Day: 58

SW Winds Bring Warmth

Temperature: -15F

Location: Dubawnt River Island

Latitude: 63deg 56’ 14’’ N

Longitude: 97deg 46’ 37 ’’ W

Distance Traveled: 19 Miles

We had a very good day today. It cleared up, and the temperature was about minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, with a little bit of a southwest wind. We’ve had a prevailing southwest wind all through the Barrens here, which is quite unusual. I never expected to see a prevailing southwest wind, it is usually from the northwest. We’ve only had that wind a few times, when the real cold fronts have come down. In the two big storms we’ve had the wind came from the northwest. But when the wind has been blowing I would basically say it has been from the southwest 60% of the time.

Usually blowing in with it has been these high alto cumulus clouds, another thing that is pretty rare in the wintertime. You usually see alto cumulus clouds in the springtime, usually end of March or early April. A southwest wind and high alto cumulus clouds in Minnesota would be a sign of good weather, with a good thaw. Although the southwest wind here does not bring a thaw, but it does moderate the temperature some, to perhaps 20 below zero.

The dogs are running really well. We’ve had a really hard packed snow surface, some of the best travel conditions of the trip. We made 17.5 miles in a straight line, probably about a total of 19. We had a slow start with the lead dogs this morning, and a couple of other complications this morning, but in the afternoon we really made good time.

We had good visibility today. The island we are camped by right now has a high knoll on it, maybe 150 feet high. And it was the first topographic feature we could see for a great distance since the Thelon River. We could see this on the eastern horizon all day, and it was actually a very good bearing. We didn’t really have to mind our GPS or even our compass.

We are camped on the shore of this big island now. Tomorrow, Friday, is our day off. Mille and Aaron will be doing the education report, starting at 6 a.m. They put in a 16 hour day on that. We are having a power shortage, as our generator is having a problem, probably a spark plug. But we don’t have a spark plug wrench, so getting the report out tomorrow will be a little challenging. But we should be in Baker Lake in about four or five travel days, and should easily be able to fix the generator there.

Right now the wind is blowing outside, a southwest wind. It’s probably about 15 below, the windchill is probably about 40 below. But it is not a bad evening, fairly comfortable outside.