Operation Spring Fix 16 – Part 2

This post may contain descriptions and pictures that some may find graphic.

            

360 degree camp shot.

The valley behind Ijuyuarjuk.

All that was left of the baby seal.

Everyone slowly woke up and emerged from their tents on the morning of May 28.  There were barely any clouds in the sky, a good sign that today would be a good day.  The Coleman stoves were fired up and American-made, Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MREs) were prepared by cadets.  Ranger Samson also slow cooked the left over baby seal we didn’t eat last night.  I have to admit that the seal tasted very good.

            

Small arctic char.

I was surprised that we had consumed the entire seal in one night.  I thought it would last a little longer.  All that was left were the intestines, organs, and some fat.  These leftovers would most likely be consumed by birds. 

            

A "polar bear" eating one of the chars
that was caught.

We waited for the food to settle in our bodies.  Some cadets went jigging out in the lake.  Ranger Samson drilled several holes for the cadets using his ice auger.  Only two small fish were caught.

           

The cadets went seal hunting for the rest of the morning.  I stayed behind to guard the camp against any aggressive wildlife.  I was given a .303 rifle for self-defense.  Everyone left on two skidoos and qamutiks (sleds).  They came back at lunch time, but with no seals in tow.  We were all disappointed.  We were hoping to catch some so that we wouldn’t have to eat the MREs.  We had MREs for lunch.  They were good, but not great. 

            

Campsite in the middle of the Ijuyuarjuk Lake.

Several cadets wanted to explore the Nauyat Cliff so I and Ranger Napassi went along as adult supervision.  She brought her .303 for polar bear protection.  We packed granola bars, juice boxes, and toilet paper.  The first part of the hike was getting to the base of a hill.  We thought the hill was close but we quickly found out that it was much further away.  Judging distance in the north is difficult because there is so much open space.  We finally reached the base of the hill and began to climb up.  There were some slippery parts but I used my machete as a makeshift ice pick.  When we finally got to the top, we stopped to catch our breaths.  I took out my camera and took pictures of the campsite and surrounding mountains.

            

Open water.

Cadets building an inukshuk.

Tall, completed inukshuk.

We hiked up a higher hill where we could see open water to the south.  We took a quick break before continuing our hike.  Several of the cadets found a nice spot to build an inukshuk.  They build a tall, skinny one, balancing rocks on top of another.  I took several pictures of the building process, and of them posing next to it.  “Now the people will know that we were here,” I commented, referencing a phrase from a Heritage Minutes commercial.  Everyone laughed.

            

We walked closer to the valley.  The cadets scrambled up a tall pile of rocks to get a view of the valley below.  Behind the pile was an even bigger pile of rocks.  My camera was passed around and many photos were taken of us, going from one rock to another.  No one was injured.  By this time, the sun was shining brightly above us.  I was very warm and sweating underneath my Canada Goose parka.

            

Our original destination was the summit of a tall mountain on the right side of the valley but we soon discovered that it would take too long to get there.  We came upon a large opening between two tall hills that was covered with snow.  The idea of sliding immediately came to mind.  We slid down both hills.  I climbed a little higher and slid quite a distance.  The experience would have been more exciting & intense if I had skis.  I rejoined the group waiting at the bottom and we walked back to the camp site. 

            

The evening bonfire was held in Levasseur Inlet an hour or two after dinner.  The firewood, a collection of discarded & cut up sealift crates, had been transported to the inlet on Thursday.  We drove up to the inlet, crossing two large cracks in the sea ice.  The cracks weren’t there when I was travelling to Ikpiki with JF.  It took us about an hour to get to where the firewood was located.  I thought the pile was in the area I explored last year, but it was actually on the southern tip.  The landscape in this area reminded me of Mars because all the rocks were red & brown. 

Building the bonfire.

The cadets built a small teepee using the firewood and got it started by lighting several Firestarter sticks I bought at the Co-op.  The fire grew steadily over the next several minutes.  The marshmallows were brought out later.  We had planned to have hot dogs but we forgot them in Arctic Bay.  The cadets posed for a group photo at the end of the bonfire.  The fire was extinguished using snow.

            

Funny group photo.

I took a break from driving and sat in a qamutik on the way back to the campsite.  When we were crossing one of the ice cracks, the driver of my skidoo pulled the qamutik a little too quickly to the right, causing me to roll off it.  I was holding on but I guess my grip wasn’t strong enough.  I landed on the snow, quickly stood up, and jumped back on.  I wasn’t injured.  I had a feeling this event would be talked about for the next several days.

            

Sunday, May 29, was all about tearing down the camp and heading home.  Once again, breakfast consisted of MREs.  The commanding officer of 3045, Lt. May, arrived at the camp on his skidoo, bearing gifts.  He brought the hot dogs we were supposed to eat at the bonfire.  They would be served at lunch time.  It took most of the morning to tear down all the tents and collect most of the garbage.  We packed everything into the qamutiks after lunch.

            

Debriefing.

Lt. May led the convoy of skidoos & qamutiks to Arctic Bay.  I drove my skidoo and pulled a fully loaded qamutik.  I got better at crossing the ice cracks and my machine didn’t struggle.  We stopped several times to refuel, to stretch our legs, and to take quick bathroom breaks.  We saw plenty of seals along the way, but we didn’t catch any.  I think Ranger Samson tried, but I don’t know if he was successful.  It took us a little over four hours to reach Arctic Bay.  Lt. May held a quick debriefing at the Cliffs near Arctic Bay, congratulating everyone for having a fun time and for coming back alive.  He also gave the cadets instructions on what to do when we arrived in town.

            

The convoy stopped in front of the Northern Store.  We spent the next 30 minutes unloading everything and placing them in two pickup trucks.  Personal kit was placed in one truck while equipment & supplies belonging to the corps went in the other truck.  The cadets were driven home with their personal kit.  JF, CI Reid, and I were driven home last.  I left my skidoo out on the ice.  I had made arrangements to have it placed in storage for the summer. 

            

Overall, the camping trip was a success.  This was my last land trip before the summer break.  JF said that he also had a fun time and would visit the area in the near future. 

End of Operation Spring Fix 16 mini-series.