First Foot Patrol

Matthew Nakashuk in the Rock Garden, Thor in background



An injured patroller awaiting heli-evacuation



The Two Matthews, Nakashuk and Nauyuk



Evening light on Thor Peak



There are a number of stream crossings on the south end, like this one across Turnweather Creek



Matthew working on the suspension bridge



Crossing the Windy Lake Suspension Bridge



Matthew and Nathan on first day



Looking at the Forkbeard Glacier and Thor to the right



Matthew on an unclimbed boulder problem. Now climbed at V0, The Arctic Cowboy



The Little Sculpin...I felt sorry for him but a photo was needed!



Taking another smoke break...



The real prize, delicious Arctic char



Arctic hare



Getting into the park by boat



Asgard, as seen from a ridge north of Northumbria Peak

Finally got out on my first patrol on foot. The land looks much bigger from the ground than it does in a helicopter. That being said, from the heli is pretty cool as well. We managed to complete a bunch of tasks at Windy Lake Warden Cabin and at the Thor Emergency shelter. The temp's went to 22 degrees Celsius in the shade, 28 in the sun, while we at Thor. That may be my only warm blast of summer...

I managed to do a sidetrip after work one day, and ran up a ridge in the Northumbria drainage. It got me higher than Thor, which was across the valley, and allowed views out to Asgard in the north, Odin to the south, and everything fine in between.

Saw a couple of okaliks (Arctic hares), had a great bouldering session one evening with the patrollers, and even had a heli evac of a patroller who sprained his ankle near Summit Lake. We were lucky that a heli was in Qikiqtarjuaq and could respond. I was envisioning camping out for several days, waiting for some air support.

Before coming in, I managed to go midnight fishing with my park manager, Dave, and others. The informal competition between the parkies resulted in a tie, two Arctic char apiece. However, I did manage to bring in a sculpin, so technically I won that night. Of course, the little guy was tossed back into the ocean for another day!

Peaks and local game

Top of the Swiss Route on Asgard




Swiss Route Headwall




Thor from Windy Lake area




Turner Glacier in front of Asgard group




Monty prepping beluga




Slinging lumber from Windy to Summit







Stunning rib on Pk 1963, south of and across the Parade Glacier from Asgard




Another shot of the top of the Swiss Route




Loki Peak




Low tide around Pangnirtung




Looking down at the office(bluish-green roof), coming in on helicopter




Pk 1963




Monty slapping the beluga blubber around







Breadablik and Thor from Summit Lake




Breadablik



Loki




The past week and a half has been busy, busy, busy. We have a helicopter for 2 weeks to assist opening the park, fixing radio repeater stations, setting up emergency caches, and generally doing things that would otherwise take an entire season to see be completed.

The helicopter was hung up in Newfoundland, then Labrador, then Iqaluit...when it finally reached us, we had lost a week of it's time as it has to move on to the next project. This meant our planning needed to be tight, the weather had to cooperate, and all the stars stayed aligned for a good chunk of time.

It also meant working from early in the morning until late into the evening. Not a problem when daylight isn't a concern! Projects got cleaned up, radios and all the repeaters were tended to, emergency shelters and caches were restocked, and alot of amazing scenery was seen! It was my first time into the park and I was able to fly the entire length several times with work projects. To put it mildly, pictures do not do this area justice, as it blows away the Icefields Parkway and the Bugaboos for scenery, not saying the former two are slouches! This park is amazing!

To wrap up the week, the four western and three northern premiers paid a visit to Pangnirtung and a community feast was held. Several premiers came into the park office for a tour, and I even shook my former boss' hand, Gordon Campbell. Rather humourous that it took removing me from BC to meet the province's head of state! Hah! We shook hands while stepping between seal carcasses at the community feast. The community celebrates a successful hunt, or a visit from dignitaries, by having a spread of freshly caught game. There were seals, beluga, caribou, shrimp, and a few other things that I'm not sure of so I didn't hack off a piece for myself.

My Park Manager, Dave, illustrated the way things are done. You walk up to the large carcass or slab of game, hack off a piece, then retreat to eat it amongst yourselves. All of this is raw. If you go with the attitude that you're at a sushi bar, hell, it's no problem! Kind of weird cutting the fat from some seal meat while it's whiskers are rubbing the back of your hand...southerner gets schooled in the ways of the north!

I just wish my camera was not left at the house for this! I'll make damn sure I have it for the next feast. Some shocking photos will be the result! I love it!

Chris