Note to self: Next time I share an igloo with Gannon, bring earplugs.
GANNON
THE DAY WE DROPPED A NOTCH ON THE FOOD CHAIN!
I’m not lying, I sensed something was wrong right away. Felt it deep down, like a mini-earthquake rumbling in my gut.
All of a sudden, the dogs were acting real jittery and nervous, like something was really bothering them. Then they started making this hissing sound I’d never heard before. That’s when I knew for sure that we were in some kind of trouble.
“What’s going on?” I said to them. “Is something wrong?”
All of the dogs were facing the same direction, snarling and hissing and real jumpy. Something was out there, hidden in the fog.
But what?
Unaaq and Nuka pulled up next to me and their dogs immediately joined in, hissing and growling. Unaaq knew right away what was bothering the dogs. I could tell by the worried look on his face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We are being hunted,” Unaaq said.
“Excuse me?”
“There is a polar bear nearby,” Nuka said.
“Where?” I asked, looking around frantically.
“I do not know exactly,” Nuka said, “but the hissing sound the dogs are making tells me that the bear is not far.”
“But why would a bear hunt us?”
Unaaq looked at me as if the answer was obvious.
“To eat us,” he said.
“Polar bears are the only animal on earth that will hunt the scent of a human,” Wyatt said, in his annoying, know-it-all voice.
Okay, I was aware that there are polar bears in the Arctic and it’s pretty much common sense that running into one could be problematic. After all, they’re giant predators with giant teeth and giant paws and giant appetites. But, what I never knew was that they actually hunt the scent of humans.
“This is a little troubling,” I said.
“Do not worry,” Unaaq said. “I have a rifle. If the bear comes too close, I will fire off a warning shot. That should be enough to scare it away.”
All righty, then. Quick analysis of the facts:
There is a polar bear nearby.
He would like to eat us.
Unaaq has a rifle.
I do not have a rifle.
Unaaq has lots of experience with Polar bears.
I have zero.
So, let’s see . . . put two and two and two together and, uh . . . yeah, probably best to stay close to Unaaq.
Real close.
WYATT
APRIL 12, 2:57 PM
77° 04′ N 55° 48′ W
11° FAHRENHEIT, -12° CELSIUS
CLOUDY, WIND 10-15 MPH
We have traveled 10 miles since the dogs first detected the polar bear. What worries me is that they are still hissing, which means that the bear is following us. That leads me to believe that this is a very hungry bear, and a very hungry bear might not be easy to scare away.
We are surrounded by fog. The visibility cannot be more than 100 feet on all sides, so it is impossible to see where the bear might be.
If we make good distance this afternoon, my hope is that the bear will get tired and give up the chase.
Fog sets in on the ice sheet
GANNON
We built another igloo tonight and my muscles were screaming for mercy, but it’s all good because somewhere out there in all that silence is a polar bear, a bona fide man-eater, quietly stalking us, keeping just enough distance to stay out of sight, patiently waiting for the right time to pounce, and, let’s be honest, a tent won’t stand up very well to a polar bear. At least an igloo gives us some protection.
Some.
Jeez, the thought of that big bear just gives me the creeps. I won’t lie, I’m afraid to step foot outside. And, to be honest, I have to go to the bathroom. Bad! But I’ll wet my fur pants if I have to because I’m not going anywhere as long as the dogs are hissing. I mean, the bear could be a stone’s throw away, hidden in the fog, circling, just waiting for me to walk off alone, thinking to himself, “Oh, man, a nice plate of Gannon tartare would really hit the spot right about now.”
Unaaq has his rifle loaded and ready and will be sleeping with it at his side. That should give me some comfort, but for whatever reason, it’s just not doing the trick.
WYATT
APRIL 12, 10:34 PM
The polar bear is right outside our igloo! We can hear the bear huffing around, looking for a way inside. The dogs are going wild. Sled dogs are vicious and can put up a fight, so polar bears don’t typically mess with them, but if this bear is hungry enough it could take down one or more of the dogs, and that would be a disaster. Just as easily, the bear could push its way inside the igloo and take one of us! Unaaq and Nuka are shouting, trying to scare it away and Unaaq has his rifle cocked, finger on the trigger …
GANNON
Unaaq stuck the rifle out the door of the igloo and cracked off two shots—KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM! There’s a strong smell of gunpowder in the igloo and smoke swirling all around and my ears are ringing like crazy. Unaaq and Nuka told us to stay put and ran outside. It’s total chaos right now.
Just heard two more shots fired! Are you kidding me? What’s going on out there? Literally, Wyatt and I are about to lose our breakfast we’re so scared.
Scared for the safety of the poor dogs! Scared for our lives!
Oh, great Greenlandic spirits, we respect you. Really, we do! Please, please, please protect us!
WYATT
11:56 PM
What a helpless feeling, being trapped in an igloo, knowing that there is an animal outside that is big and fierce enough to eat you.
Everything has settled for the moment and the polar bear is gone. At least, for now. Who knows if it will come back? Unaaq said it ran off after he fired the warning shots into the air. The dogs have calmed down, which makes us feel that it’s a good distance away. Fortunately, none of the dogs were harmed when the bear came into camp.
“That was too close for comfort!” Gannon said once we were outside the igloo. “But I have to say, I sure am glad he ran off before Unaaq was forced to add some bear claws to his necklace.”
Unaaq chuckled.
“I am glad, too,” Unaaq said. “I did not want to hurt the bear. Polar bears are now a threatened species. And this was a big guy. Probably close to 1,500 pounds. Fortunately, he took my warning and moved on. I just hope he will stay away.”
In a way, I wish I could have seen the bear, but it ran off before I got outside. I’ve never actually seen a polar bear and would love to get some photographs of this great predator in its natural habitat. All things considered, though, I should probably just be thankful we all survived the encounter.
GANNON
NIGHTTIME LIGHT SHOW
When I woke, Nuka was standing over me, shaking my arm. It was dark, the middle of the night, but he was fully dressed.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, my heart racing. “Is the polar bear back? I knew he’d come back. He’s not going to give up until he eats one of us, is he?”
“Just follow me,” he said, with a smile. “There’s something you must see.”
Wyatt was already awake and putting on his jacket, so I did the same and walked outside with Nuka. The air was crisp and immediately went to work, nipping at the exposed skin on my face. Our breath tumbled from our mouths like smoke from a fire. I flipped my hood over my head and buried my nose in the neck of my jacket.
Unaaq was outside, too, his eyes fixed on the sky.
“The Aurora Borealis,” Nuka said, sweeping his arm across the horizon.
When I saw the lights, no lie, I almost fell on my butt. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like it. To be honest, I’m not even sure how to describe it. Really, how does someone capture such magic in words? Maybe if I was a much better writer I could come up with some kind of eloquent wordage that would make people gasp and say, “Oh, that’s so beautiful,” when they read it, but
I’m just not there yet.
I did get some video footage and Wyatt shot at least a million photographs, but this is the kind of phenomenon that video and photos just won’t do justice. It’s kind of like filming fireworks. The awesomeness of it just doesn’t translate to the TV screen. To get the full impact, you have to see it with your own eyes.
Anyway, I guess I should make some kind of attempt at describing the northern lights since we’re submitting our field notes to the Youth Exploration Society and all. So, here goes:
What I saw, well, it kind of looked like a bunch of those wispy type clouds lit up in neon greens and reds and caught up in some kind of cosmic wind current. Or like a group of friendly florescent ghosts streaking through the night sky on Halloween. Or like a giant, invisible angel making luminescent brush strokes on a star-speckled canvas. Okay, that might be stretching it a little, but I think it actually describes it pretty well.
Wyatt couldn’t help himself and started lecturing us on the scientific causes of the northern lights, saying things like, “Mmmm, yes, when highly charged electrons cross paths with different elements in the earth’s atmosphere, blah-badee-blah-blah-blah, mmm-kay?” Yeah, Wyatt, whatever. All I know is that the Aurora Borealis, without question, is one of nature’s most mind-blowing performances!
It’s hard to imagine that there is an Arctic storm nearby when we have clear skies and the aurora borealis dancing overhead, but Suunia told us we’re about to experience “severe weather,” which basically means colder temps, heavy snow, possible white out conditions, and all that other good stuff that comes with a big Arctic storm. We’re only a couple days away from the Inughuit, according to Unaaq, which is good news because I think we’re all running out of steam.
Okay, then. It’s almost time to move out. Frigid fingers crossed that all goes well.
WYATT
APRIL 13, 7:49 PM
0° FAHRENHEIT, -18° CELSIUS
OVERCAST, DARK TO THE NORTH, WIND 10-15 MPH
Today I got my wish. We saw a polar bear!
Gannon spotted him far below on the sea ice, standing motionless over a small hole as streaks of snow and ice blew past him in the wind. Whether it was the bear that was hunting us or not, we do not know.
We took turns looking at the bear through a set of binoculars.
“The Greenlandic people owe a debt of gratitude to this great animal,” Unaaq said, speaking loudly to be heard over the wind.
“Why’s that?” Gannon asked. “I mean, my memory’s not the best, but I’m pretty sure just recently one of them wanted to make a meal out of us.”
“Yes,” Unaaq said, laughing, “and he would have if we didn’t have the gun, but the polar bear is a very wise creature. We learned to hunt, to build proper snow dens, to travel safely on the ice, all by observing the polar bear. Without the guidance of this animal, we would not have been able to survive in the Arctic.”
“What’s he doing down there?” I asked.
“Seals come up through the holes in the ice to take a breath,” Nuka explained. “Polar bears find a hole and wait patiently. When a seal pops its head through the hole, the polar bear eats.”
“Better the seal than us, I guess,” Gannon said.
“Come now,” Nuka said, smacking his mittens together. “We must continue if we want to set up a shelter before the storm reaches us.”
We continued for another 11 miles over choppy ice before stopping to build an igloo. The dark gray wall of clouds we’ve been watching move in from the northwest is nearly upon us. Unaaq has not been able to take his eyes off the approaching storm, which again makes me nervous about what’s headed our way.
A polar bear waits to feed
GANNON
Made awesome progress today and are really close to the Inughuit! If the weather doesn’t bring us to a halt, it’s possible we might even reach them tomorrow and thank goodness for that! They’ve been trapped for so long my guess is that their dogs are near death and the Inughuit are definitely down to the last of their food, if they have any left at all. Oh, man, we have to reach them soon and I’m talking ASAP, but the final push will really test our stamina and it’s important that we get a few hours of rest or exhaustion could put us in even greater danger. So, quick rest and then it’s “go time!”
WYATT
APRIL 14, 9:22 AM
77° 42′ N 55° 53′ W
-4° FAHRENHEIT, -20° CELSIUS
OVERCAST, WIND 15-20 MPH
Getting along decently despite difficult conditions. The cold has settled and we have been taking a steady wind head on. Stopped for a short rest. Taking shelter from the wind behind a high drift.
Hard to believe we were running through standing water and slush only a short time ago. In a week, we have gone from almost summer-like conditions to mid-winter temperatures. The average winter temperature in this part of northern Greenland is -25°F. We’re still a ways off that mark, but it is getting colder and the skies have been overcast all day. It’s cold enough that the steam from my breath freezes instantly on my face mask. At this point, any exposed skin is susceptible to frostbite, so I am covered head to toe and wearing goggles.
Earlier, we got another radio call from Suunia. She said the weather north of us is intensifying. Another system has moved into the area, creating a powerful atmospheric condition rarely seen. Basically it’s an “Arctic superstorm!”
“Be careful out there,” Suunia said. “As you know, things can turn dangerous in an instant. I’ll make sure to keep you informed on the latest.”
When the radio call was over, Unaaq turned to us, his face heavy with concern.
“We have a decision to make,” he said. “If we continue north, our risks increase significantly. If we return to the Arctic village, we can take shelter and safely ride out the storm. I could lead you back there and then return north alone.”
“We have to keep going!” Gannon blurted out. “I mean, we don’t have a choice, do we? The Inughuit are depending on us and we’re almost there. If we return to the Arctic village, they’ll probably die before you get back to them.”
“What do you think, Nuka?” Unaaq asked.
“I agree with Gannon,” he said. “Your remedy is their only hope and time is running out. And we’re stronger if we stick together as a team. We can help each other.”
Unaaq looked to me. I hesitated. Having read the journals of so many polar explorers, I know all too well how these expeditions can end.
“We have enough food to last us a couple weeks,” I said. “And adequate gear to keep us warm if we have to take shelter for an extended period.” I looked to Unaaq. “If you’re confident we can safely ride out the storm in an igloo if it comes to that, then I agree with Gannon and Nuka. We have no choice but to continue. What’s your opinion, Unaaq?”
“I agree with each of you,” he said. “An igloo will keep us safe for some time and we have enough food to get us through. I just needed to hear your thoughts before I made my wishes known. We will take every precaution, but I do not want to put any of you at risk if you are unwilling.”
“Lead the way, Unaaq,” Gannon said. “We’re right behind you.”
“I applaud your bravery,” Unaaq said, bowing his head slightly to us. “Ready your dogs and we will continue north.”
At the beginning of this journey, I would have never anticipated we would be in such a difficult situation. Time and again, our resolve has been tested, and yet, we’ve managed to press on. That is one of the reasons I am optimistic. With Unaaq and Nuka’s guidance, I truly believe we can reach the Inughuit.
THE WRATH OF THE HIGH ARCTIC
Inside the igloo
GANNON
APRIL 15
We are in the belly of the beast! Swallowed whole by the storm! I just hope it doesn’t digest us!
As I write, wind and snow are pounding against the igloo, whistling over the rooftop, breaking through narrow seams that have opened in the walls, and whipping snow around insid
e like a million particles of dust.
When the storm hit Unaaq’s suspicions were confirmed—it’s a monster! Knowing we didn’t have much time, we kicked into high gear, running outside to feed the dogs and tip over the sleds to shelter all of our supplies. Once that was all taken care of, we scrambled back inside the igloo and closed off the entryway for the night.
Right away I grabbed some strips of meat to thaw for dinner and wrapped myself in a big blanket and tried my best to get comfortable. Unaaq is burning a dish of blubber and melting some ice for us to drink and we’ve got our frozen boots and gloves hanging from hooks above the flames to thaw them out.
Today the dogs’ paws got cut up pretty bad on the ice. In serious cold like this the ice can be as sharp as glass. Sometime around mid-day I looked back and noticed bloody prints trailing off behind me in the snow. When we stopped to check their paws, I found that two of my dogs—poor, sweet Najaaraq, and my fastest dog, Anori—had open cuts on the pads of their feet. The other dogs had raw pads, too, and flinched when I ran my finger across them. Unaaq and Nuka assumed we’d run into this type of jagged ice at some point and actually brought a bunch of little hand-stitched booties that slip over the dogs’ feet and keep them from being sliced to shreds. These dogs have an incredibly high threshold for pain and would probably run their feet to the bone, but the first order of business on any sled trip is keeping the dogs healthy, so we took the time to fit every one of them with boots. After we put them on and tied them tight around the base of their legs, the dogs whimpered with relief. The benefit of their soft new shoes was obvious, as they ran strong the rest of the day.
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