Daniel Case
Rock outcrop on bank of Firth River, Ivvavik National Park, YT
Once back in camp after that marathon slog back down, I took off the wet socks to let them dry out and then actually followed the example of some of the other people in the group and ... went for a dip in the Firth! Yep, we were 200 miles (320 km) above the Arctic Circle ... but at the same time it was about 80ºF (27ºC or so), the warmest it ever got on the whole trip, so what better time to go in over your head in the river you've been traveling down, drinking from and urinating in for the last couple of days? Especially when you're dirty and sweaty from all the hiking you've just done.
I'm glad I did. Despite the warm weather it was still very cold water. But I felt like I'd bonded with the river in some way that I had to.
After taking a nice little afternoon nap, I then got myself dressed again, in a nice cotton T-shirt, shorts (the only time I wore shorts the whole trip), sandals (ditto), but of course not neglecting the DEET, sunglasses and Tilley hat as not only were the last two advisable due to the light they were as necessary as the DEET as defensive measures against the mosquitoes that still insisted on living up to their reputation for Arctic ferocity at that point. This is not too different from the way the guides dressed; I joked with Mike that I had gone native.
I can't remember whether it was either before that or after that I thought to take a picture of this rock outcrop on the bank since it gives a look at the Firth's geology.
Cross-uploaded to Commons at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rock_outcrop_on_bank_of_F...
Rock outcrop on bank of Firth River, Ivvavik National Park, YT
Once back in camp after that marathon slog back down, I took off the wet socks to let them dry out and then actually followed the example of some of the other people in the group and ... went for a dip in the Firth! Yep, we were 200 miles (320 km) above the Arctic Circle ... but at the same time it was about 80ºF (27ºC or so), the warmest it ever got on the whole trip, so what better time to go in over your head in the river you've been traveling down, drinking from and urinating in for the last couple of days? Especially when you're dirty and sweaty from all the hiking you've just done.
I'm glad I did. Despite the warm weather it was still very cold water. But I felt like I'd bonded with the river in some way that I had to.
After taking a nice little afternoon nap, I then got myself dressed again, in a nice cotton T-shirt, shorts (the only time I wore shorts the whole trip), sandals (ditto), but of course not neglecting the DEET, sunglasses and Tilley hat as not only were the last two advisable due to the light they were as necessary as the DEET as defensive measures against the mosquitoes that still insisted on living up to their reputation for Arctic ferocity at that point. This is not too different from the way the guides dressed; I joked with Mike that I had gone native.
I can't remember whether it was either before that or after that I thought to take a picture of this rock outcrop on the bank since it gives a look at the Firth's geology.
Cross-uploaded to Commons at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rock_outcrop_on_bank_of_F...