Camping on the NWP (con't)

We were now on our second day of our journey and about 80 miles from Coppermine. The radio message gave us a warning to get going and be prepared for a storm but first the bathroom. Since there are no bathrooms on the tundra and with mixed company what to do. I asked Ikey and he said that Inuit have developed a code which seems to work. For the women with their special clothes it is no problem. They simply walk away from the group. When they do nobody follows with their eyes. Their amote or outer coat provides ample security from eyes and the cold. For men it is more difficult as their mode of dress is more complicated.

Men have the advantage of being able to urinate standing and for more serious business it requires partial undressing. Men leave the camp and try to find a rock in summer and a drift in winter. A camp which will be in place for more than a few hours and with a number of people a designated area is chosen and a quarter igloo is constructed. Since no toilet tissue was available in olden times, Arctic cotton was gathered by. the women and children in the fall. Arctic Cotton was a plant with a cotton like flower. It was kept in bags for the winter and had many uses. Women used it for padding babies, personal hygiene and pillows.It was carefully rationed. Its most important use was for the kullick ( seal oil lamp or stove).The cotton was used as a wick and Inuit women were expert in making them last for a long time.

Having satisfied my curiosity and found an Arctic bathroom we moved on with clear intent of getting to our destination before the storm. Our pace quickened and after a few hours of easy going the snow started and the wind picked up. The group became a little fractious at the time it was taking. One pregnant girl was telling her mother she was having labour pains and I can imagine with all the bumping and sliding it could bring on such a event.

This was to be a last stop to check our gear before the race across thirty miles of rough ice. No tea was boiled and only dry,cold but nourishing mipku was given to the travellers. On ice where there are no signs or trails skill in needed , specially when the visibility was near zero. Ikey had been over this route many times and set up the convoy to leave the very best men at the rear to ensure the safety of the people.

I detected a slight nervousness in his voice which betrayed his confidence.We now travelled within sight of the person in front and at a speed of about twenty mph as the ice was covered with pressure ridges. Once we had to backtrack five miles to get around a huge ridge.The snow came ever so hard and the wind increased. This snow is like sugar or ice pellets as there were no flakes. It stung the face and even though we were well dressed for the harshest of weather we were suffering frost bites and wind burn.

It became apparent we were going to stay another day on the ice. We were no more than twenty miles from our destination when Ikey told us to make camp. This was a big decision and Ikey had us stay put until he found a suitable place. He was gone for half an hour when he told us to follow him. Never were his orders questioned. We followed until we came to an area with heavy snow behind a huge pressure ridge. Everyone seemed to know what to do except me. I just followed what the others did.Wind breaks or half igloos were constructed in a matter of minutes. Six or seven feet high and long like a fence. This was the snow Ikey found which was suitable for construction.

It was amazing to see the tents go up and the floors covered with those cosy hides,Snow machines were covered and we prepared to hunker down. A small fuss in one area meant that the girl had a baby boy. Inuit were used to this and there was no big deal. Everyone was happy and as food was prepared Ikey went from tent to tent to make sure everyone was prepared for the wind and cold.With the wind chill it was probably 65 or 70 below zero. Within the flimsy white tents we were warm ( relatively speaking) and comfortable. The dogs were placed at each end of the camp and stood guard against polar bears. They were fed frozen fish but stayed outside.

I lost all sense of time and as it is always dark at this time of year I really did not care. One thing absent in this camp was alcohol. There are horror stories of white people who sneaked alcohol in their belongings only to suffer great pain. Alcohol will not freeze but with the temperature so low , a mouthful of the drink will freeze your voice box and cause permanent damage or even death. It might be a Arctic legend but it sure works and there was no alcohol here.

The howling wind kept me awake and with my lamp burning I wrote a few lines while I was being impacted by mother nature. A few Inuit came to see if I was all right and stayed to share a few stories about other storms they lived through. I was amazed at their ability to tell stories. Even when translated they captured your attention and imagination. I drifted off to sleep to the sounds of wind and my own imagination. Final blog tomorrow.