Out For A Walk

Since coming to Arctic Bay I had always wanted to explore the surrounding area.  However, time and transportation kept getting in the way.  There was work to be done and I didn't have a snowmobile to get around.  Finally, after two months, the long Easter weekend gave me a chance to go out for a walk.  On the morning of March 30, I decided to walk over to Victor Bay, directly behind the town.  Many locals have fishing & hunting cabins there.  I dressed warmly and armed myself with a camera, binoculars, and a compass.  The Arctic sun shined brightly as I stepped out of my home.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky.      

            

What's over that hill?

A winding dirt road grants vehicular access to Victor Bay.  I followed this road, imagining the Arctic landscape I was going to see for the first time.  About halfway up the road, I stopped and faced the town.  The view was great.  There wasn't any activity in town, prompting me to assume that everyone was sleeping in.  The road peaks at the top of a small hill.  Crossing the peak, I walked past a long wooden qamutik.  In the distance, there were snow covered ridges.

            

I continued walking along the road, the tough snow crunching beneath my boots.  When I stopped several minutes later to take a photo of frozen plants, my ears were overwhelmed by the sounds of silence.  Complete.  Deafening.  Silence.  It was everywhere.  I had to snap my fingers several times to convince myself that I still had my hearing.  I also checked my ears to make sure I wasn't wearing earplugs. The silence added to the reality that I was in the far north where human activity is restricted to very small pockets.  For someone who grew up a city boy, (where there is always a sound of some kind), I found the silence to be relaxing.  And as a musician, the silence was 'music to my ears.'  (In music, silence is just as important as sound).  I like the sound of silence. 

            

I continued my walk, the silence being replaced with the sounds of crunching snow.  Several minutes later, my foot crunching was drowned out by a skidoo approaching from behind.  The Inuk driver raced passed me, dragging a small qamutik.  It was a safe bet that he was heading to his cabin.  As he passed me, I stopped walking, wanting to know how long it would take for the sounds of his roaring skidoo to disappear.  It took less than a minute.                        

            

A young hunter walks home empty-handed.

Victor Bay slowly came into view with every step I took.  In the far distance, I could see the frozen bay, an iceberg, and many mountaintops.  Walking in the opposite direction was a young Inuk hunter (between 9 - 12 years old) with a rifle slung on his back.  His hands were empty; he hadn't shot anything.  We exchanged greetings as we passed.  He was all smiles.  I guess he was staying positive and feeling certain that he would catch an animal on his next trip out on the land.  I envied him; I never got to fire a rifle when I was a kid.

            

When Victor Bay came into full view, I stopped to take several pictures.  Naturally, the silence returned.  The only sounds I heard were the clicks of my digital camera.  What I immediately noticed about the bay area was its similar layout to Arctic Bay.  One could build an entire replica of the town facing to the north.  At the moment, there are around six cabins in Victor Bay.  I spotted the snowmobile that passed me by earlier, parked next to a large wooden cabin.  

            

Out in the frozen bay stood a tall pinnacle shaped iceberg.  To the left of it stood a more tabular shaped iceberg.  I photographed both.  Looking through my binoculars, it looked like each iceberg had to be at least five stories tall.  I estimated that it would take me around an hour to get to them on foot.  However, doing such a thing is risky due to dangerous wildlife (polar bears).  Best to get there by skidoo.

            

I moved off the dirt road, walking eastward, creating my own path through the untouched snow.  I snapped a few more pictures of Victor Bay before heading back towards Arctic Bay.  I followed Arctic Hare tracks so that I wouldn't get stuck in deep snow.  If the snow is good enough for the local wildlife to walk on, then it's good enough for me. 

            

Industrial Area, aka 'Gas Station'.

The jagged hills that split the two bays are populated by many small inukshuks.  I emerged on top of a hill located somewhere close to the centre of town.  I was able to see the entire town and frozen bay.  I moved over to a taller hill to my right to get a clearer view.  Instead of an inukshuk, the summit is marked by a tall wooden post surrounded by rocks.  (There were two small inukshuks sitting on the right edge of the hill).  From here, I snapped pictures of the town, airport, industrial area, and the bay.  I also observed these places through my binoculars.  By this time, there was activity happening in town.  The silence had been replaced with the sounds of trucks, skidoos, and barking dogs.  There was also a cold wind, prompting me to pull up the hoodie on my Canada Goose parka.

            

Arctic Bay Airport

After enjoying the breathtaking views for some time, I slowly began my descent to the dirt road I used to get to Victor Bay.  I took my time, making sure I didn't slip and fall.  I wanted to take more pictures but the battery on my camera was drained.  When I arrived at my place, I transferred all the pictures I took to my laptop, and charged my camera.  While my camera was recharging, I prepared Arctic char for lunch.

            

The lone qamutik I passed by earlier.

Overall, I enjoyed my walk to Victor Bay and the surrounding area.  The excursion took about 3 & a half hours.  If I had more time (and possibly a skidoo), I could have explored more.  But that will have to wait for next time.  I'm not sure when that will be or where it will take place.  Perhaps the summit of King George V Mountain?