Around Uluksan Peninsula

I bought a new snowmobile last November; a 600 EFI 2 stroke Backcountry Skidoo.  There was nothing wrong with my 550F Expedition; I just decided it was time for an upgrade after 8 years.  I’ll eventually sell my 550F when I get used to driving my new Backcountry.  The time had finally come to test my new skidoo out on the land.  I had only been driving it in town up until now.  The first test drive was around Uluksan Peninsula on April 7, Good Friday.

My original plan was to leave at 10:30am, but I slept in, delaying my departure by an hour.  Even though I was just driving around the peninsula, I packed enough supplies in case of emergencies.  This included lethal protection - .22 rifle & machete – against aggressive wildlife.  The short day trip also gave me the opportunity to test new camouflage outer clothing I purchased several months ago on Amazon.

I left my place at 11:30am and drove down to the ice.  The weather was sunny and clear.  I proceeded south, following a skidoo trail to Uluksan Point.  I turned east and then stopped to take a few pictures.  I continued driving, stopping a few times to take pictures of the cliffs.  I also fired my .22 rifle in a safe direction, testing it to see if it could fire in cold weather.  Thankfully, it can.  The winter camouflage parka & snowpants I bought kept me warm, but the camo hat was another story.  I found myself having to constantly readjust because cold air was getting through and touching skin.  I was wearing a balaclava underneath and skidoo goggles, but cold air still managed to find an opening. 

I safely made it to the southeastern tip of Uluksan Peninsula.  There was no one around.  I turned north and drove a short distance before noticing a large iceberg to my left.  I made a detour and drove towards the iceberg.

The iceberg was indeed very big.  It slowly grew & grew as I drove closer.  I stopped in front of it and took many pictures.  Using my skidoo as a tripod, I set the countdown timer on my camera and took several photographs of me standing in front of the iceberg.  There was a lot of running back and forth because I only had 10 seconds to get into position.  Satisfied with the photographs, I hopped on the skidoo and drove around the iceberg, stopping to get closer on foot.  I noticed several large human footprints leading to a lower part of the iceberg.  I chose not to climb onto the iceberg.

I drove north, following a skidoo trail.  I stopped after some time to take a few landscape photos with the iceberg now in the distance.  When I neared the northeast tip of the Uluksan Peninsula, I noticed a very large collection of built-up ice and snow to my right.  I would have to drive further north and then around this build-up to enter Victor Bay.  Everything was going fine until I neared the turnaround.  I must have been driving too fast over snowdrifts because the left side of my skidoo suddenly leaned heavily to the left.  I slowed, stopped, and turned off the engine.

I inspected the front and assumed the top black metal rod that held the left ski in place had slightly popped off the grey metal bolt.  Thankfully it still held and wasn’t the only rod holding the ski.  The engine was still working so I could still drive, but I would have to drive slowly with a heavily leaning skidoo.  I was glad I hadn’t driven farther from Arctic Bay.

I slowly drove into Victor Bay keeping the skidoo steady while standing.  Sitting down would have been awkward.  I continued south towards Arctic Bay, hoping the worse would be over.  I didn’t want to abandon my new machine, walk back into town, and fine someone to tow it back to my place. 

I stopped at the Grade 1 teacher’s cabin, but they weren’t there.  I pressed on.  The engine light came on after a few minutes forcing me to stop.  The engine was overheating.  I removed a side panel to expose the muffler to cold.  I used bungee cords to secure the side panel to the back of my skidoo.  I spotted a skidoo approaching in the distance while I was waiting for the engine to cool down.  It was the Grade 1 teacher and her husband heading to their cabin.  They stopped and asked me what was going on.  I explained the situation and the husband inspected my skidoo.  He too thought the problem had something to do with my skis.  They asked if the machine needed to be towed but I assured them I could safely reach Arctic Bay without assistance.  They drove on and I waited a little longer before starting the engine.

I drove off the ice, exited Victor Bay and followed a skidoo trail towards Arctic Bay.  A man on a skidoo passed me in the opposite direction.  I made it to the Road to Victor Bay before the engine light came on again.  I stopped and waited for the engine to cool down again.  The man on the skidoo had turned around and stopped behind me.  He inspected my skidoo and discovered the bolt at the top of the left shock was missing.  It must have snapped off while I was driving over snowdrifts.  The man followed me as I slowly drove home.  I made it; I was worried I would have to stop again to let the engine cool off. 

The man offered to fix my left skidoo shock.  He had the part(s) I was missing.  I agreed.  He returned two hours later and fixed my machine in front of my place.  I paid him $50 for his service and thanked him for the help.

The only other casualty was a patch of skin near my left eye.  It became frostbitten; mild, not severe.  Next time, I’ll wear a helmet. 

I made the right decision to restrict my first on the land test drive to the Uluksan Peninsula.  If I was much further away from Arctic Bay, I would have had to abandon the skidoo, walk back to town and/or activate my SPOT device to call for assistance.  Towing the skidoo would have been another endeavour.  I only did that once in 2016 with my first skidoo and I want to keep it that way.  Aside from all that, it was a pleasant day trip.