (what’s my PIN?!)

Iqaluit was charming and we got a tour of the Legislative Assembly courtesy of Her Honour, Ann Hanson, the Commissioner of Nunavut. Madame Hanson was supposed to accompany us on the voyage, but we never made it to the port where she was to join us. But she quickly regaled us with stories and descriptions of her life. Then it was off to the visitor center, local museum and finally to a BBQ lunch.

And then it was time to say goodbye to some of our friends as we arrived at the airport. Many of our northern students and staff were flying out of Iqaluit, instead of going all the way back to Ottawa. It was a heavily emotional time for all, with hardly a dry eye around, and I imagine it will be a fraction of the emotions that will come out Thursday morning as we all separate for the final time.

Tonight is some informal time back at Carleton University in Ottawa before our flights, trains, busses and car rides home tomorrow. I hope to do one more entry for this blog before signing off, so stay tuned.

John Keats said, “Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, And many goodly states and kingdoms seen…” I have seen many goodly states and kingdoms over the past two weeks. Now all that’s left are the memories, and for one more night, the people I have shared them with. I’ve gotta a feeling, that tonight’s gonna be a good good night…

Day 12 - Off the coast of Monumental Island

2009-08-12T08:45:00.001-05:00

The name of the island we’ve been traveling past today says it all – it’s been one monumental day. After a beautiful night’s sleep anchored in the harbour of our temporarily-named Students On Ice Fjord, we set sail in the search of some more wildlife.

Since we weren’t expected to see much of anything all morning, it was workshop time for all students. As we settled into what was sure to be a dynamic session on Climate Change skepticism, the call came over the intercom – a bowhead whale had surfaced just a few feet off our bow. Out we raced, with the hopes of getting another close-up glance of these so-far elusive creatures.

Unfortunately, it was not to be, as the whale quickly disappeared. But our disappointment was short-lived as we spotted another of wildlife checklist that we had yet to see – walrus. Most were fairly skittish and slid off into the ice as we approached, but those lucky enough to have binoculars or zoom lenses caught some good glimpses. There were also reports of polar bears and seals in the area.

As we headed back in to complete the workshops, our session leader, Eric, announced that the remainder of the workshop was cancelled. It didn’t take us long to figure out why… Eric is also one of our zodiac drivers – we were off to play in the ice!

I’ve quickly come to the conclusion that this is one of my favorite activities on this expedition. Landings are great, and so are ship-board activities and community visits – but nothing gets me going as much as the chance to slalom through the sea ice. As excited as I was, I had no idea what was about to happen.

We were the second group out this time (we alternate each trip) and as the other group came back, we heard whispers of a polar bear eating a seal or walrus. Excitedly, we clambored aboard zodiacs to see if we could catch this rare event.

And catch it we did.

Our driver, Benoit, was the first to have spotted it in the early group. He headed straight back towards the site, with bergy bits flying past us mere inches away from our zodiac. And there it was. A beautiful three or four year old male munching away on what was left of a seal carcass. We rafted three boats together and silently moved in for a closer look. The bear looked our way a few times, his face blood red from having savoured his catch for quite a while, but otherwise seemed unaffected by our presence.

For almost 20 minutes, we basked in the glory of this graphic yet natural scene. Silence settled over us, save for the lapping of waves, the cool breeze… and the clicks of dozens of cameras snapping thousands of photographs. This was the Britney Spears of polar bears and he was working the camera like a contestant on Canada’s Next Top Model.

He pranced back and forth along the ice, carrying his prize like a trophy, and sniffing the air (probably searching for dessert!). There were gentle “awww”s from our boats as he sat to clean out his paws after his feast was done. As were quietly slipped away to let him finish his meal in peace, we silently thanked our bear for giving us one of the most unforgettable moments of our adventure.

It was simply amazing.

After that, we headed off to find some walruses, but no luck. Benoit made every attempt to get close, but ice and shy walrus kept us from getting close. Time flew, and before we knew it, we were late and far from the ship. But there was no worry with Benoit at the helm as he deftly guided us through the thick sea ice.

Unexpectedly, we came across a polar bear swimming in the ocean, and quickly realized it was our friend from earlier. Not wanting to unnecessarily spook him, we let him be, but instead went back to his dining spot to get some close-up looks at his leftovers, which were being picked at by gulls.

Once back onboard, we had one more moment of note – later in the afternoon, we came across dozens of walrus lounging on the sea ice, many not afraid of our ship. Finally, we had captured the elusive walrus!

Tomorrow we are off to Hantzch Island, which ironically was supposed to be our first stop on our expedition. Hopefully the weather will allow us to see these famous bird cliffs we have heard so much about.

Couldn’t really find a quote suitable for today, so I thought I’d through a random one in for fun…”Tip the world on its side, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles,” said Frank Lloyd Wright. I’d like to see what a loose polar bear would do on the streets of L.A….

Day 10 - Amongst the sea ice at Cape Mercy

2009-08-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

Waking up to the sound of loud crashes against the hull of your ship isn’t always the most pleasant thing. As it is, I’m in a forward port cabin, so the noises were especially evident. Turns out it was the sea ice that we’d been warned about, or “bergy bits” – comparatively small chunks of ice broken off from larger chunks that the ship was trying to be avoid. We were heading for some open water off the coast of Cape Mercy and as we got closer, the ice got thicker. As we piled out onto the bow, there were times where we had to brace ourselves as the ship’s bow plowed into gradually increasing bergy bits.

But we made it through, and before we knew it, we were loading into the zodiacs to go “play in the ice”. As we maneuvered carefully through the ice, some people commented on how we finally felt like we were truly in the Arctic. I guess I agree. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been well aware of where I’ve been for the past few days. But seeing the thick ice, feeling the cold wind chill – that’s how everyone imagines the Arctic.

And today, we truly became Students On Ice as our zodiacs slid up to a particularly flat ‘berg and we clamored out onto the floating ice. Sadly, within seconds of doing so, we were ordered back onto the zodiacs as word came that the narrow passes we had used to enter the ice pack were rapidly closing and we had to move fast, lest we become students permanently on ice. That meant no actual pictures of me exist standing on an iceberg, except what’s burned into my memory. Hopefully, we’ll get another chance before the adventure is over.

After the zodiac trips, we headed out into the Davis Strait to look for some polar bears along the expected thick sea ice that was supposed to be there. Unfortunately, the thick sea ice didn’t exist, but with the open waters, what did exist were the rolling swells and the return of the Horizontal Club. Since most of the evening was spent seasick, I doubt this journal entry will get out in time for the daily update. If so, I apologize.

Despite the ill feelings, I was able to conduct my first astronomy workshop in combination with Colin Jagoe, a high school teacher from Ontario who’s taught astronomy and physics. We had a pretty good turn out, although it was held in the same lounge where the Horizontal Club meets to suffer through seasickness in unity, so I’m not sure how many were there because they really wanted to. Either way, it was a successful workshop, and I think we’re doing one for tomorrow.

Sadly, no quote for today, as laying prone trying not to vomit doesn’t make me feel adventurous. Hopefully we’ll get back to near the coast so the spirit of exploration will return soon…

Day 9 - Kingnait Fjord

2009-08-07T09:03:00.001-05:00

I have a feeling this might be a short entry. Not because we didn’t see or do anything of note today, but because I’m soooo tired, I’m falling asleep as I type this. Where to begin… ah, yes, the exhaustion. Everyone was feeling it – breakfast looked like a room filled with sleepy zombies as we staggered around muttering “good morning” to one another with as much zeal as we could muster. Attempts were made at entertainment – workshops, pod team meetings, a lecture on Arctic mammals. But through them all were various bobbing heads, drooping eyes and slumped postures.

Once again, weather has changed our plans as high winds sent us on to our second destination of the day first – Kingnait Fjord. As mentioned, this was a first for Students On Ice, and in fact was uncharted until our ship swooped on in with its depth equipment blaring. And upon entering the mouth of the fjord – success. A quick announcement from expedition leader Geoff Green sent previously sleepy students (and staff) dashing to the decks to peer over the bow. Whales. Bowhead whales to be exact.

And not just one or two. A few dozen of these majestic beasts put on a show for us over the course of the late morning and early afternoon. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed checking out the plants, birds and insects (except the mosquitoes) that have dotted the landscape at our various destinations. But to see these bowhead whales rising to the surface, blowing plumes of water and air and lifting their mighty flukes out of the water was simply breathtaking. It took everything to pull me away.

From there we headed deeper into the fjord. Kingnait Harbour was the site of a scientific station for the first International Polar Year back in I believe 1882. Since then, it has been relatively untouched by humans, except for a sparse set of hunting shacks along the beach. It was announced we would make a landing and to my dreaded ears came the word “hike”.

Having not fully recovered from yesterday’s strain to my personal limit of exhaustion, I did not look well upon the thought of doing another, albeit shorter one, today. But I valiantly threw on the layers and headed out into the zodiac for another run. We landed on a beach with the weirdest set of boulders I had ever seen. It’s like they were fitted together and then smoothed out over time. Turns out, that’s not so far of the scientific truth.

And off we went on another hike. For me, it was another grueling, muscle-straining walk, where I was shedding layers faster than an Arctic hare. Didn’t really know where I was going, but I heard it before I saw it – one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. Of course, by the time I got there, most of the other students had arrived, and they had all decided to go off on their own for some personal reflection time. Some wrote in journals, others sketched. Many went off on their own to have a nap or just stare and contemplate this wondrous place we had lucked upon.

I decided to join them, so to speak, and found myself a place along the edge of the rapids where it dropped off meters away into the frothy waters. And there I sat. It was the first time I had had time to really think on this adventure. And I realized it had been a week since I had worried about work or stressed over whether I could pay my bills.

To some it might seem very lonely to sit there by one’s self for a long period of time. Yet as alone as I was, I wasn’t by myself. All around me were dozens of students and fellow staff that in one week’s time have become close friends and family. We were individually apart, but bonded together by this common experience.

At the same time, my thoughts turned to home. My adventure is now half over and in a week’s time I’ll be saying goodbye to these new friends and returning back home. To my job, my pets, my friends and my family that I truly love but often never take the time to really appreciate them. But I do and I hope they know that. Most especially my Julie, who I hope is reading this and knows how much I miss her and love her.

And now we’re off sailing down through Cumberland Sound heading for who knows what. Even Geoff doesn’t really know. He’s promised us some ice and polar bears. It will be tough to beat out today’s whales, but if anything can, it will be polar bears. “Admiral, there be whales here!” said and excited Montgomery Scott in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. There be whales here, too, Scotty. And who knows what else. Can’t wait to find out…

Day 8 - Auyuittuq National Park

2009-08-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

What a physically exhausting day! As mentioned previously, today our Students On Ice team was split up into those who were going on a 25 km long hike to the Arctic Circle through Auyuittuq National Park while the other half were left to take a shorter hike from the entrance of the park.

I had originally felt very guilty about not asking to go on the longer hike – I had promised myself that I wouldn’t skip out on anything offered on this trip no matter the effort. But two things swayed my decision. One was knowing my limitations. I don’t even know if I can walk 25 km on flat prairie pavement, let alone the same distance on uneven, rapidly changing terrain. The second was remembering that this trip is for the students, not me. And a lot of students wanted to go. So off they went, with the minimum number of able-bodied adults to help them.

And that left me with the “short” hike. Which I was thinking would be a couple of kilometers along a beautifully groomed trail through gorgeous scenery. Well, the last part was right. First of all, it was 10k. And the “trail” was at best a 6-inch wide trampled path through rocks and boulders, spongy moss, sand and water. It was simply the most physically exhausting hike I’ve ever been on. It’s probably the only hike I’ve been on.

We walked all the way to a waterfall in the shadow of the glaciers just south of the Arctic Circle. It was absolutely breathtaking. And by the time I stumbled back into the zodiac, I was soaking wet, covered in dirt and every part of me ached. But I had done it. It wasn’t the Arctic Circle, but it was a success for me.

Of course, then all the long hikers came back and raved about how amazing their excursion was…

Describing my hike wouldn’t be complete without thanking one of the students – John “Jack” Krantz, one of our American students from upstate New York. Jack is one of the nicest guys you could meet and could easily have done the long hike, if he had chosen to do so. But Jack chose to not go, simply because he has already done something similar – he’s one of our bi-polar students, having already gone to Antarctica with Students On Ice. And I’m thankful he came along on the short hike.

As we were climbing up the boulders along the ravine by the waterfall, Jack took the time to make sure I made it without injury. He recommended safe paths, helped me out in rough spots and generally kept me motivated most of the time. Jack is one of the older students and one of the few to actually pay for the excursion on his own, rather than through scholarships or sponsors. Not to belittle the accomplishment of those who did achieve this experience through those methods, but Jack worked three jobs for a year and a half to pay for half the trip. Once he did, his parents chipped in the rest. And considering the costs, that’s an amazing accomplishment from an impressive young man.

Tomorrow, we’re cruising back through Cumberland Sound towards two spots where we are expected to see some whales up close for the first time – first some belugas and then some bowheads in Kingait Fjord. Both are new destinations for Students On Ice, the thick sea ice forcing us to improvise our plans. In fact, the second destination is so uncharted, we’ll need to be led by a zodiac with a depth finder to make sure we make it in safely. “It is not down in any map; true places never are,” said Herman Melville. We are truly going where there is no map…

Day 7 Kekerten Island and Pangnirtung

2009-08-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

I still can’t help but feel a little disappointed about the effect the thick ice is having on our travel plans. Today we recorded a video for the folks up in Clyde River. Since it’s highly doubtful that we can make it up there due to the ice, we did a video message congratulating them on the success of declaring nearby Isabella Bay (one of our planned destinations) a protected natural site. Although it was fun to record, there was a ripple of sadness that we probably won’t make it there to see it in person.

Despite the disappointment, we carried on with our current plans to travel into Cumberland Sound towards Pangnirtung. Along the way, we stopped at an historic whaling station known as Kekerten Island. This was our first landing on our expedition and it was a great start. Upon exiting the zodiacs, you are immediately greeted with a vast panorama of life including tiny little plants and grasses, birds swooping overhead and (apparently) the threat of a polar bear. I say apparently because we saw neither hide nor hair of it the entire time. And even if we did, we had a crew of watchers with guns all around us to deter said bear from coming anywhere near us. Still it provided an element of danger that made the landing even more exciting.

On the island, we were treated to an in-depth history of whaling in the area. All throughout the area we were exploring, there were remnants of this part of history, including a bowhead whale skull and various bits of whaling equipment. But perhaps the most somber of all the remnants were two Inuit graves we came across. Because of the permanently frozen ground, these graves were above ground and had weathered away so much, the bones were visible through the rotting wood. It was a moving sight, with the wind whistling over the hills.

Another highlight of Kekerten was the grassy vegetation. Walking on it is like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life. Despite being thick with grasses and plants, the entire ground was spongy, to the point my feet were sinking INTO the vegetation. And it saps the energy out of each step, meaning you are doing twice the work to traverse this rough terrain. It was definitely an experience to remember.

After Kekerten, we headed to the town of Pangnirtung. This community is home to two of our students, Danny and Jesse, and they promised us a warm welcome. We weren’t let down. We were greeted by some Students On Ice alumni, who toured us through various tourist spots. While they were all very nice, my favorite part was when I noticed an airplane about to take off from the airstrip, which quite frankly looks like a ramp. One of the other students, Allen, who was familiar with Pang, offered to get us front row seats and before long a few students and I were off through the streets of Pang to the fence along the airstrip where we treated to a close-up view of the take-off.

Back we went to the community center where the students got their first taste of how climate change has affected this friendly community. Two elders talked in length about the changes they have seen in their time, and answered questions from our group. Pang itself has felt the effect greatly as last year it was inundated with a flood that took out a bridge. What flooded them out? The permafrost that had dictated the way of life for these people for as long as they can remember had melted. It was a sober reminder of why we were on this expedition.

After some traditional Inuit games, throat singing and square dancing, it was back to the ship for dinner and a briefing of tomorrow’s activities. We are heading up a fiord to Auyuittuq National Park, where half the staff and students are participating in a 25km hike to the Arctic Circle. Sadly, I don’t think I can do that, despite all my desire to do so. Maybe next time…

In the meantime, I will be participating in some shorter hikes and activities near the coast. All of this is still part of the planned itinerary, but soon it will come time to decide where to go if the ice prevents us from going north. Our illustrious leader, Geoff Green, assures us there’s plenty to see so I’m going to sleep soundly knowing that. “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey,” said Babs Hoffman. And no matter where we go, I know I will enjoy this journey…

Day 6 - Traveling to Cumberland Sound

2009-08-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

The sea ice has affected our travel plans greatly. The plan for today was to sweep into Cumberland Sound and the community of Pangnirtung. But the dense ice has forced us to move a bit east past Frobisher Bay and try to find a thin passage between the ice into Pang. With luck, that will be tomorrow.

In the meantime, our education continues into what’s being called Polar Fundamentals. Already we’ve learned about oceanography, Arctic birds and this morning we learned about Arctic plants with Dr. Julian Starr of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. These sessions give everyone an overview of what to expect as we make landing in some of the remote locations and communities.

My seasickness has diminished for the most part. I still feel the occasional twinge, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. I’m not sure if that’s a result of the calmer seas, or if my body is getting acclimated to the yaw and pitch of the ship. Either way, I’m grateful.

Today was also the first day of our Pod teams. These are groups of 7 or 8 students with 2 or 3 staff with the intention of creating more intimate group discussion, activities and interaction. I’ve got a great group of 7 students including Tara, Laurissa, Bryan, Eden, Bilaal, Collin and Chelsea. Already we’ve chosen our name – the Arctic Amuqaqs (Wolves). I anticipate lots of fun with this group.

Although this was an unanticipated day at sea, it was not without its wonders. We saw our first iceberg close up today, and for the very first time since arriving, we saw the Sun. It caused a lot of excitement, bringing almost everyone out on deck for some midday warmth. And even though a fog rolled in during the afternoon, it managed to clear in time to give us a beautiful sunset, a gorgeous orange moon and even Jupiter. Got a chance to do some astronomy.

As mentioned, the plan for tomorrow is to slip into Cumberland Sound. With a bit of a luck, we’ll check out Kekerten Island, an historic whaling station, before our much-anticipated visit to Pangnirtung. But after that, the news seems disappointing. The ice is so thick along the eastern Baffin coast that it is unlikely we will make it farther north to Clyde River and Isabella Bay. As unfortunate as that seems, I’m reminded of a quote by Henry Miller: “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things.” I wonder how I will look at our next destination, wherever that should be…

Day 3 - Ottawa to Kuujjuaq and the Ungava Bay

2009-08-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Lyubov Orlova, our Students On Ice Polar Ambassador ship!! We are underway across Ungava Bay north of the province of Quebec, headed for our first Arctic destination. The Orlova is our lab, classroom, dining room, social gathering place and home for the next two weeks… but more on that later.

The day started out with an early wake-up call and a trip to the airport to board our charter to the town of Kuujjuaq, Quebec. It was a balmy 10 degrees Celsius and raining when we arrived, but the reception couldn’t have been warmer. We were treated as VIPs by the townspeople, including tours by members of the youth council, a speech from the mayor and a great BBQ lunch.

The tour was a real eye-opener for the non-Inuit students in our group. Conditions here, while far from primitive, were certainly different from what they are used to. One student commented that under any other circumstances they would consider the community to be somewhat dirty, but the warm reception makes everything look “home”-ier.

For many of our Inuit students, this was their hometown and they took the time to show us things. Most alarming to me was the price of gas. While I expected it to be higher, I didn’t expect it to be as high as you see in the picture. I was told that all gas is brought to the community by barge once a year, and the price is set based on that arrival. The last delivery was during the large increases in gas prices, and for the folks of Kuujjuaq, it hasn’t gone down since. Just to give you an idea of other costs – a 4 litre jug of milk is $8, and a return flight to Montreal costs $2400!

By mid-afternoon, we were off to the docks for our zodiac trip out to the ship. For most students, this was their first trip in a zodiac, although many took to it like fish in water. In the second picture you see Susan Nanthasit, Bryan Kimiksana and Allen Jr. Pigalak. (Forgive the bad quality of the photo, it’s not easy taking a picture while in a bouncing zodiac with one hand clenching a rope line.) Susan is my fellow Manitoban on the trip and a talented, well-spoken young woman who plans on proposing a plan for an outdoor classroom at her high school upon completion of the trip.

We arrived on the Orlova minutes later, and before long we were exploring our new home. First task was to get things moving, and to commemorate the occasion, about half the students posed for a photo on the top deck. It’s amazing how quickly these young adults have bonded with one another, and I’ve surprised myself with how quickly I’ve grown attached to them. They are a unique and engaging group of future leaders, scientists and human beings, and I’m privileged to get to work with them.

I read a quote once that said, “I travel a lot. I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” Saturday we are off to Hantzch Island and a zodiac cruise by its famous bird nesting cliffs. Doesn’t sound routine to me…

Day 2 - Ottawa

2009-07-31T06:53:00.004-05:00

I knew that there were some perks to being a part of this great adventure (umm, hello? Going to the Arctic?) but there was no way to predict this one. One of the fantastic Students On Ice staff members is a gentleman by the name of Peter Adams. Peter has lots of credentials and experience behind him with regards to the Arctic, but today there was one credential that got us something that few others get to do. Y’see, Peter is a former Member of Parliament for the federal Peterborough riding in Ontario.

So what did that get us? Well, only on to the floor of the House of Commons. Thousands of people get to SEE the House chamber from behind barred windows as part of the regular tour, but we got to go IN to the chamber. Not only that, but a few of us sat down. In the MP’s chairs. Including the Prime Minister’s. That’s right, the big cheese himself – Stephen Harper. And I encouraged the students to do the same. Took some pictures of them too, including one that should be next to this entry. Meet (clockwise from bottom left) Lauren Sutherland, Travis Payne, Jack Krantz and sitting in the PMs chair himself, Taylor Verrall. Learn their names, they may very well be sitting in those chairs in a few years as actual Members of Parliament. (Well, except Jack – he’s American!) Taylor is especially politically active. At 15, he is already involved with the Green Party of Canada. And is one heck of a good debater and conversationalist.

Friday is the big day. We fly to Kuujjuaq (pronounced Koo-joo-ack) where we tour the community and board the boat on our Arctic adventure! Confucius once said “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Tomorrow, we take that step…

Day 1 - Ottawa

2009-07-30T08:55:00.001-05:00

The second day of my Students on Ice Arctic expedition was mostly spent greeting the various students arriving for this great adventure. I got to meet lots of great young adults from Pond Inlet to Victoria to St. John’s, from Rhode Island to New York, and even Monaco! And I discovered something quite quickly… no matter where they are from, when they have something in common, teenagers can talk. And talk. Aaaaand talk. But they are all a dynamic and entertaining group and I was thrilled to be one of the first people they met on their journey.

It was suggested I write more stories in my blog, so here goes. Waiting at the airport with me was one of my fellow Expedition staff members, Scobie Pye. Scobie is quite the character, hailing from Hobart, Tasmania (giving him the nickname of our Tasmanian Devil). He’s also a wealth of information as you can probably guess from his bio on the Students On Ice website.

Scobie makes is a tradition to greet students at the airport each expedition. In between waiting for delayed flights, lost luggage and urgent trips to “the loo” by jet-lagged travelers, Scobie inundated me with stories of the North, including visits to northern Russian mining towns. He could write a book… if he hasn’t already.

Thursday we are off to a behind the scenes tour of the Canadian Museum of Nature, a trip to the Parliament Buildings (I’ll be sure to say hello to Stephen Harper). I’ll end off with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” We are definitely going where there is no path…

Day 0 - Ottawa

2009-07-29T08:20:00.002-05:00

Welcome to day 0 of my Arctic adventure! Today was technically a staff orientation day, so there really isn’t too much to report. Lots of meetings, information and a trip to a Mexicali Rosa’s for dinner took up most of the day. But already there are 15 students in residence, mostly from Nunavut. Already conducted our first bed-check, although the students are so exhausted, most were already asleep. Tomorrow, the rest of the students arrive and I hope to be involved in meeting them all! Amelia Earhart once said “Adventure is worthwhile”. I can’t think of a better way to end my first entry on the road. Let the adventure… begin!

Off to the Arctic!

2009-07-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

I'm off to the Arctic to be a Polar Educator, working with 70 students age 14-19 and a few dozen scientists and other educators, as part of the Students On Ice program. It's a great program that gives these students an opportunity to experience for themselves the effects of climate change on the polar regions of Earth.

Read all about Students On Ice and check out the specific page for the expedition I'm going on. The itinerary is here: http://www.studentsonice.com/arctic2009 and includes a map of where we are going. I'm hoping to blog as much as I can with photos. The blog and images should also be on The Manitoba Museum's website.

A big thanks to Students On Ice and the Association of Natural History Museums of Canada for choosing me to go on this exciting adventure. Also, many thanks to The Manitoba Museum for giving me the chance to take this incredible opportunity and supporting me as I prepare for it. Special thanks to Sean, Cortney and Ray for covering for me while I'm gone.

Let the adventure begin!