Day: 72

Hard to Leave Good Friends of Baker

Temperature: -30F

Location: Baker Lake, Nunavut

Latitude: 64deg 05’ 33’’ N

Longitude: 96deg 36’ 20’’ W

Distance Traveled: 0 Miles - Baker Lake

We are leaving Baker Lake tomorrow morning. We got all packed up today, and had some team meetings most of the afternoon. We’re saying goodbye to all the people here, it almost feels like home. It’s kind of sad, leaving.

One of the problems that I run into traveling long distances like this by dogsled is coming into the communities, making what feel like lifelong friends, and then having to say goodbye. You almost feel like you know them for life, but in saying goodbye you might never see them again.

This is my third time through Baker Lake by dog team, so I have renewed some acquaintances, but for the most part you won’t see the people again. It’s sad and melancholy, leaving town. We overstayed ourselves by 4-5 days, mainly in the progress we were making in our interviews, and working on the online education project. Everyone has been working hard on the Polar Husky site.

But it is time to leave tomorrow. The weather is good, it looks like a pretty fair day ahead. It is minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which is mild by our standards. And not too windy.

I will report in tomorrow night, March 12, when I will be back in the tent. We’ll be back on the trail again, heading for Pelly Bay, which is going to be a pretty incredible adventure. There are a lot of unknowns, no one has traveling in that country before. It should be a lot of adventure, as no one has traveled this route over land in the winter, and probably not in the summer either. It should really pull the team together.