Warning: This post contains descriptions & pictures that some may find graphic.
Another weekend, another camping
trip. I’ve been quite the outdoorsman
this year. I do not know how I did it,
but I managed to correct all my final exams, and input all marks & comments
in the school’s computer system before Friday, May 27. (Teachers were instructed to have their
report cards done at the end of the week).
I didn’t have time to rest because I had a cadet weekend field training
exercise (FTX) to attend & lead.
Planning & preparations for
Operation Spring Fix 16 began in April.
A meeting was held between the adult staff and the Canadian
Rangers. We discussed where to go, what
to bring, and how many Rangers we could recruit for the land trip. Rangers are required for polar protection and
assistance. They know the land better
than anyone else. (When the Canadian
military conducts exercises in the north, the Rangers always participate
because they teach the soldiers how travel and survive in this harsh,
unforgiving environment.)
I
had wanted to go to Levasseur Inlet last year but certain circumstances
prevented the plan from going forward. I
suggested the area again when we were discussing possible locations but we settled
on Ijuyuarjuk, a landlocked lake 70km south of Arctic Bay. Levasseur Inlet was closer but the Rangers argued
Ijuyuarjuk was a good staging area for seal hunting, fishing, and hiking. The bonfire would still be at Levasseur Inlet
because the firewood had already been transported to that location. I had driven by the lake on my way down to
Ikpikituarjuk but I had yet to camp there.
This would be my first time.
The
camping supplies & equipment were collected two weeks in advance and the
participating cadets received their assigned kit (ie. Sleeping bags, air
mattresses, duffel bags) a week in advance.
The tents & Coleman stoves were checked for deficiencies and the
cadets prepared their sleeping bags in the school gym. Everything was securely stored at the school
until Friday. Gas and oil was purchased
the day before we left.
The
commanding officer of 3045 designated me as the FTX’s Officer of Primary
Interest (OPI) for the weekend. (I was
in charge). For adult staff, I would
have two Rangers, a civilian instructor (CI), and a civilian volunteer. JF was the volunteer. It would be our job to look after twelve
cadets.
Everyone
assembled in front of the Northern Store at 6pm. The cadets loaded everything into four qamutiks
(sleds). Ranger Samson oversaw the
packing of the qamutiks; certain items have to be packed/tied in specific places. The cadets formed up for roll call and a
quick briefing. The commanding officer
wished everyone a fun time out on the land and not to be hard on the OPI. When the cadets were dismissed, they found
seats on the four qamutiks. The skidoos
were brought to life and the drive to Ijuyuarjuk began.
Ranger
Samson led the way. I felt assured following
him because he knows where the best travelling routes are and how to properly
cross cracks in the ice. Overall, I did
alright last week when I was travelling to Ikpiki, but I still think I need
more practice crossing ice cracks. We
followed the same route to Ikpiki. We
took two short rest stops between Arctic Bay and the Pirujiningit Islands. He would signal the convoy by raising his
right arm with a closed fist, indicating that we would be stopping.
Ranger
Samson spotted a baby seal poking its head out of a seal hole. He signaled everyone to stop. We all turned off our engines. He unslung his high powered rifle and took
aim. Deafening silence enveloped the entire
area. He fired his gun, causing a loud
bang to echo across the landscape. We
quickly turned on our skidoos and drove over to the dead baby seal floating in
the hole. Ranger Samson pulled the seal out
of the blood filled hole and laid it on the ice. He had shot it between the eyes. The baby seal would provide delicious country
food for everyone. The seal was tied to
the back of the qamutik towed by Samson.
We continued on our journey.
 |
| Tea Time. |
It
was now twice as easy to follow Ranger Samson.
I could keep an eye on the qamutik he was pulling and follow the “Red
Drip Road”. (Blood was still dripping
from the seal’s head). The crossing of “The
Crack” before Levasseur Inlet was easier this time because Ranger Samson turned
off the ice and led us across the land, bypassing it entirely. I briefly looked to my right and noticed “The
Crack” had grown in the last week. We
stopped for tea & donuts. The delicious
donuts were made by the father of one of the cadets.
 |
| Tea Time. |
 |
| White McPherson Tents. |
 |
| CI Reid & JF pitching the green tent. |
We
arrived at Ijuyuarjuk at 11:15pm. The sun
was still up but the sky was covered with white clouds. Everyone stretched their legs before getting to
work on pitching tents. CI Reid, JF,
& I would sleep in a green arctic five-person tent. The female & male cadets would sleep in
separate white McPherson tents. A third
McPherson tent would be the kitchen and storage place. Ranger
Samson would sleep in his own tent. When
the tents were pitched, sleeping bags, air mattresses, and personal kit were
moved in. Reid, JF, and I were lucky to
be given cots to sleep on. I took a
moment to appreciate my surroundings after I moved all my gear into my
tent. Behind us stood a large valley and
the very tall Nauyat Cliff. Conducting a
hike the following day looked very likely.
 |
| Nauyat Cliff |
By the time the camp was set up, the date was Saturday, May 28. We were done a few minutes after
midnight. I could tell we were all
starting to get tired but we were also hungry.
Ranger Samson also noticed this and he cut open the baby seal with a knife. We all stood around the animal and began cutting
pieces of raw meat. The meat was
tasteless but filling. I ate quite a few
pieces. So did JF. “People down south don’t know what they’re
missing,” I commented.
We stayed up until 1am. Reveille
was set for 8am.
To Be Continued . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment