Leaving Rankin Inlet

Yesterday was a travel day.  We had a slow start, spending most of the morning packing up and hanging around.  We met Arnie for lunch and then he took us to the airport for the journey out.  Jim had some extra packing to do.  He had a frozen Arctic Char to transport home.  It will be a real treat to enjoy once he gets it home.  ...Another opportunity that came about through Arnie's connections.  We all loved Char.  The meat is a lot like salmon but the texture is lighter and the taste is a little sweeter -- very yummy.

On our way up to Rankin Inlet we were amused by an inuit fellow who could not believe the trees he was seeing as we hit Yellowknife.  He kept exclaiming, 'trees!', 'trees!'  There were so many, it was hard for him to fathom.  I felt a similar feeling as we were touching down in Winnipeg, checking out the landscape and seeing the more familiar trees and lakes was a big comfort.  I didn't feel it as much in Rankin, but the bleakness of snow and cold was wearing on me.  I looked at Dwayne and said, 'trees!', 'trees!'.

One thing that struck me about the environment up there was that every venture outside of shelter took consideration and planning.  I began to watch everyone who would show up in our small cafe.  Even the young people were dressed warmly.  I noticed it the most with women.  In Alberta most women do not wear overpants and long underwear isn't often a consideration.  At times we head out with only nylons covering our legs.  Our footwear is also problematic.  We tend to wear shoes or stylish boots that have no insulating value at all.  Not the case in Rankin Inlet.  I noticed that many women wore insulated pants or track pants under their long jackets.  Their stylishness was apparent in the beautiful parkas they wore.  Most were adorned with lace, fringe, decals or bright complimentary colours. 

The other consideration for excursions was how unreliable vehicles were at the cold temperatures.  The town garbage truck lost a starter in the first few days we were up.  Garbage pickup stopped.  We found a truck's universal joint on the middle of the road during our walk to the restaurant.  Many vehicles -- snowmobiles or trucks, would get stuck in town and groups of people would get out to push.

A snowstorm could truly threaten the town.  We could see evidence of the accounts we heard.  A number of residences had cleared paths in the fronts of their homes with the layers of snow cover evident.  The snow was thick and hard, and some layers were up to 2 ft thick.  Arnie talked about snow storms that came in so hard the houses would be covered.  Water and fuel delivery would be stopped short until enough snow could be cleared to get to everyone.  Not the same as the snow we see hear.  The winds from the Hudson's Bay practically pack the snow down as it falls.  Arnie called it perfect igloo-making snow.  There was no crust with a soft inside like we might see -- it was all crust.

I enjoyed the sound it made when I walked, your steps echoed through the snow and you could tell when the thickness changed because there was a 'hollow' sound in some spots.  The snow had a bluish tinge as the shadows of the day moved through the town.  Very beautiful but almost impossible to capture on camera because colour differences were so small.

More to come in a few weeks.  Many of our participants have been to Edmonton but there are a couple who have not ventured south very often.  I'm excited to see their impression of Edmonton, but also a little worried about them.  We encouraged them to stick close to each other when they were out in the evenings.