| Today is a real
sad day for me -- we are out of supplies -- actually down to our
last Freddy Chef dinners -- and we've been forced to return to
Resolute. There weren't any seals left for the dogs to eat and
we were unable to harvest any near the cracks in the last few
days. I'm not very impressed about having to come in off the ice.
Now that we're back at our motel I don't even know how to act.
I looked in the mirror and didn't even recognize myself. I have
half of a mustache and no eyebrows. It also feels strange using
a toilet for the first time in two weeks without having to worry
about frostbite on other parts of my body.
The Resolute Hilton
My guides have informed
me that they are having a meeting with the other hunting guides
tonight and that we would be leaving early tomorrow. I'm very
optimistic. We're going back onto the ice.
On our trip back to
town today, I could not believe how brutally cold it was. We left
early this morning and stayed steady all the way back. Only stopped
a couple times to snack on some stuff. This is probably the first
time I can say I actually got cold. When we got back to town,
I asked what the temperature was, and they told me it was 59 below
with the wind chill. So you can imagine what it's like out on
the ice. But I'm looking forward to getting back out again tomorrow
and get back after that big bear again. One thing that continues
to impress me is the endurance of the sled dogs. I can't believe
how tough they are. They just keep going and going and going.
It's incredible.
BBBBrrrrrrr
I only flipped off
the sled one time on the way back to town today. It was a gold
medal dive though. All you can do is laugh about it. If you aren't
hanging on all the time, it's easy to get thrown off. I'm usually
preoccupied because I'm always looking for bears. I'm not concentrating
on what I'm doing--next thing you know--I'm lying in a snow bank.
That's all part of the game. It's just like driving down the road
looking for deer--next thing you know, you're in the ditch.
Looking the Part
The other day I exposed
my face a little bit too long to the elements and I got frostbite.
I'm starting to look just like David does. In reality, it doesn't
really bother me, because I look like part of the "gang"
now. Everyone here has frostbite. I fit right in with them. A
couple more weeks on the ice and you won't be able to tell me
from an Inuit.
|
About
Ray
