Example of impassable sea ice on Eclipse Sound. (Photo by Tom McGuire)
After paddling 63 miles across Prince Regent Inlet, the team was sidelined due to packed ice, which prevented them from leaving. After sitting out the ice overnight, they started again, managing to paddle only 3 miles before being stopped once more by the ice. While the team was biding their time on a beautiful beach, they were completely exposed to the 30-33 mph winds projected overnight. They faced a dilemma: paddle back the 3 miles to find some wind block or stay put and secure everything down. Eventually, they decided to stay where they were. In addition to the ice and winds, there was a steady drizzle all day, making the expedition less than ideal. No one said expeditions were all fun and games.
At 10:00 pm, the drizzle subsided and the winds picked up as expected. This allowed their tent to dry out, and the ice was completely pushed out of Creswell Bay. When they woke up at 1:30 am, the ice had vanished. After having coffee, packing up, and getting ready to launch, the ice started flowing very quickly out of the bay again. They waited for the last of the ice to pass and for a mother bear with her cub to finish playing in the water before they set off at 3:41 am, maintaining a safe distance from the bear.
Today, they paddled 25.5 miles into a consistent headwind, which they found manageable. They enjoyed watching the adorable Beluga whales playing in the bay all day. The sight reminded West of his daughter, Isabella, singing him the Beluga Whale song when she was 3 years old. Of course, he HAD to sing it for the team.
Back when crossing Prince Regent Inlet, the two kayaks had a little race. West & Jeff (the old guys) vs Eileen & Mark (the kids). There had been some discussion about Eileen and Mark having to wait on West & Jeff a few times. The old guys just laughed that off and said they’ve been going slow on account of the kids couldn’t keep up. That initiated the race. West & Jeff have been paddling together since before Mark was born (basically). Mark conceded that the old guys were definitely great paddlers, in sync, and fast. West and Jeff said that “now that they have that out of the way” they can move on to other things. It was a fun day.
During the check-in call, Mark and Eileen had gone to check out a series of very large tents in the near distance. After conducting research over the past several days, they discovered that these tents were set up by adventure companies that bring people out to Somerset Island to watch for whales, narwhals, and polar bears. The adventure companies provide big tents, local food, and a full adventure experience, charging a hefty sum for this type of adventure. It appeared that one of these adventure camps was set up close to where the team had set up camp.
Tomorrow, the Arctic Cowboys will cross Cresswell Bay to Cape Garry, covering about a 24-mile crossing, and then continue heading south along the shoreline toward Fort Ross. The maps indicate that the ice has moved away from the shoreline.
Total: 461.51miles Today: 25.5 miles Expedition: 383.51 miles
