Day: 54

Closing in on Baker Lake

Temperature: -25F

Location: Worton Lake

Latitude: 63deg 54 ’ 17’’ N

Longitude: 99deg 49’ 30 ’’ W

Distance Traveled: 19 Miles

Last night the temperature started warming up and the winds started blowing really hard. We had a southeast wind, and were a little afraid that a blizzard was coming our way. It blew really hard until about three or four in the morning, and by the time we got up at 5:30 it was cloudy and calm. When we got out of the tent it was minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit, which is quite balmy for us. We harnessed the dogs, and the harness were actually somewhat pliable, pretty flexible at minus 18. That is some of the warmest weather we have had the entire trip.

The clouds lifted as we traveled, and it turned out to be a really beautiful day. Pretty clear skies, though it clouded up a little bit in the evening. The temperatures dropped a little, to about 25 below when we made camp. But still it was a very, very mild day.

The dogs are doing really great. We traveled 19 miles, and on the expedition so far we have traveled 637 miles. And we are about 130 miles from Baker Lake, our next destination, which is an Inuit community of about 1,000 people.

During the day we traveled around the Dubawnt River. We ended up right by the final set of rapids that flows into a lake called Warner Lake. We are right now on a little island on Warner Lake. And tomorrow we will be doing a combination of cross country and across lakes. We are going just about due east, right now, in almost a straight line to Baker Lake.

But it was really a nice day, very peaceful. I was on the sled with Aaron all day, and we had a really nice chat. It is a very good way of getting to know people.