“It is very hard for me to grasp that I am leaving Iqaluit at the end of this week, possibly never to return. I just wanted to prepare you all for my on-line departure from your lives. Thanks so much to those of you who have stuck with me throughout this year-long adventure. Keeping a blog up to date has proven to be more work than I anticipated, so it is nice to know that there are still people out there listening.
Temperatures are looking up these days, consistently above 0! Today it is 13 degrees! Last week there was some dampness in the air, which was a change, and in fact we had our first real rain (there were a couple of sprinkles before) and fog! It seems so strange seeing fog settled over the Bay. When you have been in a dry climate all winter, the dampness is really noticeable when you step out of the house in the morning, it really cools things off. We’ve also had snow in the past week, and they’re calling for more over the weekend, but it hasn’t lasted more than a couple of hours. The Bay is still frozen over, but it is melting fast. The skidoos continued to head out on the ice on a daily basis up until a couple of days ago. It won’t be long now though before she breaks up for the summer. Siu-Ling moved her dogs off the ice last week so the last of the dog sledding for the season has taken place…
The melt that occurred around Iqaluit over the past months was impressive! There were rivers and streams everywhere, washing out roadways and culverts, paths and sidewalks. The snow around Iqaluit is essentially all gone, save for the remnants of a few of the more massive piles that are now covered in a thick layer of dirt… doesn’t even look like snow and ice. The hills around Iqaluit still have some snow gathered in low areas and the lee side of hills, but the mountains across the Bay still almost entirely snow covered. My theory: all of the asphalt, concrete, and dark roofs around Iqaluit creates a bit of a heat island effect, melting the snow around town faster than the surrounding landscape.
It is not hard to pick out the vehicles that weren't driven over the winter. It might be hard to tell, but only one of this car's tires is touching the ground, the rest of the vehcile being held up by a very dirty chunk of persistent ice.
Mark visited from June 2nd to 6th. It was a short visit, but we maximized every moment. It doesn’t take long for a man who loves to hunt, fish and 4-wheel to fall in love with a town where hunting, fishing and 4-wheeling are so deep-rooted in the culture. He even stole my “I Love Nunavut” shirt by the end of the trip.
Mark marvelling over the midnight sunset on the back deck.
On the morning of his first day in town Siu-Ling invited us down to the ice with her to meet and feed the dogs. She decided to take a small group of dogs for a quick zip out on the Bay and invited Mark to join her. Can you say ‘expression of a kid in a candy store’? Being 7 months pregnant, I decided to stay behind with Parker. Mark had a pretty thrilling experience as you can imagine. In his first 24 hours in Iqaluit he managed to satisfy a lifelong dream AND it was Siu-Ling’s second last run of the year, so he really lucked out!
Me helping to get the dogs harnessed for the run.
Mark and Siu-Ling heading out onto the Bay. Hold on tight!
While they were gone I enjoyed watching Parker, Siu-Ling's puppy, play with a loose puppy that was hanging around the dog yard.
And encouraging the dogs to start a howl. For anyone who has ever been at the Corning's house for a dog howl, you know how much we enjoy getting the dogs going. Bedford, on the end is this picture, loves to howl, so I knew I could get him going. Before I knew it I'm sure the better part of the 60 dogs down on the ice joined in. It was spectacular! Thanks Bedford.
Mark and Siu-Ling returning from their voyage with tuckered dogs.
The dogs love to be praised at the end of a trip, even if it was just a short one!
A traditional Inuit sled, lashed together with rope, allowing for lots of flexing and bending as it travels over uneven ground.
Siu-Ling fed the dogs seal meat after the run. Mark was facinated by Caru, who was munching on a seal head and was getting in close for a picture when Caru decided to shake it. He actually got hit by a couple of flying bits.Mark and I went for hikes in both the Road to Nowhere, and Sylvia Grinnell Park. It was nice to visit some of my old stomping grounds from last summer. I haven’t been able to access many of my favourite places around Iqaluit since the fall, but over the past few weeks roads and paths have opened back up. It was wonderful to be out on the land again, though I found that my current physical condition restricted me from going very far. I get out of breath very quickly and easily!
Ever since Mark booked his ticket I have been keeping my fingers crossed that the Sylvia Grinnell River would break up in time for Mark to experience some Arctic char fishing. Unfortunately she was still pretty ice bound, though the ice was quite spongy. He was persistent though, and wanted to try dropping a line through a hole in the ice, but I’m pretty sure the fish are still up in the lakes until the Bay breaks up.
Mark and an inukshuk out on the tundra.
As you can see there is a lot less snow out on the tundra, but still far more than it left in the city.
A traditional style Inuit tent down by the river.
The frozen Sylvia Grinnell, much to Mark's disappointment.
Another traditional style Inuit summer tent. These are a common site around the hills of Iqaluit, especially along the river.Mark really enjoyed bar shopping... that’s right, bar shopping, not bar hopping. Bar shopping is sitting in a bar and allowing local artists to come to you! I finally found the perfect narwhal carving and I just love it! I regret that I didn’t take a picture to share before wrapping it all up for the trip home on Friday (took a picture once I got home!). I also bought a piece of artwork that I have been eying since I landed in Iqaluit almost a year ago. It is a painting of three narwhals by the artist Andrew Qauppik, one of the most well-known artists in Nunavut. I watched him complete a print of one of his paintings at an art fair in the fall and it was fascinating to watch. His prints are all done using stencils and it only takes him about 10-15 minutes to complete a print.
I was a little sad to see Mark go, it was so nice to have him here and share some of my northern experiences with him. I would have been much sadder though if I didn’t know that I would be home with him a week and a half later!!! Can’t wait to arrive! I expect that I will take a couple of days at home to reflect on my year in Iqaluit before my final blog farewell."
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