26 Jun First Day Out
Carl and I boarded the twin otter, the work horse of the North. With four others, park Canada staff, and volunteers. We began the flight to Quttinirpaaq National Park on Ellesmere Island. It was a mesmerizing three hour flight over massive and beautiful landscapes, full of mountains, glaciers, and ice. This brought us to the Park’s camp at Tanquary Fiord. As the plain lowered to land we spotted muskox, grazing on the hills, and later more on the ground not far from camp. Here, we stepped off to take in the awesome mountains that surround the camp, and the fresh arctic air. However, our destination was further yet. Another half hour later, we landed again, this time at the frozen Lake Hazen, ice still covering the entire lake in the end of June. Normally the ice would have been gone by now, but it’s presence and the lack of wind made for a tranquil silence. A small group of researchers are here from the UK and a few park staff. We sorted gear, we re-organized, and ran around with cameras for a while. What a place.
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