Coordinates: N 64.27.020, W 67.25.579
Distance Traveled: 17 mi/ 27 km
Temperature: -19 °F/ -28 °C
Wind: 30 MPH/ 50 KPH
Sunrise: 6:43 a.m.
Sunset: 4:44 p.m.

Abby and I have been setting our daily alarm for 6 a.m.. The first person up starts the stove while the other pulls breakfast and hot drinks from the food bag to start off the day. We then work on getting all our layers on and putting the liners into our mukluks. We sleep with the liners in between our two sleeping bags so that they will be dried out and warm for the next day. We keep a bag of ice that we have chipped out of the lake in the vestibule of the tent and then pull from that for our daily water supply. Once the water has boiled, we eat our delightful breakfast, consisting of granola or oatmeal and enjoy a hot drink. Today, Abby tossed the gear out of the tent door while I busied myself packing the sled. In order to save time and energy, we keep our sleeping bags and pads zipped inside a bivy sack and then those get packed on the sleds fully extended. The group has made a pact to be out of the tents by 8 a.m., ready to pack up sleds. It wouldn't be enjoyable for the group to have to wait out in the cold while someone was late packing up their gear. After the loads are latched down, we harness and hook up the dogs, pack up the chain tie outs and off we go in a mad dash out of camp.

The traditional trail from Iqaluit to Pangnirtung includes over 300 Inukshuks (traditional Inuit navigational rock cairns) on the hills near the route. Today we travelled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., a total of 17 miles. Our goal is to eventually travel 25-30 miles per day. Today the gusty winds hit us on our left side and the sun was beaming at us on the right as we travelled east. We actively manage our body temperature by adding and taking off layers during the day depending on our level of activity. Fur ruffs on the collars of our parkas help cut the wind and shade our eyes from the bright sun. Today, knee-deep snow awaited us on the trail, which is especially challenging since most of the time we are walking or running with a hold on the sled uprights to help ease the load for our dogs. Eventually, we hope to be on skis but for now, the terrain is a bit challenging and often requires two people to push the sled uphill and and over the many rocks in our path. Today, we stopped for lunch at around 12 p.m. Lukie, Simon and Theo built a snow shelter and cooked up some fish soup to share, while the dogs napped in the sun.

After much exertion, we arrived at camp just as the sun was dipping behind the hills and the sky was turning pink in the east. Sunset here lasts for a couple hours at this time of year and is a beautiful sight to behold. Tonight we all stopped for a moment to enjoy the alpenglow and Simon even climbed a nearby hill to get a better view. The focus soon turned to our hardworking dogs who get staked out and fed right away. They savor their 1.5 pound block of high energy dog food. We build snow walls to help protect them from the ever-present wind. Tents go up, thoughts turn to dinner and rest. The northern lights are out tonight, along with bright stars and a waxing moon. The dogs are tucked nose-under-tail and time has come for sleep.

Nancy Moundalexis, signing out.