A Quick Trip To Strathcona Sound

I decided to go out on the land for the day on May 18.  I didn’t want to stay home for the entire Victoria Day weekend.  The community’s annual Fishing Derby was happening but I’m not a fisherman in the traditional sense.  I do all my fishing at the grocery store.  The fish there are very considerate, arriving cut up and prepackaged. 

I spent an hour assembling my day supplies and got dressed in warm clothing.  The weather may be warmer, but that’s no reason to head out underdressed.  The Arctic weather can turn at a moment’s notice.  I did my last-minute checks as my skidoo warmed up.  Satisfied I had everything packed, I hopped on my snow machine and drove north towards Victor Bay.

I followed the Road to Victor Bay, passed a few cabins, and then onto the ice of Victor Bay.  There were clouds but also large patches of open blue sky.  I deployed my snow machine’s ice scratchers and then continued driving to Graveyard Point.  Ice scratchers are an accessory that kick up snow dust onto a snowmobile’s heat exchanger & suspension, lowering the risk of overheating.  I had also removed the right-side panel to expose the muffler to the cold. 

I continued along an established trail that cut across Victor Bay diagonally.  Snowdrifts cut across several parts of the trail, forcing me to slow down, and drive over natural speedbumps.  I arrived at Graveyard Point after 15 minutes.  I turned right and entered Strathcona Sound.  The snow around here is full of snowdrifts because of the currents coming from Admiralty Inlet.  I did my best to navigate around them.  Eventually, the snow smoothed out, enabling me to drive faster.  I stopped and decided to refuel my skidoo early, noticing the level of fuel lower than expected.  I poured the gasoline in dead silence and scanned the horizon for any curious polar bears.  The skidoo’s gas tank was full to the brim, but my spare gas can was empty.  I now had to pay closer attention.

The non-operational Nanisivik Naval Facility came into view and slowly got larger with every passing minute.  I stopped in front of the main dock and took a photo.  I looked beyond, to the east, deeper into Strathcona Sound.  I’ve been down that way a few times already and it’s become a favourite area to explore.  I pressed onwards, eventually reaching a speed of 85km/h when the ice became smooth. 

My destination was the frozen waterfall at the end of the hidden valley I explored in 2017 & 2021.  I wanted to see if anything changed in the last 4 years.  The hidden valley came into view and I turned left.  I drove off the ice and onto solid ground.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much snow.  I hopped from one snow patch to another, trying to find a good path deeper into the valley.  The further I drove, the less snow there was.  I also noticed the engine temperature was rising.  I stopped in front of a slope leading up to a ledge I previously explored and turned off the engine.  I decided to hike up the slope and get a good look at the land ahead.  Having a better view would help me determine if I could continue driving.

I could see snow in the many streams snaking their way deeper into the valley.  I theorized I could follow one of them and get closer to the end.  However, previous experience has taught me that seeing snow on the ground does not mean it’s deep.  And then my mind reminded me about my empty gas can.  I could always walk the rest of the way, but that would be 6km in one direction, and I’d have to bring my supplies.  I sighed and sat on a large flat rock.  The frozen waterfall was out of reach this time.

I enjoyed the scenery and near dead silence.  (There was a little wind).  I ate a few snacks and then walked down to my skidoo.  I started the engine and drove slowly towards Strathcona Sound.  I entered the sound and followed the trail I created.  The return journey was now a race.  I hoped I had enough gas to make it back to town. 

To make a long story short, I safely made it back but on fumes.  There was only one bar of gas left.  There was a point I felt I would run out of gas either in Victor Bay or on the Road to Victor Bay.  Thankfully, that didn’t happen.  I need to buy a larger gas LinQ gas can for the future.

My day trip out on the land was fun despite not reaching my intended destination.  It was good to just get out of the house and enjoy the Arctic landscape.