above the artic circle

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Above the Arctic Circle

eBook Edition

by Brian Lawrenson

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Title: Above the Arctic Circle

Author: Brian Lawrenson, owns the copyright to the material in thiseBook. 2010 Brian Lawrenson

Smashwords Photo Edition

ISBN: 978-1-921814-41-9

Published: September 2010 Smashwords.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook

may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to

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the hard work of this author.


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Ive never seen myself as an Artic Adventurer. Antarctic perhaps, but

Artic no.

Where is the Artic anyway? Is the Polar Region the same as the Arctic?

Where is the North Pole? Who discovered the North Pole? If the earth

reverses its magnetic fields occasionally, why isnt the North Pole,

down under? Who decided that the North Pole is at the top of the

world? I knew nothing of the answers to these questions when I

started on my quest to become an Arctic Adventurer.

However, hanging in my den, there is a plaque that confirms that Jill

and Brian Lawrenson having crossed the Artic Circle have been

accepted for membership of the exclusive Polar Bear Chapter, Order of

Arctic Adventurers. It is given under the hand and seal of the Chief

Adventurer, John H Parker, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories,

Canada.

My wife Jill and my travelling companion for 40 years have visited

Canada on a number of occasions between 1988 and 2004. One of these

visits was to the community at Resolute Bay. Resolute Bay is a remote

Inuit community and communications base located on the south most tip

of Cornwallis Island, in north western Canada. It is above the Arctic

Circle and it is the most northern airport in the world and the

staging post for many expeditions to the North Pole. This is the story

of our visit to Resolute Bay and some of the unusual experiences that

we experienced there.

***

We came across Resolute Bay by accident. Our trip there started, as

many adventures do, with a large map of Canada spread out on our

dining room table. We had just found out that in six weeks time wed

be going to Canada on an Award trip for the computer company, where I

worked. Being allowed an extra week or two to travel in Canada, I had


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found out that the most cost effective way to do this was to use the

Air Canada multi-pass coupon system. At that time, there was a special

promotion with a six coupon Pass for less than $500. The question that

I was researching was: where could we go for our money? The longest

leg was Montreal to Resolute Bay.

When I discussed this with Jill, she asked, How far is that? Now I

didnt know but a few more minutes on the Web turned up the answer:

Six and a half hours flying time from Montreal. Sitting on anaircraft for six hours didnt appeal to her. What will we see when

we get there? I didnt know, but after a few more minutes on the web

and I had found the web site for High Arctic International Explorer

Services Ltd in Resolute Bay. The name sounded interesting and there

was a phone number.

Having first worked out the time difference between Australia and

Canada, I dialled the number. A rather Indian sounding voice answered

and I launched into my hurriedly prepared list of questions: Do you

have accommodation? What is there to do when we get there? How

cold is it? How much will it cost? and so on. The answers wereencouraging. Once Jill realised that Resolute Bay was on the North

West passage, which she recalled studying at school, she was in favour

and I could now make arrangements for our other travels in Canada.

The six weeks passed and we were soon airborne en-route to Chicago. As

always we tried to pack as much variety into our travels as time and

money allowed, we had decided that this would be the fist stop on our

travels. I had read about a boutique hotel in Chicago that warranted

our interest. It was called Palmer House. Built in 1925 (and

remodelled in 2004), this 25-story, Beaux Arts-style (now Hilton)

hotel features a two-story, gilded lobby with a formal staircase,

marble-topped tables, velvet seating, and a ceiling mural depictingscenes from Greek mythology. It is located two blocks from the Art

Institute in the business and theatre district.

Booking in, we could see from the lavish decorations of the foyer that

it was going to live up to our expectations. It was dusk and having

flown non-stop from Sydney, we badly needed a walk. Wed covered a few

blocks when I said to Jill; Have you noticed but there arent many

white people around? No white people, she responded. We headed

back to the hotel. When we picked up our key at reception, the

receptionist response was: You went waking around the neighbourhood

at night? Obviously this was not something that Palmer House guestsdid.

After a shower, wed decided that the next priority was a coffee.

Whilst enjoying the aroma and taste of freshly ground, real Italian

style coffee, we befriended a local who was attending a wedding. When

he learned that we were from Sydney, he responded; My Uncle Joseph

lives in Sydney, he couldnt come to the wedding but youve got to

come and meet the wedding guests. So we did. At times, it seemed like

we were part of the family and at least felt that wed been adopted.

It was an evening of laughter and fun, made even more special by the

friendly wedding guests and the lavish decorations in the Grand Ball

Room of Palmer House.


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majority of Americans had never been out of America, including going

to Canada, we were more careful about taking their travel advice. We

called a taxi. It would be there in fifteen minutes. Just time for a

beer and I felt that I had to reward the friendly communication

experts cum-travel agents for their advice. Now I was out of the

quarters and into the green stuff.

Jill who had been looking after our luggage and reading a book in the

comfort of the lounge whilst all this had been going on, was somewhattaken back when the taxi arrived. Yes, it had a taxi sign on the roof

but it seemed to have various appendages that made it look more like a

tank, including the camouflage paint job. We werent waiting for

another taxi - this was it.

Willing hands helped load our luggage in the boot. Sorry trunk. The

taxi driver turned out to be a Vietnam veteran. He would get us

across Detroit to our destination, the airport in the town of Windsor,

in Canada. As we settled into the rear seats, the driver turned to us

and through a hole in the (what was at one time) a clear plastic

screen, he announced the half inch thick steel plate behind my seatcant be penetrated by a 45. Not having a 45, which I assumed was

a type of firearm, this information didnt make my wife any more

comfortable. Once he found out that we were from Australia, he became

our best friend. Ive met lots of Aussies in Vietnam. They were our

mates there, Im going to repay their friendship by giving you a tour

of Detroit.

From the rare occasions when his hands and the steering wheel actually

met, we conclude that he must have been of Italian origin. He went to

great lengths to point out all the landmarks along the way, sometimes

using both hands to reinforce the point. The fact that the windows

were rather grimy didnt help us enjoy the view but as the 20 miles toDetroit sign went by, we decided that the polluted Detroit air was to

us the preferable of the two. We wound down the window, something that

hadnt been done for a long time, if ever. This just stirred up the

dust inside, so we decide that the filtered city view was better after

all. The redistributed dust had an odour that we hadnt noticed

before. Sort of like rotted carpets with an unhealthy dose of BO

thrown in. Perhaps wed have a little fresh air.

Fortunately the early evening traffic was light as all the people who

didnt want to be murdered or involved in a traffic accident, had gone

home. We were on a three lane highway. This gave the driver theopportunity to use all three lanes to show us the various horror

sites along the way - some were on the left (when he used the left

lane), some were on the right (when he used the right lane), if you

get the picture. As we neared what was obviously the downtown area,

wed already covered the Top Ten of the eight attractions that Detroit

had on offer, our driver asked, Do you want to know how bad life in

Detroit is? No, we didnt, but he was going to tell us anyway. After

passing the scene of about the fifth murder and eighth motor accident

fatality, we now beginning to wonder if the law of probability would

catch up with us and wed become the next victims.

We tried to focus our divers attention on the need to arrive inWindsor. Eventually he admitted I dont quite know where it is I


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havent been there before but there is an underground crossing into

Canada. This was helpful. Do you have a map? I asked, hopefully.

Used to have one but some bastard stole it from me, was his reply.

Soon afterwards, by following road signs and more by accident than

design, we arrived at the customs checkpoint on the US/Canadian

border. He showed his driving licence, we showed our passports. How

do we find the airport at Windsor?, I asked. Follow the signs, we

were told. We would look out for the signs. He would drive. As wedrove along, he said Hey, look at that, isnt that neat? Wow, look

theres no graffiti! Oh, this is such a beautiful place. Finally as

a summary of all that had gone before, he concluded, Oh, this is like

heaven, Detroit is like hell.

We kept our focus on the signs. It was now after nine and we didnt

know the exact time of our flight, so it was a great relief when we

drove through the gates of the Airport. We had arrived safely, after

all. We gingerly extracted our fingernails from their embedded

position in the door arm rests and Jill reappeared out of what at one

time had been velour upholstery, where shed been taking refuge. We

gave our bags a couple of good smacks there wasnt much sense intaking the dust on to Ottawa, anyway. Our, still friendly, taxi driver

had never had a fare that big and after adding a five dollar tip, I

didnt have much money left in my wallet, anyway. We thanked him and

hoped that he made it back to the USA.

We were famished. The snack bar was closed but the flight was at 9.45

pm. The lady behind the reservations desk said: Yes, there is

availability and yes, you can pay by credit card. Jill found some

nuts in her bag. Things were looking up. The flight was short and

uneventful which was good because wed used up our adrenaline supply

for the day. It was two bedraggled and exhausted travellers thatbooked themselves into the beautiful Chateau Laurier hotel.

The Chateau Laurier is an impressive classic luxury hotel that was

opened in 1912. It was designed by Charles Melville Hays of the Grand

Trunk Railway Company, later Canadian National Railways, a rival of

the Canadian Pacific Railway Company that built the other Chateaus.

These companies had plans to build grand hotels along the train route

across Canada. This was in the age of steam rail travel in the early

1900s. Ironically, Hays died on the Titanic just before the hotel was

opened. The hotel is named after a Prime Minister of Canada, Wilfred

Laurier. It was built in the same French Renaissance style as Quebecs

Chateau Frontenac and it certainly adds a sense of elegance todowntown Ottawa with its castle-like grandeur.

The hotel has a multitude of spacious corridors, public lounges and

lobbies. This allowed guests to wander about creating the illusion

that they are house guests of some wealthy family. One of the best

things about staying at this grand hotel is its location. On one side

of it, there is the majestic looking Parliament Buildings and on the

other side, in the heart of the city, next to the Rideau Canal, a

natural system of lakes and rivers made navigable by locks, dams and

canal cuts. Today it is a popular site of leisure activities such as

walking, boating and skating in winter.


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The following morning we ate a leisurely breakfast served in the Zo

dining room, which is the more casual of the Chateau Laurier's two

restaurants. We had a great view as the room has large windows that

look out at all the activities downtown.

After breakfast, we were off to view the Trooping of the Colours, a

display held in front of the Parliament building. The guardsmen were

splendid in their red tunics and bearskin hats, however Ive always

wondered how they could see where they were going probably they justfollow the person in front of them. Afterwards we visited to a number

of Ottawas downtown tourist attractions. But, after the adventures of

the previous day, we didnt have the energy so we retreated to the

comfort and elegance of the Chateau Laurier Hotel. Later in our

travels, we were to visit or stay at a number of other Chateau hotels.

Late that afternoon, after a comfortable train trip, we booked into

the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The six days of the conference

was loads of fun and a fair reward for twelve months of hard work. The

first evening was a fabulous Getting to know you party. The 2,000

delegates mixed with musicians, clowns, performers and cartoonists.

Food stalls, each representing a province of Canada, served delicious

fare. Beer, wine and spirits flowed freely. We still have the

caricatures sketched that night, hanging on our bedroom wall. The

Awards Ceremony went off smoothly and on our last evening all the men

dressed up in cream dinner jackets and the ladies in elegant formal

gowns for a Farewell Ball. It was a grand occasion and we and ourpartners looked the part.


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We had enjoyed Canadian hospitality and had included spending a couple

of free evenings exploring the Jazz Clubs down by the Montreal docks.

Sadly, the fun had to end and after bidding our work colleagues and

newly-met friends, farewell, we set of on the next leg of our Canadian

adventure, the train trip to Quebec and two nights at the Chateau

Frontenac.

Quebec is smaller than Montreal and also has a strong French

influence. It has a rich history and many terrific touristattractions. We visited as many as we could fit in, in two days. Apart

from staying at the Frontenac, which was like living in Disneyland, a

highlight of our stay was the lunch at the little French restaurant,

La Vendome, in the lower city part of Quebec. We tried escargot

snails. They were delicious. The two days just became a blur of

tourist activities and suddenly it was time for our flight to Resolute

Bay. We departed Montreal at 21.05.

***

As we neared Resolute, as it is called, from our window seats at

31,500 feet, we had a terrific view of the sun rising over a cloudbank that covered the whole Arctic mass below. Soon we were descending

through the clouds to a touchdown on the runway at Resolute.

Our host, Bezal Jesudason, was there to meet us and to our surprise he

told us that hed been born in southern Indian. His mother tongue was

Tamil, but he also spoke four other Indian languages, as well as

German and English. He also spoke Inuktitut, the local language. He

was an engineer and he had come to Canada in 1968 seeking the

opportunities that Canada offered. He had met his wife Terry, a

Canadian, when they were working at the even more remote community of

Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island.As we signed the register at the High Artic International Explorer

Lodge, Terry, said: Oh, youre from Sydney, you must the know Dick

and Pip Smith, Now Dick and his wife are well known Australians but

so yes we did know of them but no we didnt live near them. Dick had

used Resolute as his logistics base for his attempts to be the first

person to fly a helicopter to the North Pole.

Dick Smith is one of Australia's best known businessmen and

adventurers. He's also well known as an aviator - he holds such

records as the first trans-Tasman balloon crossing, the first solo

helicopter flight around the world and the first helicopter flight tothe North Pole.

One of the most fascinating stories about Dick is when he towed an

iceberg into Sydney Harbour. He was interviewed by Richard Fidler on

Australians ABC Television. His explanation of motives was as

follows; "I wanted the publicity for Dick Smith Electronics and

someone had worked out you could tow an iceberg to the Middle East to

provide water for Saudi Arabia, so I came up with the idea that I was

going to tow an iceberg into Sydney Harbour, cut it up into icecubes

and call them 'Dicksicles' and sell then for 10 cents each.

"This was just a joke, but the media actually fell for it. The various

journalists kept ringing me and saying, 'When is it happening?'... The

ABC rang and they said that they were chartering a plane to get a


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scoop on the iceberg. "On the day before April Fool's Day we towed a

big barge outside Sydney Heads and that night we draped a big sheet

over it and we put fire fighting foam and shaving cream... We towed it

through Sydney Heads. Id given my staff a list of the radio stations,

newspapers and TV stations and I said, 'You have to get up at 5am and

call them start saying, what's that coming in through the Heads, it

looks like an iceberg!' They fell for it. In the end it was on every

radio station that Dick Smith's iceberg was coming in... people drovean hour to look at the iceberg. As it came past the Opera House, Dick

received a call from the Navy who offered a moorings for the iceberg!

It had been the perfect Aprils Fool joke and Dick and his company did

very well out of it.

But more about Dick Smiths Arctic flying experiences. Flying a

helicopter to the North Pole is not exactly as straight forward as it

seems. Firstly, there is no pole at the geographic north pole. If you

need one, you have to take your own. The pole is situated on a number

of ice-flows. These can drift up to four miles a day. The Magnetic

North Pole is a moving target too. It is closer to Resolute, about 300

miles but it moves around too. It moves in an arc of approximately 90miles. There are lots of other physical difficulties about flying in

the artic, one of which is a lack of a horizon on most days. Dick left

Resolute on 24th July 1987 and arrived at the North Pole on 5th August.

His route was eighty nautical miles to Alert for refuelling. At Alert

there is a signpost erected on the spot were Robert E Perry, who is

believed to be the first person to reach the North Pole, started his

journey in 1909. Dicks route took him over Hunt Island and then eight

hundred and sixty miles to the Pole.

Yes, the North Pole was made for adventurers like Dick Smith, or

perhaps it should be the other way round.When we arrived at Resolute, we knew very little about the Artic. Now

we were learning fast. There is a season for adventurers who want to

be the first to arrive at the North Pole. The season starts in late

February and ends when the ice melts in May. Earlier in the year that

we were there, a French Micro-lite Expedition had succeeded in

reaching the Pole on May, 4th. When we were there, there was a group

attempting to be the first to windsurf to the Pole. They failed.

The North Pole is one of the most unusual places on the Earth. The sun

is always overhead from Spring to Fall regardless of the hour of the

day or night. The sun only rises once each year and sets once a yearat the Pole. All lines of longitude meet at this point. You can walk

around the world in only a few steps. I was wondering as to whether

you would revisit yesterday as you pass through all the time zones of

the world after walking in a clockwise direction. I never did find

out.

Every direction you face is South and all winds blow South. It gets

cold at the North Pole. Typically -20C to -60C but this can be

increased by 50% by the wind chill factor.

We were to find out that Resolute is located on the south coast of

Cornwallis Island in the Queen Elizabeth Islands. It was named afterthe H.M.S. Resolute, one of the ships in the ill-fated Franklin search


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expedition of 1845. Cornwallis Island was one of the last known places

circled by Franklin before his expedition sailed southward and

disappeared forever. The Inuit name for Resolute is Qausuittuq which

means Seagull nesting place. Later, we were told it meant place

with no dawn, so you can take your pick.

We found out that there are lots of things to do at Resolute. It

offers unique arctic adventures. At the right time of the year, you

can try a five-day husky-sledge ride with igloo camping journey over

the frozen ice to the community of Grise Fiord. If the history

intrigues you, try snowmobiling expeditions onto the frozen sea ice of

the famous Northwest Passage. Dog team trips and polar ice cap tours

are also available.

Resolute is also an excellent location for marine wildlife watching.

Pods of beluga and narwhal can be seen from Resolute's beach as they

head to their summer feeding grounds. Ellesmere National Park Reserve

and Polar Bear Pass National Wildlife Area are both easily accessed by

air from Resolute Bay.

Local Intuits still hunt for seal, caribou and fish whilst

professional hunters hunt polar bears. A quota system ensures that the

polar bears arent hunted out. Whilst we were there, the untarred

roads were snow free but we were told this only lasted for about four

weeks a year, after which the ski-dos or snowmobiles are the main form

of transport. Dog teams are still used but now they are kept by a few

families rather than in earlier time each family had a team. The dogslive outdoors and seem to be tied up most of the time. We found them a


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little fierce and not the clean and friendly husky that wed see in

the promotion photographs. We kept our distance.

Terry ran the accommodation side of the business and the Lodge was

more of a home away from home than a hotel. We were amazed at the

interesting people staying at the Lodge. There was group of keen

Canadian fishermen who just flew in from some remote location, where

theyd been fishing for Artic Char. Three nights in sub-zero

temperatures sleeping in tents on a rocky shore obviously was a smallprice to pay for the experience. The fish were an impressive size and

Terry cooked one for dinner that night. They couldnt have been any

fresher.

Then there was a quite amazing lady well in to her nineties who had

been a American nuclear physicist. She told us that she was in Whoswho in America. Her new husband of two years was more typical of his

age group, was wondering just where all that energy came from. One

time, we were taken somewhere across town by four wheeled quad bike.

Jill and I rode behind the driver. Not her, she wanted to drive. Lets

hope that weve got that much energy when we get to her age.

Another interesting guest was Shinji Kazama, a Japanese traveller, who

was the first person to ride a motor bike to the North Pole. A 200cc

Yamaha. He had achieved this feat on April, 21, 1987. In 1992, he also

made it to the South Pole. He was staying at the Lodge with his

family. We have this wonderful photo of him cuddling his son. He had

rather long shaggy hair and he looks very much like a black haired

bear. He was researching locations for further motor bike travels in


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the Arctic and Greenland. He certainly was an interesting character

and perhaps only our lack of a common language, prevented us learning

more about each other.

After diner that evening, we sat around the comfortable lounge and I

skimmed through the extensive library of books about the North Pole.

The more I read, the greater became my appreciation of the efforts of

the early explorers to be the first to do anything related to the

North Pole.

Although Robert E Perry, an arctic traveller and Navy civil engineer,

is regarded as having been the first person to reach the North Pole,

but an American medical doctor, Frederick A Cook, claims to have

reached the Pole with two Eskimo companions on 21st April 1908. A

break-up of the ice had forced him and his companions to over-winter

in the ice-flows living off fish and meagre rations, before they

returned to civilisation to announce their achievement. Robert Peary

arrived at the North Pole with five travel companions on 6-7th 1909

and labelled Cook a fake. Cook had sold his story to the New York

Herald and Perry account appeared in the then-struggling New YorkTimes. Very soon the two became involved in a dispute that still goes

on today. Perry won the battle and his supporters helped him be

promoted to become a Navy Admiral and retired on a pension. Cook

outlived Perry but spent six years in Leavenworth for what many

believe was a trumped up charge of mail-fraud and was not able to

follow up his claims. A book Return from the Pole by historian

Frederick J Pohl did much to balance the ledger but the National

Geographic Society remained unconvinced, so Perrys is still regarded

as being the first person to discover the North Pole.

However, there had been earlier attempts to reach the North Pole. The

first of these was by a Swedish engineer, Salomon A Andree. His planwas to fly in a hydrogen-filled balloon to the North Pole. He and two

companions departed from Danes Island (near Spitsbergen) on July 11th,

1897 but he disappeared somewhere over the ice-pack. His remains and

diaries were found in 1930 on a remote White Island.

The leader of the first party to reach the South Pole in 1911, Roald

Amundsen, was one of the next explorers to try his hand using a series

of flights to try to reach the North Pole. Some came close but it

wasnt until in 1926, a US Navy Lieutenant Commander, Richard Byrd and

pilot Floyd Bennett left from Kings Bay in a triple motor Fokker

aircraft. After 15 and a half hours they returned claiming that it wastoo rough to land at the North Pole and had returned to Spitsbergen.

Within a year, both men were awarded the US Congressional Medal of

Honor. Soon afterwards controversy dogged their claim as a number of

aviators claimed that their flight was physically impossible. More

recent investigations reveal that the pilots may have made a number of

navigation errors. Such then was the primitive nature of Polar

navigation.

A few days after Byrd and Bennett returned, Amundsen and Lincoln

Ellsworth boarded the Italian-made dirigible, Norge, left Spitsbergen

heading for the Pole. On May 12 (or 13 depending upon which side of

the international date line you are on) they flew the dirigible over


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the Pole. Amundsen claimed to be the first person the visit both the

North and South Pole.

A little known Australian explorer, George Wilkins and Alaskan bush

pilot, Carl Eilson became the first pilots to claim to have flown a

power aircraft over the North Pole. Both men became instant

celebrities. Shortly after this a series of tragedies occurred that

killed a number of leading explorers including Amundsen. In the late

1930s, the Russians now entered the field with a series of amazinglong distance flights - one was 62 and a half hours, some 5,500 miles

(8,851 kilometers). In 1948, the Russians landed three aircraft at

exactly 90 degrees N Latitude. This was the first time an aircraft had

actually touched down at the Pole.

In 1965, the Rockwell Polar Flight competition resulted in the first

person flying over both the North and South Poles in a single flight.

This was the start of an era which unique flights, re-enactment

flights and others like Dick Smiths to be the first to fly a

helicopter to the North Pole, became the challenge. All these stories

make fascinating reading.

On the second day of our visit, it turned out to be the day the boat

came in. One day each year, Resolute, has a visit by a supply ship.

Every other need is flown in. But if you want a new car, ski-do,

refrigerator (well their should be less demand for these really),

building materials, fuel, bulk supplies then you order them in advance

and they get delivered ex Montreal on a supply ship. The boat was due

in mid-morning. A Canadian Navy ice-breaker patrolled the entrance to

the Bay. This year, it wouldnt be needed.


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We were up early to visit a number of Thule historic locations. The

Thule culture started about 1000 years ago and the people drifted

eastwards from Alaska to Canada. We visited a number of preserved

sites and it was interesting to learn how they had survived in this

remote and desolate part of the world. On the way back we stopped at

the site of a crashed F27 airliner. It was only lightly damaged and

the twelve passengers and two crew had walked away from the crash

unhurt. But the structural damage made it too difficult to repair andthe wreck was abandoned to the elements. But the freezing temperature

and the aluminium construction have weathered rather well. In fact,

the blasts of freezing Polar air, sleets and snow have polished the

aluminium to a radiant reflective coat and it looks strange just

standing there looking ready to take off. This aircraft has often

appeared in photographs as a icon of the remote Resolute Bay.

Bezal wanted us back early to watch the arrival of the supply ship.

The ice-breaker wouldnt be used this year as the ice had broken up in

the Bay and only a small number of icebergs remained dotting the

shoreline. Outside the temperature was a few degrees above freezing.

Fortunately the wind and seas were calm. We asked, Where does theship tie up? as we could see no sign of a jetty.

An hour later our questions were answered. A quite large red hulled

cargo ship with towering derricks steamed into view. It dropped front

and rear anchors and soon four long cables were passed ashore and each

of these were attached to a large caterpillar tractor which manoeuvred

until the cable was taunt. A flat barge was produced from somewhere.

This providing a stable landing platform with a ramps to the shore.

The ship used its derricks to off-load the items onto the platform.

Soon piles of goods were assembled on a landing area ashore. People

where everywhere, the officials, perhaps customs people, were busywith the paperwork. It was a festive occasion with lots of the local

population on the shore and landing dock. As new items like cars and

ski-dos were landed these was a spirited discussion about the merits,

colours and usefulness of the items. Then they were taken home by

their proud new owners. This process continued until quite late in the

afternoon.

That afternoon, we met an Australian nurse who worked at the islands

hospital and were invited to a party that night after the supply ship

had departed. It must have been around eleven oclock but the sun

still hadnt set, wed lost our sense of time. We enjoyed meeting many

of the locals and learning from them what they had received off theship. Just about every family received something. The list was

extensive and included many household items like televisions,

furniture, clothing and the like. Although there is a local store, The

Hudson Bay Trading Store, many of the items had been ordered from mail

catalogues. The community is relatively small, with less than three

hundred people living there. These included the local Inuit

population, the staff of the weather station, the people who ran the

(usually government) service facilities and the people who ran the

tourist facilities. In 2006 the Inuit population was recorded as being

229. Everyone was really excited and keen to discuss with their

friends and neighbours, details of their most recent acquisitions.


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The highlight of our third day was a visit to the communications base

and the airport area. Located in portable building called The

Office, separate from the main airport terminal, is the control

centre to a handful of light aircraft pilots and flight engineers.

They fly small planes to all parts of the Artic often in the most

impossible conditions. This band of quite and unassuming men have

supplied countless expeditions in their attempts to reach the North

Pole. These include expeditions for such people as Robert Swan, thefirst person to walk to both Poles. And many others. One of the pilots

was Karl. He has been flying Twin Otters in the Artic for more than

thirty years. When asked about his rescue attempts, he replied: We do

it, its our job. When asked how many times he has been to the Pole,

he couldnt remember. Sixty or perhaps more times, he said in

typical understatement. He didnt understand the attraction of the

Pole. He said; Ellesmere Island and places like it are worth

visiting. Youll see fox, musk ox and polar bears but at the Pole

there is nothing. Not only does Karl and his fellow pilots save lives

but he makes dreams come true too. Many people have dreamed about

visiting these remote and forbidding places - those few who can affordit, with Karls help, it is a dream come true.

In the Office the radio crackles constantly, either on calls or

waiting for calls. The base manager and co-workers sit around drinking

coffee. There is a lot of sitting around but when the call comes, they

fly. The planes outside arent under cover. They are out in the open

both winter (although covered) and summer. Alcohol is thrown over the

wings to de-ice them, when necessary, we were told. The pilots swap

stories and use the large map of the Artic on the wall to make their

points. Lots of photographs of their customers, the explorers, adorn

the walls too. It hasnt been done yet, so how about being the first

person to walk to the Pole with a wheelbarrow someone suggested. OK,

if you can supply the wheelbarrow, I joked back. Perhaps they had a

surplus of wheelbarrows. We all laughed.

Im not certain what has happened to the air operations since our stay

at Resolute but the Twin Otters must now be beyond their use by

date. Karl and the other more experienced pilots, hopefully they will

have handed over to a younger generation. But no doubt the same cycle

of polar exploration and adventure travel continues that there will be

a role for these brave men. In my mind, these men will always be the

unsung heroes of the North Pole.


16/24

Upon arrival back at the Lodge, we met a rather interesting Canadian

couple, Stan and Kay. They had just returned from kayaking with a

group of seven on North Baffin Island and they were kind enough to

send us a copy of their photographs. They had seen icebergs every day

and had been able to paddle right up to them. The area that theytravelled was stark with little vegetation but at times, beautiful.

Often the mountain tops were snow covered. On days of high winds, they

hiked or climbed the local mountains. They hadnt seen a soul other

than their party, since they had been dropped on the Island by light

plane until the time that they were picked up.

Later that afternoon, we packed up our bags and Bezal took us back to

the airport where we caught our six hour flight back to

civilization. The High Artic is a special place and before we

departed Terry gave us the plaque to acknowledge our visit. Certainly

we had increased our knowledge, wed made some new friends and wepromised ourselves that one day wed travel by dog sleigh, sleep in an

igloo and see some polar bears in the wild.


17/24

Our next leg of our journey took us on to Calgary, the home of the

famous Calgary stampede. We spent a dizzy forty eight hours visiting

Jills brother, Deryk and his wife Marie, who live in Calgary. It was

hectic, visiting Deryks favourite fishing spots, friends, exploring

down-town and enjoying some excellent restaurants. We then flew on to

Castlegar, a small regional airport, to visit my cousin who lives in

Trail. The City of Trail is situated on the Columbia River in the West

Kootenay region of British Columbia, 9 kilometres north of the Canada-

USA border.

Trail is the home of Cominco Ltds lead-zinc smelter complex, the

largest one of its kind in the world.

The next morning we set off to spend three amazing days touring the

beautiful Rockies. Our first stop was at the city of Banff. Located in

the Banff National Park, it sits along the raging Bow River in the

heart of the Canadian Rockies. Following a visit to the tourist office

to get maps, we started our exploration with a walk round the

Vermillion Lakes. This took us an hour and a half through scented pine

and fir forests. There were lots of photo opportunities and we were

pleased that wed taken the binoculars as there were lots of birds,

even eagles, to be seen. At a distance we saw beaver, muskrat and the

mountain sheep and as we talked along the trails we were wondering

what else might pop out of the woods.

Our walk brought us back to the 110-year-old fairy tale castle - the

Banff Springs Hotel. This imposing, dramatic looking hotel sits in the

middle of a forest of fir trees surrounded by lakes and a beautiful

golf course. It must be a golfers dream location. It has eight first-

class restaurants and lounges, indoor and outdoor pools and a fabulous

spa. All in a postcard setting within walking distance of downtown

Banff. The historic grandeur of the group of hotels (now owned by the

Fairmont chain) developed to provide the national railway hotels isunsurpassed in Canada and all, especially the Banff Springs Hotels,


18/24

are absolutely first-class by worldwide standards. To visit one is to

experience a piece of Canadian history.

It was time for lunch. We checked out the eating establishments at the

Banff Springs Hotel and decided that wed eat at the Bow Valley Grill.

Apart from the superb food, the Grill has great views overlooking the

Fairholme mountain range. It has a unique fifty foot open kitchen that

allowed us to talk to the chefs while our meals were being

prepared. It had a relaxing atmosphere and great dcor that celebratedthe spirit of the outdoors, with handcrafted mountain animal

sculptures and tables constructed by local Alberta artisans, featuring

the region's timbers.

As we were coming out after lunch, a wedding party was busy with a

photo session on the north terrace of the hotel with its stunning

views of the forests and mountains behind. A very smart looking

Canadian Mountie in the red tunic was in attendance. It was a truly

beautiful setting and Jill and I decided that if we ever got married

again, that this was where wed like to have the wedding.

We were deciding whether we should climb Tunnel Mountain or SulphurMountain. Both were nearby. We settled on climbing Tunnel Mountain and

then taking the gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. The former

was a two and a half kilometer hike to the summit of Tunnel Mountain

at 1690 m (5545 ft). The switchbacks up the west side of Tunnel

Mountain provided an easy path to the top. As we gained height, the

vistas to the west over the town and toward the Vermilion Lakes and

Mount Bourgeau became more extensive. At the summit there were

sweeping views up and down the Bow Valley.

Despite its name, there is no tunnel in Tunnel Mountain. The name

originated with the at-times impetuous Major Rogers, who initiallylaid out a line for the westward-progressing Canadian Pacific Railway

that was to run right through the mountain, an obstacle that he

proposed be breached by blasting a tunnel. As it transpired, a less

expensive route in the valley to the north was found and there was no

longer a need to use the dynamite, however the name has remained.

As the shadows started to lengthen we were ready for our Gondola ride

up Sulphur Mountain. The ride took eight minutes to the top about

2,281 meters (7,486 feet) above sea level. After arriving at the upper

terminal, we went outside to enjoy the breathtaking views. The late

afternoon light was ideal for photography and we moved to the upper

observation deck for the best views. Several scenic hiking trailslead away from the summit complex, but it was getting late and we were

hiked out anyway. We had decided upon a cabin stay in Banff rather

than one of the more conventional hotels. This too was a uniquely

Canadian experience.


19/24

The next day we took a detour to the Yoho National Park, British

Colombia, to see BCs second highest waterfall, the Takakakkaw Falls.

It was spectacular. Later, we had a coffee stop at the caf of theEmerald Lake Lodge, where there was the most jaw dropping views of the

Emerald Lake with the fir forests, hill and mountains behind. As I was

paying the bill, I asked How much? The waiter replied A million

dollars; twenty three dollars for the coffee and the rest for the

view. It was worth it.

Before we headed towards the Lake Louise Hotel to book in, we just had

time for another detour, this time to the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The

scenic road wound up to Moraine Lake which was ringed by ten peaks

each over 3,000 m (10,000 feet). My camera was in over-drive and I was

rapidly running out of film. As we walked round the edge of the lake,I remember the Emerald Lake Lodge surrounded by this picture postcard

alpine setting. Nearby there were canoes, awaiting customers. Sadly,

there is a limit to how much one could pack in to a day; it was check

in time. The stunning Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is perched upon a

blue and green glacier lake, nestled amidst the Rocky Mountains. The

hotel terrace directly fronts Mount Victoria through a gap in the

mountains opposite. Later, as the sun set, the mountain was to change

colours through yellow, orange, purple and then blue. Our room didnt

have a view of the lake but rather of the pine forests but this was

still attractive, and for us, interesting. Before dinner we took

another walk along the path by the side of the lake and I took some


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great photos looking back with the hotel surrounded by forests, framed

in the branches of a fir tree.

Our last day in the Banff National Park was spent following the

Icefield Parkway that runs from Lake Louise to Jasper. We stopped at

the Colombian Icefield Centre and took a tour of the Athabasca Glacier

in specially designed buses with huge tires. These are now called

Snowcoaches. The tour was to be the highlight of the day. We were

awed by the size of the glacier and the surrounding peaks that aresome of the largest in the Rockies.

We had collected a brochure at the Tourist office that told you how to

deal with meeting a bear on the trial - both black and grizzly bears

inhabit the front and backcountry areas of the Canadian Rockies.

According to the brochure, in order to minimize encounters with bears

that could endanger your life and that of the bear, it suggested that

we follow the following guidelines: Make plenty of noise to ensure you

will not have a surprise encounter with a bear - whistle, sing, clap

your hands or holler every now and again, especially when travelling

through thick brush, near streams, on avalanche slopes and throughberry patches. Clapping and making noises like the classic pig call

(soooouuuEEE) tend to travel farther in windy, noisy (creeks are

surprising noisy) environments. Keep your eyes open for any sign of

bears - tracks, diggings etc. so the brochure said. We were left

wondering if the bears had been given the brochure to read.

After our Snowcoach ride, we spent the rest of the day exploring the

area around the Jasper National Park. The highlight of this was our

visit to Bow Summit and Peyto Lake (40 km from Lake Louise). Bow

Summit is the highest point on the parkway, at 2088 meters above sea

level. The lake is surrounded by dense fir forests and lower down, by

alpine meadows. A short walk from the parking area took us to aviewpoint overlooking the blue and green Peyto Lake. This sight really

took my breath away. The water is pale blue with a slight green tint.

The lake is surrounded by fir forests backed by steep slopes that

gradually become treeless at the elevation increases, to the mountain

peaks behind. In the foreground there were the remains of an

astonishing display of alpine flowers that were just past their best.

We just sat on some rocks and soaked up the scene. It was magnificent

- the Canadian Rockies at its very best. And the amazing thing was

that the locations were so accessible by car off the major highways.

Saying farewell to the Rockies, our final leg took us on to the cityof Vancouver. We had booked in at the Westin Bayside Resort near

Stanley Park. This hotel had been made famous by the stay of Howard

Hughes in the 1970s. Ive always found Howard Hughes an interesting

character and Ive read quite a bit about him. He certainly knew what

he wanted and how to get it. Born in Texas in 1905 Hughes was at times

a pilot, a movie producer, a playboy, an eccentric and one of the

wealthiest men in the world. In my mind, one of his greatest

endeavours was the building of the Spruce Goose, a flying boat built

out of timber. It had been commissioned by the USA government as a

troop carrier (750 soldiers or 3 Sherman tanks). It was completed just

after the second world war. It flew only once with Howard at thecontrols. What is amazing about it, is its size it was 66.65 m


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length (218 feet) with a wingspan of 97.5m (319 feet). When compared

with a modern Boeing 747 with a wingspan of 70.4m and an Airbus A380

with a wingspan of 73 m, it shows just how amazing this aircraft was.

Today it is part of the Evergreen Aviation Museum. Considering that it

flew in 1945,some sixty five years ago, it certainly was ahead of its

time. And a credit to the men who built it.

We just had time to explore Stanley Park, one of our favourite walks

in Vancouver, before our flight back to Australia the next day. This

oasis of one thousand acres of parkland is very close to the downtown

area of Vancouver but somehow far enough to make one feel that you are

in the wilderness. Wed chosen to do the nine kilometer (5.5 miles)

circuit of the park. As we walked, just off the pathway, we wererather amused at the sight of a large cannon standing inside a metal

cage. Apparently the cage was built to stop the Engineers at

University of British Colombia whod kept on stealing it for a prank.

This is the famous Nine Oclock gun which, we were told, is fired

every night at nine oclock. Funny, I cant remember hearing it. Other

than the few spots that are especially suited to viewing the

surrounding panoramas, we kept up a good pace. Whilst we were at

Brockton Point we observed a cruise ship coming in after cruising the

Inside Passage. We made a mental note that that is something that we

were going to do one day. Well we did, and youll find this story in

my book, Cruising the Inner Passage and Alaska.


22/24

We passed the swimming area of English Bay. It was getting late and

the swimmers had departed for the day. We were quite amazed at the

cluster of apartments behind English Bay in an area called West End.

This is supposed to be the highest density of high rise units in

America. Thank you, we prefer Stanley Park. After a coffee stop to

keep us energized at Denman Street, it was back to the Westin. Over

dinner that night, we reflected upon our two weeks in Canada. We had

had a wonderful vacation and decided that we liked Canada. It is sucha clean, organised and pleasant place. Yes, we would come back but

thats another series of stories.

@@The End@@

For more information:

Marco Polo Press

Sydney, Australia and

San Mateo, California, USA

www.marcopolopress.com

By the same author:

Paperback: Following Marco Polos Silk Road

Second Edition Published February 2010

Paperback: 344 pages

ISBN: 978-1-43924-942-0

Also available as an eBook

List of eBooksStraw Hats and Bicycles Travels in Vietnam and Cambodia

Cruising the Inside Passage Alaska


The Grand Canyon and Beyond

Rockets, mice and men

Silk Road eBook Series

Journey from Venice

Syria and Jordan Adventures

China Silk Road Adventures

Secrets of the Terracotta Warriors

Journey to Lhasa Tibet

Istanbul and Travels in Turkey

Beijing City of Emperors

The Golden Road to Samarkand

Travelling in Rajasthan by Taxi

Travels in North Western Pakistan and Kalashia

The I Love Lukla ClubSouth America eBook Series

Machu Picchu and the Incas


23/24

Cruising Cape Horn and Patagonia

The Secrets of Easter Island

Brazil Beaches and Waterfalls

Upcoming Titles

Grand Canyon and Beyond

Hawaii Aloha

New Zealand The Land of the Great White Cloud

Cruising New ZealandCruising South Pacific

Beautiful Villages of England

Vienna Explored

Prague Explored

These are products ofMarco Polo Press

Offices in Sydney, Australia and San Mateo, California, USA

A company dedicated to providing books for people who enjoy travelling

and reading about travel and history.

About the Author

Brian Lawrenson was born in Yorkshire, brought up in Port Elizabeth,

South Africa. After hitch-hiking round UK and Europe in the 1960s he

met and married his New Zealand born wife, Jill, in London and

migrated to Australia in 1968. Since then they have travelled to more

than 70 countries.

Apart from travels in the Australia, including the Red Centre; they

have explored New Zealand; visited the Islands of the Pacific;

journeyed through the Middle East, across Central Asia and China;

criss-crossed Canada and stayed in the remote Resolute Bay; discovered

the beauty of over 20 states of the USA; exploring the Inca trails of

South America and cruised round Cape Horn; and visited many of the

countries of the Far East including Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

And lots more.

Brian and Jill live in their favourite city, Sydney.

Brian Lawrenson is a traveller, writer, speaker and the author of

Following Marco Polos Silk Road. He is also runs the small

independent publishing house Marco Polo Press. Marco Polo Press is a

member of the Independent Book Publisher Association (IBPA). Brian

Lawrenson is a member of the Australian Society of Authors and a

number of Travel Writers Associations. He has been featured on TV,

Radio, in magazines and local newspapers.


24/24

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