March 27, 2012
Floe Edge and M/V Ithica
I'm a huge fan of juxtaposition - placing two objects along side one another. And today didn't disappoint.
Our objectives were simple. The Floe edge and the M/V Ithica. We found the floe edge (the edge of the ice and beginning of the water) much closer than the last time I had been to Churchill. In fact, the amount of open water was astounding. There would be no way to ride on the ice shelf to the north along the bay as I had originally hoped for one of my training rides.
It was relatively warm so none of us was in any particular hurry. The line at which ice meets water is breathtaking. Slabs of ice pressured in lines and arcs. Some sheets lay overlapped and others folded until they crack. Other spots ice has rubbled together forming a jumbled mix of shapes. For a long time, we watched a bearded seal bob up and down in the water trying to determine if we might be a polar bear or not.
Approaching the the M/V Ithica - a 1920's freighter that ran aground in 1960-something - from the distance was truly astounding. A huge bulk of a ship, it's rusting carcass is all that remains. Frozen in time and the sea ice, it's presence in this pristine environment seems so out of place.
The overall snow and ice conditions have been a little surprising. I had been checking our weather prior to our departure for a couple of weeks and was surprised to see how warm it was in Churchill. Then, the town got pounded with a huge storm, high winds and snow. The result, a snow surface that is polished ice with about five inches of rotten snow underneath. (Normally, it would be hard packed snow and then powder on top). It's treacherous at best and we've added YakTrax to our permanent gear roster.
Snow biking in these conditions has been less than ideal. We have become experts at following wind packed drifts. Still, we regularly break through the crust and loose traction in the sugar snow beneath. It's frustrating. To salvage one day of riding, Tim and I followed a snowmobile trail out toward the airport toward an old plane wreck.
After heading out of town, we rode over a frozen lake. Big windblown swaths were smooth as glass and we pedaled effortlessly across.
Image: Stephanie's picture of the M/V Ithica frozen in time and in the snow.
Our objectives were simple. The Floe edge and the M/V Ithica. We found the floe edge (the edge of the ice and beginning of the water) much closer than the last time I had been to Churchill. In fact, the amount of open water was astounding. There would be no way to ride on the ice shelf to the north along the bay as I had originally hoped for one of my training rides.
It was relatively warm so none of us was in any particular hurry. The line at which ice meets water is breathtaking. Slabs of ice pressured in lines and arcs. Some sheets lay overlapped and others folded until they crack. Other spots ice has rubbled together forming a jumbled mix of shapes. For a long time, we watched a bearded seal bob up and down in the water trying to determine if we might be a polar bear or not.
Approaching the the M/V Ithica - a 1920's freighter that ran aground in 1960-something - from the distance was truly astounding. A huge bulk of a ship, it's rusting carcass is all that remains. Frozen in time and the sea ice, it's presence in this pristine environment seems so out of place.
The overall snow and ice conditions have been a little surprising. I had been checking our weather prior to our departure for a couple of weeks and was surprised to see how warm it was in Churchill. Then, the town got pounded with a huge storm, high winds and snow. The result, a snow surface that is polished ice with about five inches of rotten snow underneath. (Normally, it would be hard packed snow and then powder on top). It's treacherous at best and we've added YakTrax to our permanent gear roster.
Snow biking in these conditions has been less than ideal. We have become experts at following wind packed drifts. Still, we regularly break through the crust and loose traction in the sugar snow beneath. It's frustrating. To salvage one day of riding, Tim and I followed a snowmobile trail out toward the airport toward an old plane wreck.
After heading out of town, we rode over a frozen lake. Big windblown swaths were smooth as glass and we pedaled effortlessly across.
Image: Stephanie's picture of the M/V Ithica frozen in time and in the snow.