34 miles to Little Moose Channel
Despite the ground blizzard that was blowing when we went to bed, it is clear at 7:00am. It's been a cold, windy night and in addition to my normal sleeping gear of an under layer of clothing, socks and hat, I donned a fleece to keep me warm. So it’s good to see the sun rising above the horizon.
We leave our frozen lake about noon, in relative chaos. We decide that “take off” will be from the snowmobiles rather than the usual pickets fixed into the ice. Unfortunately the dogs being used to following the snowmobile, decide that this is what they should do. So they double back to follow the snowmobile that they are hooked up to, rather than heading off into the distance. It all gets sorted out with a fair amount of swearing and cursing, and we are on our way.
It is very, very cold and windy, and this is one day that I add an extra outer layer. Once we’re in the Delta the weather starts to improve and with the sun out and the snow much smoother than on the sea ice, I’m really enjoying this!
Jackson and Black Bear are my lead dogs and are going beautifully. It really is a great feeling to be behind a team of 10 dogs. I know I have said this before, but they are amazing! Just pulling, pulling, pulling and wagging their tails as they go. Their ears flip-flop from side to side and then prick up when I call their names. Max frequently looks back to see whether I’m still there, or just to check on what I’m doing! As we head into the Little Moose Channel to our next campsite, I know why I enjoy dogsledding!
Our campsite is glorious this evening – a frozen river with small willows on each side. The dogs are tied up in a long line along one bank, and we pitch the tents on the snow and ice. Martha is moving in with Rod, and David is going to join me in the tent he names “Trump Tower.” [Re-reading this in 2018, I expect he'd now use a different name].
We’re getting quicker at pitching the tents, and although this one is large, the clips used to hook it onto the frame are quite difficult to manage with cold hands and gloves. But as long as there’s no Force 10 gale blowing we’re reasonably quick, and by the end of the week, tents are up in no time at all.
Everyone seems a bit tense today, perhaps because we’re half way and perhaps because we’re all a little tired. So we have dinner and hit the sack. It’s a cold night, and the hand warmers that I use in each sock ensure a warm, toasty night in the sleeping bag.