The Pocket: Back To The Hidden Valley

I began the month of May by returning to the hidden valley I explored in 2017. It’s not officially called that on any maps I’ve seen; it’s just a name I gave the area because I suddenly noticed it when I was driving to the end of Strathcona Sound. The valley gets narrower further inland and then stops at an enclosed rock face. A small part of this rock face acts as a waterfall during the summer & fall. The waterfall freezes during the winter & spring months.

Getting to the end of this valley required me to drive just over 71km. A full tank of gas and two 5-gallon red cans would be more than enough for the round trip. My backpack was full of snacks, batteries, extra ammunition, toilet paper, first aid kit, and GoPro & Nikon cameras. I was armed with a machete and 12-gauge shot gun. The essentials, such as, GPS, SPOT, and extra spark plugs, were attached or inside my Canada Goose jacket.

There were many clouds in the sky on the morning of May 1. However, they weren’t foreboding like the ones I had to deal with in April. There were also many strips of exposed blue sky, letting in sunlight. I gathered up everything and started the skidoo. Just like my previous trip in April, I notified two coworkers of where I was going and left a map of my planned travel route on the coffee table.

Victor Bay.

Strathcona Sound.

I followed the same route I took last month. I stopped the skidoo when I drove onto the ice in Victor Bay to take a picture of the sky. I continued driving diagonally across the bay, following an established skidoo trail. Thankfully, my goggles did not fog up. I reached Graveyard Point with ease and continued into Strathcona Sound. The ice in the distance appeared flat, but I knew there would be bumps along the way.

I drove at a moderate speed, making my own trail, and enjoying the scenery. Seeing the vast open landscape is always fascinating. Even though it was May, I still wore my heavy winter clothing. Better to be overdressed than underdressed. I successfully made it to Nanisivik after 25 minutes. The dock looked exactly the same since my last visit. I stopped, stretched my legs, and took a few photographs. It will be interesting to see this refueling station in operation.

Nanisivik Naval Facility.

Dark clouds hovered above the land beyond Nanisivik. The weather forecast didn’t call for any blizzards, but anything can happen up here. Thankfully, the clouds didn’t stretch infinitely and I could see bright skies in the far distance. With any luck, the dark clouds would be gone by the time I arrived at the hidden valley entrance. I pressed onward.

Strathcona Sound.

Luck was with me today because the dark clouds were moving north, away from where I was going. This was possible due to strong winds blowing north. A strong gust happened to hit me while I was driving and for a split second, I thought my skidoo was going to flip over. I guess there “ain’t no mountain high enough” to stop wind.

Hidden Valley Entrance.

I crossed several small cracks in the ice and then arrived at the entrance to the hidden valley. I drove in the centre and found a spot to drive onto land. I followed long patches of snow so that my skis & track would not get damaged by rocks. The amount of snow on the ground dwindled the further I drove. About halfway into the valley, there was more exposed ground & large rocks. I stopped in front of a large precipice to assess my situation. The land ahead of me was flat with smaller patches of snow, but they were much further apart. And the thought of having to turn the skidoo around on exposed ground didn’t appeal to me. I decided I would walk the remaining 2.5km. But before that, I would take a closer look at the precipice.

Precipice.

I switched off the skidoo engine and refueled the tank. I removed my helmet and put on a toque. There were no birds or other animals in the area. I ate a few snacks and prepared to hike into the precipice. (I only photographed this natural feature in 2017). Armed with my shot gun & wearing a GoPro camera on my head, I filmed my 10-minute hike. I was tired at the end, but amazed at the sheer size & height of the precipice. There was a very large ice & snow formation at the bottom in the centre. Snow & water appeared to have fallen from a large opening at the top and then froze in a large pile. I took more photographs, laid down in the snow, and looked up at the clouds in the sky. I was alone with my thoughts.

View from within the precipice.

Several minutes passed before I stood back up. I filmed two short videos of me firing five slugs from inside the precipice. I made sure no one was around and wore earplugs. The echoes were loud & clear. The slugs now rest somewhere on top of a nearby hill. I put the casings in my backpack for later disposal.

Walking towards the frozen waterfall.

I left the skidoo behind and walked the remaining distance to the enclosed frozen waterfall. I stopped several times to look around, making sure I wasn’t being followed by a polar bear, and to remind myself that yes, I really was out here in the wilderness, all by myself. The feeling of being very far away from another human being is surreal. True, I was only about 52km from Arctic Bay, but the distance & isolation are amplified when it’s in the Arctic. I think you would get the same feeling in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

The enclosed rock face remained unchanged since 2017. I doubted the solid rock formations had changed in four years. Even the ice formation of the frozen waterfall looked the same, but I bet there were some minute differences. I took several photographs & selfies and then sat down on a large rock. “I’m back!” I said out loud. My voice echoed for several seconds.

I used my GoPro camera again to film a video of me firing two slugs in the air. The echoes weren’t too loud. I picked up the discarded casings for later disposal. I stayed at the enclosure for about 20 minutes, regaining my strength.

The time had come to return to the skidoo and head home. I gathered my belongings and walked back to the machine. Thankfully, it was still in the same place where I left it. I fired up the engine, turned the machine around and drove towards Strathcona Sound. I followed my previous tracks. I increased my speed when I entered the sound.

Walking back to the skidoo.

Back to Strathcona Sound.

I spotted two black dots in the distance. At first, I thought they were two seals sunbathing, but then I realized they were moving too fast to be seals. They were hunters on skidoos looking for seals. One of them was pulling a qamutik. I drove towards them to exchange greetings. I don’t think it’s a written rule, but out of all the times I’ve been out on the land, when you see someone coming your way, you normally exchange greetings. You don’t have to stop; you can just smile and/or wave.

Two of the hunters were on one skidoo and were students. They stopped to see who was approaching them. I think they quickly guessed who I was because I think I’m the only person in town who wears a skidoo helmet while out on the land. I stopped, removed my helmet, and greeted the students. The third hunter pulling the qamutik happened to be Moses, Arctic Bay’s current mayor. The students asked if I was hunting seals. I replied that I was just exploring a part of their land, and pointed in the direction of the hidden valley. I briefly explained what I saw because they hadn’t been there before. I asked them if they had caught any seals, to which they replied, “Not yet.” I wished them the best and continued driving to Arctic Bay.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. There were plenty of clouds in the sky, but no blizzards. I arrived home just after 6pm.

Overall, the trip was a success. I revisited an area I previously explored. Now I have to find the time to make & upload the GoPro videos to my YouTube channel for you to enjoy.

On an entirely separate note, since I’m publishing this post on May 4, Happy Star Wars Day!