To The End Of Strathcona Sound, Again – Part 2

The weather started to change at 2:30pm.  Dark grey clouds appeared to the south and the wind blew stronger towards the north.  The wind felt like an omen telling me to head back.  I gathered my things and walked down to the skidoo.  The wind blew stronger as I was putting my helmet on.  It felt like someone was pushing me to get moving.  “Okay! Okay! I’m going! I’m going!” I said out loud.  I warmed the skidoo, turned it around, and drove back the way I came.  Driving with the wind is easier than against it.  I kept my goggles off.

The wind above the mountains must have been really strong because thousands of particles of sand & dirt blanketed the southern end of Strathcona Sound.  The clouds also looked menacing.  A blizzard must be moving across the land.  I sped up and followed my previous skidoo tracks.  The further I drove, the more clouds I saw slowly moving & descending over the mountains to my left.  A blizzard was definitely on the move.  The wind pushed me off my previous tracks and to the centre of the sound.  If I got caught in the blizzard, I would have to wear my goggles and hope they didn’t fog up.

The NNF was completely enveloped by low clouds as I drove by.  I could barely see the installation.  I kept driving, hoping to outrun the oncoming blizzard.

I successfully avoided the Strathcona Sound blizzard and got close to Graveyard Point.  I stopped, stretched my legs, and photographed the crowns of nearby mountains.  I turned into Victor Bay, thinking the rest of the way was clear.  I was wrong.

A large blizzard was present in the entire bay.  I could see less than 100 metres ahead of me.  “Oh, come on!” I yelled out loud.  I drove cautiously and found a skidoo trail heading south.  The wind became too much and I was forced to put on my goggles.  Surprisingly, they didn’t fog up while I drove.  “Oh, now you decide to work properly!? Thanks a lot!”

I lost the trail.  Either I drove off it without noticing or the blizzard blew it away.  I stopped and assessed my situation.  I could wait out the blizzard, keep driving south, or find another way.  I was dressed for extreme cold & had enough supplies for a day.  Continuing south seemed like the worst idea because I would have to drive through the heart of the blizzard.  I looked to the right and realized there was a “trail” on the other side of the bay: the ice road.  I turned west and drove slowly.

My progress across the bay was slow because all I could see was white.  Even with my eyes seeing clearly through the goggles, I couldn’t determine if the snow ahead of me was flat and/or bumpy.  I couldn’t drive fast unless I wanted to risk tipping over a large snow drift.  I was driving blind.  I found myself leaning to the left to get a closer look at the snow.  The wind howled but my helmet, and Canada Goose & Baffin outer clothing protected me from the elements.  Truth be told, I was concerned, but not scared.  If I had to stop, I could use the skidoo as a wall & hide behind it.  I also had a SPOT device in case I had to send out a distress call.  This blizzard wasn’t going to beat me.

After a time that felt really long, I finally reached the other side of Victor Bay and saw the snow banks of the plowed ice road.  I stepped off my skidoo and found a spot where I could drive onto the road.  (The visibility range was long enough for me to step off my machine without the fear of losing sight of it in the blizzard).

From here, the Victor Bay blizzard wasn’t much of a concern.  The way had been plowed for me.  I followed the road to the very end.  I drove off the ice, passed the cabins by the shore, and followed a skidoo trail to Arctic Bay.  Visibility increased substantially and there was much less wind.

There was snow falling in the community as I descended the last hill on my skidoo.  I pulled up to my place and turned off the engine.  I walked inside my residence and breathed a huge sigh of relief.  I had made it.  I spent the next 90 minutes putting everything back the way it was.

Overall, my day trip was fun, but challenging at the end.  I revisited an area previously explored, but had to fight through a blizzard to get home.  Maybe I should have postponed the trip, but then I wouldn’t have this story to tell.  I’ll admit I don’t have any pictures of the blizzard, and even if I did take any, they would be all white, like printing paper.  Next time I’ll pay more attention to the weather forecast . . . and buy a better pair of goggles!

                                                                End of TTEOSSA Mini-Series.