Auyuittuq National Park

Home away from home...

Auyuittuq National Park is located on Baffin island.  The only access to the park is via a boat.  There are outfitters that take you up there and back.  But I don't like the idea of going to an even more remote location on a boat with a stranger.  It would be nice to meet a group of tourists to go with but it has been a low season for tourists and it is starting to get colder outside.  I will drop by at the hotel in town to see if I can line up a group of people that are interested in going - otherwise, I will have to resort to a hike up the mountain behind the camp (as can be see in the picture above).  The views on a clear day are magnificent.  You can see up the fjord a fair distance.   The second option is to hike 5 - 6 km behind the hills to the glacier.  Rumor has it there are a couple of polar bears roaming the area.  Might be smart to do both hikes with more people.  
Josh, a surveyor has most recently arrived FOP (fresh off the plane).  Might be able to talk him into going with me.  The rest of the guys have already been up once and are not interested in doing the hike again :(.

--
Nadia
Pangnirtung, NU 

P.S. Sorry about the graphic nature of some of the photos below.  They are mean to highlight the Inuit way of living.

The Ritz @ Pangnirtung

Arctic rainbow - Ever seen a frozen rainbow?

This boat is out fishing every day.

The carcass of the Beluga that was hunted a couple of days before I arrived.

The eyes are considered a delicacy.

Another Beluga carcass.

Very low tide - tidal range is approximate 6-7 m (around 21 ft)

Hudson's Bay Company Blubber station

Pangnirtung, Nunavut

Pangnirtung Marina at Low tide

It has been 10 years since my last visit to the Canadian arctic.  Last time, I had the opportunity to travel to Inuvik, NWT and all these years later, I find myself Pangnirtung, NU.  This place is so far away from it all that it is actually closer to Greenland than mainland Canada.

It is beautifully serene out here.  There is one more hamlet that is further north of here on Baffin island.  I am told that last week hunters had brought by a beluga whale that had been hunted by local hunters.  It is a shame that I wasn't here.

This morning was was very grey and cloudy but I don't think these pictures quite captured the colors and light that filtered through the foggy cloud. 

There is no bank here in a town of 1000 -1500 people, but there is a KFC/Pizza Hut express at the local grocery store.  It is very popular with the young kids.  There really aren't many other places to hang out at.

Just thought I'd share some pictures of my first day here.  Will try to post more in the coming days.  Internet is very slow :(.

-Nadia

Fresh snow on top of the mountain.

More snow

Local fish factory

View beyond the breakwater

In case you forget the name of the town

Very low tide...