August 11, 2008

Sam Ford Fjord:
Photo by Lee Narraway

Late night update!

What a day! Towering cliffs, miles and miles of wild flowers and enormous glaciers dropping straight down to the water. Geoff Green described this fjord as one of the most most spectacular Arctic locations he has ever visited! And he has visited many!

In the morning, under another blue sky, the team jumped into zodiacs and embarked on a 4 hr. hike along the Sam Ford Fjord to the foot of a glacier - and by all accounts - it was spectacular - and every participant will now go home and be able to say that they touched a 10,000 year old glacier.

In the afternoon the ship chefs hosted an enormous barbeque out on deck and all the students ate outside and soaked up the scenery.

It was back to work after the barbeque - as the team broke into various groups for ongoing workshops and lectures, including an Inuit print-making workshop with Jolly; a climage change workshop with Amber Church; and Botanist Julian Starr from the Canadian Museum of Nature pressed plants with students.

At 8 pm last night they reached their furthest point north - 71 degrees north - and into more ice.

But don't take our word for it... Read what the participants had to say!
Student Journals

Graham May, Student

Today, for the first time so far on the expedition, I had some time to allow the idea of where I am to sink in. Most of the time while you are having such incredible experiences, you never want to stay in one spot. You want to run around and see everything that there is to be seen and do everything you can do. Today I realized the importance of taking a few moments of quiet reflection, just so you can think about what you are doing, and try to remember it for later.

Today, we took a hike up a valley to a glacier in Sam Ford Fjord. It was probably the most beautiful hike I have ever taken! The barren mountains towered above me on either side, but in the valley there was considerable greenery and a river of glacial run-off water. We made it to the glacier and as I stood on it, looking down the valley towards the sea, I was lost for words. The beauty and perfection of the scene was incomparable to anything I have experienced so far, in my quite short life.

We reached the farthest north point of our expedition, roughly 71° north, today. From this point onwards we will be heading southwards, back towards the world that we are more used to. I see it as a highly symbolic point in our journey, the beginning of the end and a time for reflections and farewells.
Photo by Lee Narraway

Max Liddle, Student (written on August 10)

Whales! Today we got to see Bowhead whales in Isabella Bay. We really couldn’t see that much of them because they are baleen whales and they cannot jump out of the ocean. They truly are massive creatures; they can grow to be 200,000 lbs and 30 meters long! However we got to see the crown of their head and their tails. It was so amazing to see them up that close.

We also took a Zodiac up close to the shore and got to see a polar bear within about 20 ft. This was my first polar bear sighting and I’m pretty excited about it! What was even more amazing was that later in the day we got to see another polar bear on an iceberg!

Today was very exciting and I can’t wait for tomorrow!

In the Expedition Spirit,

Max!
Photo by Lee Narraway

Caitlyn MacMaster, Chaperone

Come away, O Human Child,
To the Waters and the Wild
With a Faerie hand-in-hand,
For the world is more full of sorrow
Than you could understand.
-W.B. Yeats

Today I was a child again.  I reveled in the freedom of hopping from rock to rock as I made my way up-river, like a salmon straining for its spawning grounds.  In my case, I was working my way up towards a spectacular glacier.  As the melt-water rumbled past me in tumultuous torrents, the above poem came to mind.  Kilometers away from any civilization, we could truly experience the Waters and the Wild – and I was absorbed.  Cliffs towered above the talus slopes, which gave way to tussock ground where soil had collected and mosses and lichens stubbornly took root.  Little rivulets tumbled and fell cheerily into the main body of the rushing river. 

I was completely awed by the volume of water thundering by me each second and even more so upon reflecting that this rate exactly matched the rate of glacial melt.  This particular glacier is among the 97% of the Earth’s glaciers that are presently in retreat, and the gradual slope of its terminus provided evidence of that (as if the river outflow wasn’t enough).  Seeing this loss first-hand helped me to understand and envision one sorrow of a world potentially full of them if current anthropogenic climatic trends go unchecked.  The prospect of a world without glaciers provides even more impetus for me to act for positive change for the environment.  Expect to hear more when I return!
Photo by Lee Narraway

Louis-Philippe Dury, Student

Deposant un pied devant l’autre, mes pensées se sont éclairées. J’ai dégusté de l’eau de glaciers et j’ai nourri mon esprit. D’autres ont apprécié la douce beauté du vol rapide des bourdons qui valsaient sur les fleurs dans ce Nord lointain.  David couché caméra à la main à l’opportunité de capter un des moments ou la nature lui offre l’un de ses plus beaux chefs d’oeuvre. Cette beautée qui nous entoure, je souhaite la préserver pour toujours afin que les autres puissent aussi l’apprécier. En escaladant, j’ai enchangé avec  les autres sur comment nous pouvons faire notre part pour que tous puissent apprécier cette nature comme moi. Je désire du plus profond de moi-même de contribuer à préserver la planet.
Michaela Lurger, Student

Wie schon so viele male fehlen mir die Worte, für dass, was ich heute erlebt habe. Wenn irgendwer von Zuhause nur annähernd wüsste wie glücklich ich bin, ich wünschte ich könnte dieses Glück teilen. Gerade sitze ich am hinteren Teil vom Deck und geniesse mit zehn Leuten den wundervollen Nachmittag. Benoit und Shery spielen Gitarre und Singen Songs wie „Breath“ von Anna Nalick oder „Jetplane“. Die Sonne scheint auf uns und dass Meer, wie tausend Kristalle auf der Wasseroberfläche. Ich fühle mich so unbeschreiblich glücklich, ich könnte weinen. Ich versuche jede Kleinigkeit mit meinen Sinnen aufzusaugen, die schon alle mehr als überflutet sind. Heute verbrachten wir unseren Tag in Samford Fjord, dem nördlichsten Punkt unserer Reise, bei 71° nördl. Breite. Jeder Tag wird besser als der vorherige. Als wir mit dem Schiff in diesen Fjord fuhren schien es, als wären wir ein grosser Teil davon, als wir aber später einen Landgang machten, und das Schiff von der Ferne sehen konnten, merkten wir erst, dass wir nur ein winziger Teil davon sind. Heute kletterten wir in ein Tal dieses Fjordes zu einem Gletscher. Glaubt es oder nicht, aber in der Arktis gibt es Bienen J! Wir kletterten also diesen Berg hoch und Shery und ich setzten uns auf einen Felsen neben den riessigen Gletscherbach, und lauschten der Musik, den er produzierte. Es roch so frisch, blumig und erdig, und wir tranken frisches Gletscherwasser. Shery und ich genossen den Tag und relaxten in dieser tollen Kulisse. Wir beide waren uns einig, dass wir gegen Klimawandel aktiv werden müssen. Shery ist Lehrerin und sie erinnerte mich an meine Biologieproffessorin, die mir genau die Inspiration gibt, Dinge zu verändern, wie sie Shery ihren Schülern gibt. Ich bin stolz ein so tolles Vorbild wie Michaela zu haben, denn ohne sie hätte ich diese Expedition nie gemacht. Wir alle haben auf diesem Schiff ein besseres Verständnis für die Notwendigkeit bekommen, die Pole zu schützen, denn ich wünsche es noch vielen Schülern, die Gelegenheit zu bekommen, diese wundervollen Teile der Erde zu entdecken, wie ich es durfte. Ein weiteres Highlight war Barbeque an Deck. Es war so toll in der Sonne Mittag zu Essen, während dass Schiff den Fjord verliess. Heute Nacht starten wir unsere Reise in Richtung Süden. Dieser Tag war bis jetzt der schönste für mich, zumahl ich am Vormittag eine Mail von Michi bekam. Es ist unglaublich in der Arktis ohne jeglichen Kontakt zur Aussenwelt nach zehn Tagen eine Botschaft von  Zuhause zu bekommen, es war echt traumhaft! Bis Morgen! Gute Nacht!
Photo by Lee Narraway

Cori Eide, Student

Each day I’ve lost a little sleep compared to when I am at home. For the past two days we have had breakfast a half hour later than usual and I do feel a difference. Today is just a great day and I just got done with lunch!

During breakfast I introduced peanut butter to a French guy. His first thought was, “Okay, but Nutella is much better.” Then I had him try my toast which was peanut butter with honey as well. He thought it was “Much better but Nutella is still good.” We also ate lunch together as well and got into the conversation of ribs and bbq sauce. “How do you eat ribs with a knife?” We told him, “You don’t, you use your hands!”

One thing that I really admire about this program, SOI, is that they bring people from all over the world together and basically become family. It makes events and activities more interesting and fun than if it was just people from one country.

Today, we all went on a hike in Sam Ford Fjord. It was just beautiful and standing there, if someone had asked me to describe the scenery, I would definitely have been speechless. Tall mountains, glacier streams and waterfalls, and the fresh air which can all be found in Alaska, but just something about it was more special. Maybe it was the fact that I have found a place so similar to home elsewhere, or it could have been, well I just don’t know what it could have been. My favorite part was the smell of walking in the tundra with glacier water which many other people loved as well. Knowing that others had liked it as well had me thankful for Alaskan lands for its fresh air.

Now we are sailing back south and it’s awesome that we have gone further north than expected! We got to stop in Isabella Bay, which most would call the home of bowhead whales. There had to be 100 or so whales. We took our Zodiacs for a closer look, so close we could hear them breathing through their blow holes. Also by sailing further north we had two polar bear sightings and just the experience of the true Arctic. Right now I am looking forward to our Polar Swim, which is a jump into the Arctic Ocean! Elizabeth Steves, Student

Every day on this trip I am reminded how small I am as human being.  Today was a hike in a glacial valley, with some of the tallest rock faces I have ever seen.  As I was walking, I kept thinking about the possibility of a rock slide, but we all came back alive.  One aspect of the tundra that I never anticipated was how lush the fauna the can get!  At certain points along this trek I would catch myself sinking half a foot into moss, or some other plant.  Along the hike there were also areas where huge rockslides had occurred.  It was difficult to climb across so many of these, as every few steps whatever was beneath me would give out.  We came back to a barbeque lunch on the stern and it was quite possibly the most scenic lunch I have ever had. 

Today I have been thinking about my home and the fact that soon I will have to return.  It’s disheartening to think that I won’t be able to wake up every morning and see some new beautiful landscape outside my window.  However, it seems like a new chapter will be opening for me when I return and I look forward to that everyday.
Photo by Lee Narraway

Alexandra Polasko, Student

You never find out how far you can excel until you push yourself, and today I pushed myself not only physically, but mentally. As we made our way up into the Arctic, we sailed into Sam Ford Fjord. Since it was such a calm and beautiful morning, Geoff decided to let us hike around the bay after he and Johnny checked for bears. When the coast was clear we started our four hour hike.

At first, Brenna, Amanda, and I started up the hill with ease, stepping strategically on dry rocks to avoid getting wet or hurting the sorrel. After a quick stop for a drink, and a picture of the amazing scenery, we headed up some pale steep rocks thinking we were going the right way to get to the glacier. This was not so. What we had actually done was climb up to the most difficult, steep, and unpredictable part of the mountain. During our desperate attempt to successfully cling to every sturdy rock we could find, jump across a raging river, and find any sign of human life, we began to talk about what we were feeling and thinking. As I thought I managed to pant out a couple of sentences. I was feeling nervous and free. I was nervous because I had never been in such an unpredictable situation that had every element of danger and excitement packed into one experience.  I was feeling free because I was in charge of where I was going to go, what I was going to do, and where my next step was going to lead me. The mountain showed me that we are not in control of what our planet does, but we are merely crew members scrambling to achieve a fraction of the accomplishments that mother-nature does every day.
Photo by Lee Narraway

Benjamin Tur, Student

Si on me posait la question quelle partie de ton corps préfères-tu, je répondrais mes yeux, et ceci pour deux raisons: la première, c’est que de nombreuses caissières me font des compliments à propos de leur couleur. Puis dans un  second temps, c’est qu’ils me permettent d’admirer, de capturer dans un petit coin de ma tête ces paysages insaisissables, indescriptibles, magnifiques. En parlant de ma tête, j’ai éprouvé un besoin de solitude après ces huit jours passés sur ce bateau, où chaque moment se devait d’être partagé avec les autres, alors j’ai saisi l’occasion de gagner un bref instant de solitude, marcher seul jusqu’au sommet d’un glacier à Sam Ford fjord, le point le plus au nord de l’expédition, et penser un peu à tout ça, tout ce qu’on a vu, admirer, apprécier, ce qu’on a appris et échangé. A vrai dire, un glacier dégage bien plus de chaleur qu’on peut le croire. Quand on prend le temps de s’y asseoir, de le toucher, de le sentir, on peut ressentir quelque chose de magique en soi, une sensation unique, comme un petit électrochoc dans son cœur qui nous dit qu’on ne rêve pas.

Photo by Lee Narraway

Délphine Rémillard Labrosse, Student

Chaque jour, je prends une photo matin et soir par le hublot de ma cabine. J’ai vraiment très hâte de les mettre côte à côte pour vous montrer comment le paysage change et évolue au fur et à mesure qu’on navigue vers le Nord.

J’avais oublié de vous partager une drôle d’impression que j’ai eue, il y a quelques jours. On revenait d’une randonnée hors du commun et je tardais à revenir au zodiac pour retourner au bateau. Je cueillais des plantes avec Julian, un professeur de botanique qui nous accompagne sur le bateau, et j’imagine qu’on prenait un peu trop de temps, car nous étions derrière le porteur du fusil qui est sensé être le dernier au cas où on ferait la rencontre d’un ours. Donc, comme on était les derniers, on devait constamment regarder derrière notre dos pour être certain d’être en sécurité. Par, peut-être, une déformation de mon cerveau, j’ai fait la comparaison avec les situations où je voyage seule dans des coins sombres de certaines grandes villes et que je dois regarder derrière pour être certaine de ne pas me faire attaquer. Voilà un bizarre sentiment de déjà-vu dans des environnements tellement loin l’un de l’autre.

Encore une fois, il n’y a pas de mots pour décrire ce qu’on a vu et fait. Vraiment, on devrait créer un nouveau dictionnaire des mots pour décrire ce qu’on voit ici. Donc, aujourd’hui, nous avons atteint notre point le plus austral de l’expédition et je dois dire que c’était toute une destination: Sam Ford fjord (essayez de le prononcer plusieurs fois rapidement). Pendant que j’écris ces lignes, nous sommes déjà de retour, lentement, vers Iqualuit. Les réflexions commencent à remplir ma tête alors que je vois mon retour, hors de cette bulle qu’est le bateau, venir.

On a fait une très longue randonnée, très difficile, pas nécessairement physiquement, mais au niveau de l’équilibre. J’ai atteint le but que je m’étais fixé, soit d’atteindre le glacier qu’on voyait au loin, qui s’est avéré beaucoup plus loin que ce qu’on voyait. C’était génial, mon premier saut sur un glacier. Bon, c’était un peu comme marcher sur les trottoirs de Montréal en hiver, mais avec beaucoup plus de charme. J’ai bu une complète bouteille d’eau de glacier, si pure, si fraîche (en tout cas je me sens bien jusqu’à présent…). La vue était indescriptible, des reflets or et argent, des pics rocailleux s’étirant jusqu’au ciel et une mer turquoise et scintillante. Il régnait une odeur d’automne parmi les plantes et arbres (minuscules) de la toundra qui étaient tous en fleurs. La montée vers le glacier s’est faite le long d’une source, une magnifique source toute en puissance. Malheureusement, ce courant était le signe d’un glacier littéralement malade, disparaissant tranquillement, s’éteignant. Une très grande majorité des glaciers du monde sont en mauvaise santé. Il faut réaliser que ces glaciers contrôlent l’eau qui nous arrive des montagnes et une majorité d’humains en dépend. Si tous ces géants monuments de glaces fondent, après cela, nous pouvons avancer l’idée d’une période de sécheresse et le développement de plusieurs conflits entourant la quête d’eau. On est au tournant d’un point de non-retour et nous ne pouvons pas rester dans le confort de l’inaction, spécialement en tant que nation nordique, car l’avenir de la planète entière est entre nos mains. Relevons nos manches et mettons-nous tous ensemble au travail.
Photo by Lee Narraway

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