Born To Be Wild

My father finally returned home from his epic two month long excursion down the length of Ellesmere Island in Canada's basically unexplored north. Some of the things such as the huge ice bergs and ice sheets that covered much of the northern section of the island and the fjords were expected. Others, however, such as the gigantic fields of colorful wildflowers were not. We had the full run down in a slide show yesterday of all the trials and tribulations of the trip, and I realized "epic" is really putting it mildly. Look on to discover some of the breathtaking scenery and the incredible flora and fauna that is "Ellesmere Island".

Starting Place. The small research base of Eureka located at almost 80 degrees north

Typical Arctic Hare searching for food

Common crack through the ice that caused many detours attempting to find crossible sections.

Floorless tent. Trying to dry out clothing after a long crossing of Greely fjord

Typical landscapes while travelling across the ever melting sea ice.

Iceberg or LION?!

Cracks in the ice were sometimes too large to easily cross, so boat crossings were delicate and time consuming.

Camping spots were expensive and had to be reserved months in advance... oh wait, that was Alberta on the August long weekend.

Camping with the sled converted into a buggy.

Pulling the buggy

Wolves scope out John and Clive's camp.

Not sure which is more incredible, the massive Muskox or the field of vibrant fire weed.

Sometimes the going was tough and they had to disassemble the buggy and make multiple trips over high passes!

Another okay campsite... if you are into things like stunning scenery and pure nature.

Enjoying hot cocoa after a big day.

Another day of rough going in the rain and cold.

Yes! What you have all been waiting for. This Polar bear showed up in Grise Fiord on the last day. A perfect ending to an incredible journey.

Picture from Grise Fjord.

Grise Fjord was the final stage of their journey and from there began the arduous journey back to real civilization. Grise Fjord is the most northern civilian settlement in North America and one of the coldest inhabited place on earth with an average temperature of -16.5 degrees Celsius. In Inuktitut it is called Aujuittuq and literally means the "place that never thaws". All in all it looked truly like a one of a kind trip. One that I may never journey on, but am deeply proud of my father for completing.

As for us, we have been informed that Kumu is healthy again. We are all holding our breaths till we get it back on the road tomorrow. We have a few days left of final prep before our launch date on Monday. It seems as though everything is falling into place and we are looking forward to leaving with great anticipation!

Born To Be Wild-Steppenwolf